Proud as he was to participate, it wasn’t until weeks later – during an unexpected hospital stay – that Michael realised just how much those moments meant to patients like him.
“After a rather traumatic week, enduring two major abdominal surgeries and much pain and discomfort, I found myself feeling drained.”
Enticed out of his ward by the strains of a harpist, Michael was brought to tears by the experience.
“As I listened to the beautiful music with my eyes closed, I found the tears streaming down my face in an unconscious response that allowed me to release the pent-up emotions that came from enduring a lot in a short period of time.
“It was just such a lovely time to be able to sit back and just feel normal for a little while and enjoy something beautiful.”
Pictured: Michael Connolly listening to music at the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital.
It’s that same gift he and his choir were proud to give earlier this year.
“It’s not that we’re fantastic, by any means, but we do it for the sheer joy of singing,” Michael said.
“The choir has meant so much to me and to everyone else that we wanted to go out and share it with other people. It was wonderful to see the enjoyment on people’s faces as they walked past, and the staff tapping their toes and singing along.”
Moments of joy, Michael says, can be incredibly precious when life deals you a difficult hand. Diagnosed with a heart condition, which then revealed kidney disease, Michael moved to Brisbane from Rockhampton in 2023.
“I used to be a worker who occasionally went to the hospital. Now I'm a person who goes to the hospital and occasionally goes to work.”
While he’s determined to adapt – retraining for roles more suited to his new lifestyle – the blows sometimes keep coming.
“I had a hell run recently, when I had to get part of my bowel removed. I got sacked from the job I was in and was asked to leave my accommodation, because they were worried I would have an episode when no one was there.
“When all that happened, I was in a pretty dark place. The only thing that kept me from going too far down was knowing that I had support from the people at the Royal - they’re always there to listen.”
“I'm a frustrated musician - I started to learn the violin at school, but I gave it away because of peer pressure. So, during the 80s and 90s I got involved in DJing.
“The singing started when my mum developed dementia and moved into aged care. The staff said, ‘the one thing that’s going to be your mum's best friend is familiarity’. So, I grabbed some of her songbooks and started singing those songs, and she started singing along with me. It's the one thing that kept us connected,” Michael said.
“When you see somebody, who's comatose most of the time, start tapping their toes when they hear a song they like, you think, ‘wow, this is worthwhile’. They’re transported, if just for a few minutes.”
Before long, he had become a volunteer entertainer for aged care centres.
“Singing gives me a release, and it’s my anchor to sanity. When I feel everything's starting to get on top of me, I'll sing a song. That’s therapy in itself.”
Having stumbled upon the Brisbane Relief Hub choir during an unexpected hospital stay, when he ventured out into Fortitude Valley to buy a change of clothes, Michael has never looked back.
“A choir brings together all sorts of people with different outlooks and from different walks of life, but with a common passion. I found them and I stayed.
“The choir’s performance at RBWH came about because I was in for surgery and couldn’t attend practice. I felt I was missing out so – with clearance from the hospital - I asked the choir to bring practice to me, and they did.
“That's when the idea took shape in my head. I connected with the RBWH Foundation and, before we knew it, we were singing in the atrium of the hospital.”
For Michael, the experience has been a ‘win’ all round – an uplifting experience for the choir and a way to share their joy with a hospital that has given him so much.
“The Royal is an amazing hospital, and the staff go above and beyond.
“Sadly, so far as kidney issues go, it’s a growth industry, so they’re under ever-increasing pressure. I have nothing but praise for the Royal’s teams.
“Nobody likes staying in a hospital, but if you have to be there, it’s always nice to be in a place where you feel seen and heard.”
