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Rab Noakes' The Power of Music

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

Music

The Quay Sessions

02/01/2018

BBC Radio Scotland - Rab Noakes' The Power of Music

Singer songwriter Rab Noakes explores the healing powers of music.

After being diagnosed with tonsillar cancer a couple of years ago, Rab Noakes found himself drawn to playing his guitar and writing songs during his recovery. Indeed, he wrote and recorded 'The Treatment Tapes' EP based on his experience of being ill. He believes that immersing himself in music aided his return to good health.

In this programme, Rab speaks to other people who have undergone cancer treatment and looks at how music helped them get through it. Beth Nielsen Chapman tells the remarkable personal story of losing her husband to cancer and then having breast cancer herself, and how she reflected this in her music. Bob Harris describes how he was drawn to particular songs during his recovery from prostate cancer. And Rod Clements found himself listening to old blues songs he hadn't heard for years during his treatment. 

Plus Rab explores traditional public expressions of grief and suffering through Gaelic Psalm singing with folklorist Margaret Bennett, who lost her own son - the composer and musician Martyn Bennett - to cancer.

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