Singer Ritschi on death "I would rather not die"

Today sees the release of the song "S isch wie hei cho" by Eliane Müller and Ritschi: a duet about parents who leave young children behind and die too soon. A conversation about the power of music and death.

Ritschi, has music ever given you comfort?

What kind of person would I be if I answered no to this question. Music has always comforted me in my life, both as a listener and as a songwriter. As a writer, I always work through topics that concern me in songs.

Can you give an example?

The song "Schutzängel" is about death. We sang this song with Plüsch for the first time 20 years ago. Since then, it has comforted many fans. And you know what? I still get emails and messages from people who say how important the song "Schutzängel" is to them.

What do the fans write to you?

That the song touched and comforted them.

With the song "S isch wie hei cho", which is being released today and which you recorded together with singer Eliane Müller, you want to give comfort to children who have lost their parents at a young age. Does music have that much power?

When parents die young, there is an infinite amount of grief. In such a bad situation, a song is not enough to comfort them. But perhaps at a later stage, when a few months have passed, our song will be able to reopen access to a deceased person and keep memories of them alive. "S isch wie hei cho" is intended to be an encouraging song for children who have lost their dad or mom far too soon. Eliane and I recorded the song in collaboration with the Hörschatz association.

This non-profit association creates audio treasures with terminally ill parents in which they talk about their lives.

That's how it is. In their own words, the palliative patients tell their families what is important to them, what they want to remain. "S isch wie hei cho" describes what this situation does to a family - to the parent who has to go soon, but also to the children who are left behind.

How did the collaboration between Hörschatz, you and Eliane Müller come about?

About Franziska von Grünigen...

... a former SRF3 presenter ...

... and Franziska is also one of the two initiators of Hörschatz. She told me about her association in a private conversation a long time ago. That impressed me.

Why?

There are some people in my environment who had to leave far too early and leave young children behind. I find it all the more valuable that these personal audio biographies from Hörschatz later give these children the chance to hear their parents' voices again and learn from them personally what their favorite food was and what music they particularly enjoyed listening to.

How should I imagine the collaboration between you and Eliane Müller?

This is the first time that Eliane and I have worked on a song together. Nevertheless, there was an immediate sense of trust between us. That's hugely important if you want to write an emotional song together. In this situation, you have to be prepared to open up to the other person.

Were there any tears?

No, but the atmosphere was often emotional and Eliane and I had some very profound conversations.

Children tend to have naive ideas about death.

Younger children may not realize after the death of their parents what it really means that they will never see their mom again and never be able to talk to her again. They still lack the imagination. But they still grieve. It often seems to me that children don't want to know everything about death - as a form of self-protection, so to speak.

What do you mean by that?

So after a death, in the midst of all the desolation and despair, there is still a glimmer of hope.

You are the father of two children. Your son is twelve and your daughter is eight. Do you talk to them about death?

My children know that I've been busy writing and recording the song "S isch wie hei cho" recently. But I haven't proactively approached them to talk to them about death yet.

My children are very happy at the moment and so I don't want to burden them with such a heavy topic. However, we always talk about how important it is to treat each other with respect - partly because we don't know what tomorrow will bring.

What are the benefits of coming to terms with your own death?

Before Eliane and I wrote the song "S isch wie hei cho" together and recorded it in producer Adrian Stern 's studio, I was able to talk to people who were affected. I spoke to a terminally ill mother who was recording an audio treasure. And I spoke to teenagers who had lost their parents a few years ago. These conversations got me thinking. At the same time, I realized how lucky I am to be healthy.

Can coming to terms with your own death help you to cope better with the death of loved ones?

I think everyone has to find that out for themselves. What I can say: After the conversation with Franziska von Grüningen, I dealt with my own death more intensively. The Hörschatz initiator also offers a podcast called "My last Goodbye".

What is it about?

In this participatory podcast, you are asked twelve questions about your own death. In other words, people think about what their own funeral should look like. What kind of food should be served at the funeral meal? Is there one song that absolutely has to be played at the church? Should there even be a funeral? I can only recommend everyone to take part.

So you've already taken part?

Yes, the podcast "My Last Goodbye" encourages discussion, even with your own partner. I'm only 45 years old and hope that I still have 30 or 40 good years ahead of me. But you never know. That's why I find it exciting to think about death at a time when your own passing is not yet so present.

Can you tell us how you want to be buried?

I like Lake Thun and imagine that my ashes could be scattered there.

Do you have something against cemeteries?

I don't have anything against cemeteries, even if graves sometimes scare me a little. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I'd rather not lie there one day.

Are you afraid of death?

I think so ... um, I don't want to ... well, if someone were to ask me now whether I would rather not die, then I would answer yes at the moment. But it's also clear that everyone has to go at some point. And if I'm allowed to live long enough, it will probably be okay for me to have to go at some point. At the moment, however, the fear of death is greater than the anticipation of it.

That was my last question.

Then I have one more question for you: How do you like the song "S isch wie hei cho"?

I like it very much. Which also has to do with the fact that I'm currently close to the water. My father died a few weeks ago.

Oh, I'm sorry about that.

My father really wanted to go because he wanted to celebrate his birthday again with my mother, who died last year. I admit, that's a naive idea of death ...

... I don't think it's naive, but a nice idea.

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