Blog 362 — Sing, Sing, Sing
The Extraordinary Lift Cancer
Choir
Written 10 October 2026
Nearly three years ago, at 3.30 pm on
Sunday 29 October 2023, I attended a concert by the Lift Cancer Choir. I was a
special guest of Ms Lauren Whiting, Founder and Chief Executive of Lift Cancer
Care Services.
Lift (https://www.liftcancercare.com.au)
is an accredited day hospital. In its own words:
|
[Lift] delivers
evidence-based, medically prescribed Exercise Treatment to support improved
outcomes for people with cancer. This specialised,
oncology-specific care is tailored to each patient and designed to enhance
treatment tolerance, physical function, and quality of life. |
When I attended that concert, Margaret had
been dead a mere ten weeks and five days. Even though the singing was
wonderful, I wept softly through most of the songs as waves of sadness kept
sweeping over me.
When I went to that concert, I had no way
of knowing that I too would one day become a member of the Lift Cancer Choir.
In this Blog, I will tell you a little
about the extraordinary story of the Lift Cancer Choir.
***
Lauren had accepted the suggestions of lift
patients who recommended the establishment of the Lift Cancer Choir to help
people affected by cancer, particularly those who have been helped by Lift
Cancer Care Services. As the website says, “The Lift Cancer Choir is for
past and present patients of Lift, and their families”.
The choir is truly dedicated to their
welfare. The email address for Lift
Cancer Choir is liftcancerchoir@gmail.com
***
When I asked Lauren for advice about the
bewildering scatter of cancer support groups, she recommended I try the Lift
Cancer Choir and I did just that.
On Tuesday 15 September this year, I was
part of the Lift Cancer Choir when we sang our hearts out at a concert for our
local council, the City of West Torrens.
I was again part of the Lift Cancer Choir on
Sunday 18 October 2026 when we were one of the many choirs who participated in
the Adelaide Sings Concert, presented by the Australian National Choral
Association. The singing was
exceptional.
***
Lauren Whiting – Founder
and CEO of Lift Cancer Care Services; photo copied from https://www.liftcancercare.com.au
***
Margaret attended Lift regularly throughout
2021 and for part of 2022, on the recommendation of her treating oncologist.
Although she pretended not to like formal exercise, she was always eager to go
to Lift.
I could easily see the benefits Margaret
gained from her Lift exercise treatments. I know Lift helped her live much
longer than her treating doctors expected.
One of the physiotherapists who helped
Margaret so much was Sarah.
Sarah Harfield, Director
of Oncology Exercise and Physiotherapy at Lift Cancer Care Services; photo
copied from https://www.liftcancercare.com.au
***
I have met both Sarah and Lauren. I wish
everyone I meet in life were as competent and as caring as they both are.
Here is what the Lift website says about
the choir:
|
One of the most
memorable moments to come out of 2020 was the formation of the Lift Choir. We
had our first rehearsal in October as a nervous group of 7 people who
'couldn't sing'. Fast forward a few months and we are 40 members strong, a
little less nervous and we can sing! This choir
started after two patients - one a singing teach[er], the other a musician -
floated the idea. They were both passionate about the wonderful benefits that
singing and music provide and thought it would [be] a lovely gift to share
with people who have been diagnosed with cancer. This is a truly
special group of people and Lift is so grateful to play a role in bringing
people together each week to sing and to be joyful. |
The two patients referred to on the website
who proposed establishing the choir were Antoinetta Caruana and Jeff Smith.
***
In the 1960s, I used to watch a television
program called “Sing, Sing, Sing”. It was hosted by the Australian rock and
roll singer Johnny O’Keefe and ran from 1962 to 1965. Each show opened with
O’Keefe singing the title song. He always seemed to me to be on the verge of a
mental health breakdown on air. I wonder now whether, as with me, singing
played a major part in helping him keep going.
According to Wiki, Johnny O’Keefe did
indeed have some health issues.
|
In August 1962
he suffered another breakdown and spent two months in the psychiatric ward at
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, beginning what was to become a
repeating cycle of much-publicised breakdowns, hospitalisation and recovery. |
Here are the words of that title song,
“Sing (And Tell the Blues So Long)”, which Johnny O’Keefe sang so well despite
his obvious heartache.
|
Sing
(And Tell the Blues So Long) Sung
by Johnny
O'Keefe Written
by Sid Wyche and Al Kasha; O’Keefe’s recording released 1962. Well,
I can't do nothin' with the blues I got But
sing, sing, sing I
guess the only thing to keep me from a-blowing my top Is
to sing, sing, sing I'm
gonna sing a little song that has a rockin' beat I'm
gonna sing (sing), sing (sing), sing Then
I tell my troubles to the friends I meet I'm
gonna sing, sing, sing Everybody,
sing away your troubles Let's
be happy and gay (yeah, yeah, yeah) Let's
shout hallelujah Sing
your blues away, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah If
you feel down-hearted, join me in my song And
tell (and tell) the blues (the blues) so long (Tell
the blues so long) Well,
if you wanna be a-happy, sing a happy song Come
on and sing (sing), sing (sing), sing Everything
will be alright that you thought was wrong If
you sing, sing, sing When
your best friend steals your clothes from you You
gotta sing (sing), sing (sing), sing 'Cause
tomorrow, you'll find a love that's true If
you sing, sing, sing Everybody,
sing away your troubles Let's
be happy and gay (yeah, yeah, yeah) Let's
shout hallelujah Sing
your blues away, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah If
you feel downhearted, join me in my song And
tell (and tell) the blues (the blues) so long (Tell
the blues so long) One
more time, I said tell (and tell) the blues (the blues) so long (Tell
the blues so long) Let's
sing a song Now
tell (and tell) the blues (the blues) so long (Tell
the blues so long) |
The Lift Choir members have all seen far
more than their fair share of suffering, and yet I have never heard any of them
complain. They are beautiful people who sing the blues away.
I was proud to join them on those days in
September and October 2026 when we sang so beautifully.
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