“My brother is so noisy I need a piece of quiet.” So says four-year old Olivia, whose words inspired a song by Lior called A Piece of Quiet, which is the title track of the latest album from The Hush Foundation.

Hush Music was developed by Dr Catherine Crock with the aim of reducing the stress and anxiety felt by patients and their families in hospitals by using music to help create a peaceful, calm and uplifting environment. Hush 16: A Piece of Quiet is a collaboration between singer-songwriter Lior, a cappella group The Idea of North and composer Elena Kats-Chernin.

A Piece of QuietLior and six-year old Edgar work together on the latest Hush album. Photo courtesy of the Hush Foundation

The tracks range from an instrumental piece by Kats-Chernin called Pitter Patter, to a gently beguiling song by Lior called The Thing About Turtles, to Edgar’s Essay, written by The Idea of North’s Naomi Crellin and performed by Lior, The Idea of North and the Sydney Children’s Choir. All the lyrics were inspired by the stories, conversations, thoughts and observations of young cancer patients and other...