Inspirational. Invigorating. Irreplaceable.
So many words, so many superlatives, have been used to describe Denise Hagan.
Alone they cannot do justice in summing up one who meant so much to so many. Collectively they can touch upon the precious person, the beautiful soul, the tremendous talent who moved them all – family, friends, complete strangers this whole world over – such was her gift, her voice, her influence.
Many have referred to Denise as a shining light and that, indeed, she was.
A Keady lass at heart, she frequented countless stages, participated in numerous retreats, and brought calm, spiritual guidance and counsel in great abundance, always uplifting, always exhilarating.
Denise had worked as a music teacher and through that role she inspired all those pupils in her charge to nurture their talents, to strive to be their best and to discover that nothing is ever unattainable if the desire to succeed is within them.
She would go on to enjoy a hugely successful professional career and as a performer and as a lyricist, one who injected so much of herself into the words she so beautifully sang, she was unequalled.
Tributes have been pouring in since Denise sadly passed away on Friday after a battle with cancer bravely fought.
Their geographical spread speaks of the influence she had on those who knew her and those who did not but felt they did through her music and the passion and positivity which she radiated.
The Abbey Grammar School in Newry and St Paul’s High in Bessbrook are among those schools blessed by Denise’s wonderful energy and endearing demeanour.
St Paul’s described her as “an esteemed member of our teaching staff and deeply valued colleague” and added: “Denise was a cherished member of our school family, and her absence leaves a deep void in our community. We hold her, and all who love her, in our hearts at this sorrowful time.”
Denise previously supported and was delighted to endorse the Peace Mala Project charity during her long and fulfilling career.
It has recognised and will remember the Co Armagh woman as an “inspirational” singer and songwriter, whose debut performance in July 2003 was as support to Shania Twain.
“Her songwriting ambitions have been credited by Sterling Sound Studios, New York, where Lennon, Springsteen, Jewel and The Strokes have mastered their albums,” the charity reflects on its website.
“Denise has been singing and writing songs since she was at school. Even then it was clear that she was a young woman with a very special talent and a bright future.”
She had a “distinctive song writing and vocal style” and her songs were “immediately identifiable by their powerful lyrics, many of which are deeply spiritual, and are presented in a variety of styles ranging from folk, to jazz all the way through to rock’n’roll”.
Christian Pankhurst, founder of the Heart IQ Retreat Centre, described Denise as a “dear friend”.
Paying a very personal tribute on social media, he describes first meeting her at Bard College in New York back in 2004.
“I was just beginning my journey as a facilitator, studying with Neale Donald Walsch, still finding my feet. And then Denise picked up her guitar and started to play. I was brought to tears almost immediately. Her voice was angelic. There’s no other word for it. It stopped the room. It stopped me,” he wrote.
“I followed her career from that moment, and in 2011 we began working together professionally. She became something I still struggle to describe. Not just a co-facilitator. Not just a musician. She was my right-hand angel. We co-facilitated deep dive seven-day retreats together in Costa Rica, in Panama, in Spain, for many years. She brought concerts, music, attunement, and a gift of healing that I have never seen in anyone else. She was the real deal.
“One of my favourite memories is Denise showing up at our Heart Summit in Miami in 2012 with her sound bowls, doing a sound bath for hundreds of people. The whole room dissolved. That was her gift. She could walk into a space and change the frequency of it without saying a word.
“Beyond the retreats and the music, Denise was someone who saw me. She helped me understand that a lot of what was going on in my health wasn’t just physical. She helped me see that my boundaries needed to improve, energetically, as a facilitator, as a partner, as a human being in this life. She was honest with me in ways that very few people have ever been.
“She was a mama bear. A protector. A powerful warrioress. And one of the most genuinely kind souls I’ve ever known.
“I know she’ll be a guardian angel for all of us now. I bless her wherever she is going next.
“I’ll miss you terribly, Denise. Thank you for everything you brought to my life and to the lives of so many others who were lucky enough to sit in a room when you played.
“Rest now. You’ve earned it.”
One of those who had attended the Heart Summit described how she felt “so blessed” after first encountering Denise and upon hearing her “beautiful songs and singing”.
Afterwards, she added: “I listened to every song I could get from her. I dived into her music, I wrapped myself into it and it felt so tender, so true and offered so much comfort and uplifting.
“Now she has really been lifted up to realms so much more beautiful and brighter than us earthlings can imagine. Such a beautiful wise soul, a woman I dearly love even though I never spoke to her in person. May she sing forever in light and bliss.”
Music Generation Louth, which works to encourage and nurture the talents of aspiring young musicians, worked with Denise shortly after it was formed.
“She was a truly inspirational teacher and an amazing human being,” the organisation said upon learning of her passing, “a great colleague whose inner light nurtured and supported all those around her. Rest in peace Denise. The world will definitely miss you.”
Mediation coach Xhale added: “She had the voice of an angel and the gift of her music will thankfully keep her spirit alive.”
Denise’s passing at the Evora Hospice comes less than a year after the sad loss last April of her father Tommy, who was so proud of her achievements.
A funeral notice describes her as the “cherished daughter of Patricia and the late Tommy and beloved sister of Orla (Jonathan), Jimmy (Clare) and Mark (Breige)”.
The family will welcome visitors to the home at Richview Heights in Keady on Saturday and Sunday, from 2pm and 9pm.
And, as Requiem Mass is celebrated at St Patrick’s Church in the town at noon on Monday, they have asked that those attending honour Denise’s wish of wearing “bright colours or accessories”, if possible, reflecting her love of colour.
Denise kept a positive attitude throughout her brave battle and during her final days.
In sharing a song, Amazing Space, on her own social media pages in January, she wrote: “With so much going on in our crazy but beautiful world, the safest place to rest is inside our hearts.”
And that, truly, is where Denise will now rest, eternally within the hearts of all those whose lives she enriched and enhanced, magnificently beyond measure, time and time again.
To Denise’s family, friends and all who knew and loved her, we offer our heartfelt condolences at this time. May she Rest in Peace.
