When Humanity Meets Technology

On February 11, 2026, at the ElevenLabs Summit in London, Patrick Darling performed an original song with his former bandmates before an audience of nearly 1,000 people.

Except Patrick has almost completely lost his ability to make sound.

Patrick is a 32-year-old composer and former singer of the Irish folk group The Ceili House Band. Diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease/ALS at 29, he gradually lost the ability to sing and now speaks very few words with difficulty. 

In what is believed to be a world-first live performance of its kind, Patrick’s singing voice was recreated using ElevenLabs’ voice technology, allowing him to perform his own music again, in his own voice.

From communicating to creating

For Patrick, ALS did not only take his speech — it took his music, a defining part of who he had been since childhood. While he had already recreated his speaking voice with ElevenLabs to support daily communication, singing remained out of reach.

“Losing my ability to sing had a profound and devastating effect on me,” Patrick said on stage. “It felt like I was losing an essential part of my identity. The grief was overwhelming. I felt like a lesser version of myself.”

Still, Patrick never stopped writing songs. He just needed a way to share them in his own voice, even when that seemed impossible.

Using recordings from before his diagnosis, Patrick worked with Richard Cave, a speech therapist and member of the ElevenLabs Partnerships team, to recreate his singing voice using Eleven Music. Together, they developed an original song built with Eleven Music around his restored vocal model.

“For the first time in years, I could hear myself sing again,” Patrick said. “That changes everything.”

Back on stage

Patrick Darling in conversation with ElevenLabs’ Gabi Leibowitz at the London Summit.

At the ElevenLabs Summit in London, Patrick reunited with his former bandmates, Nick Cocking and Hari Ma. Together, they performed Ghost of a Man I Never Met, an original song composed by Patrick and written entirely in his own words.

After the concert, Patrick told the BBC, “I felt part of the band again. I was a performer again. I felt like I was singing again. I also felt like I was being seen for more than just my illness. It will forever be an experience that I will treasure.”

His family sat in the audience, hearing him sing publicly for the first time since his diagnosis.

Beyond getting needs met

For musicians like Patrick, ElevenLabs voice technology makes it possible to create. It points to a future where losing your voice does not mean losing your craft.

Through the ElevenLabs Impact Program, we are working to empower one million voices worldwide. We provide free access to our technology for individuals experiencing permanent voice loss, as well as for nonprofit organizations across healthcare, education, and cultural initiatives.

If you or someone you know has lost their voice, you can apply directly through our website.

Restoring communication is essential. Restoring creativity is transformative.

Watch Patrick’s full performance here.