Even when we are aching with her loss, We can hear her voice

After suddenly and unexpectedly losing our beautiful sunshine girl Lyra, we were desperate to find ways to honour her and celebrate her life. Lyra was just two years and ten months old and caring for a toddler is such a physical thing that we ached to find ways to continue this care and to channel our love into something tangible and meaningful. When we discovered the Swan Song project through a blog post shared by The Compassionate Friends, it was a real moment of light in the dark.

We reached out straight away and were so delighted to arrange our first songwriting session with Ben. For the entirety of the first session Ben actively encouraged us to talk non-stop and unapologetically about Lyra and her life and all her favourite things. Sharing Lyra’s life with Ben was the best medicine and it was impossible not to smile, and even laugh, as we recounted funny stories and burst with pride describing the truly incredible person our daughter had become and the impact she will always have on our lives.

One of the many challenges of losing a child is that people (with good intention) often tend to try and avoid conversation or to change the subject for fear of uncomfortability or causing upset– and so the songwriting sessions felt like the perfect antidote, a truly magic space where we could share Lyra and be heard.

The songwriting process was amazing and with Ben’s creativity and encouragement we found ourselves moving forward with momentum and full of inspiration. We both agreed that the sessions felt more therapeutic than the counselling we had received. Being able to do something so special for our little girl felt like such a gift, and being a rockstar herself, we knew how much she would adore it!

We had sent Ben a video clip of Lyra singing, and Ben had the wonderful idea to structure the song around Lyra’s very own tune and to add her voice to the chorus. Being terrible singers ourselves, we opted to have the wonderful Holly singing the lyrics for us, but Ben suggested we add in a short spoken vocal clip and we both recorded a special magic spell. You can also hear Lyra proudly singing her name throughout the song. In the verses we tried to capture Lyra’s life, personality and favourite things and in the chorus, we urge people to ‘be more Lyra’ which to us means being kinder, more compassionate, having an infectious joy and enthusiasm for life, and the creativity and imagination to see the treasure and adventure in everything, no matter how mundane.

For us as Lyra’s parents, this song will always be a magical mantra to remind us to be more Lyra, even when we are aching with her loss. We can hear her voice, feel her beautiful energy, and feel
inspired by Lyra, our greatest teacher.

If you are thinking about writing a song with the Swan Song project, we urge you to reach out and
assure you that you won’t regret it!

Romey Macdonald & Andy Greer

September 2025

Listen to “Fairy Wings & Ballet Shoes” below