Organising a funeral can seem like a daunting task. There is plenty to plan and sort out before the day. This includes choosing the perfect music to accompany the service, if you choose to do so. This might be an easy and simple choice, or it might be quite difficult. At Williams & Co, we’re here to help every step of the way. Here are some starting points we recommend.
Make sure to check the departed’s will, if they have one, as they might have some funeral preferences written in there. During a service, there’s usually 3-5 songs played, but it is completely up to you whether you want more or less.
Did They Have A Favourite Song?
If you know they had a favourite song, make sure it’s appropriate for the funeral service you want to hold. Listen to the lyrics all the way through and ensure you are happy with this choice. If you think the lyrics hold a special message, you could even print them out in the order of service.
If you know what artists they loved, you can look through their discography online and find a song that you think represents them.
Will The Ceremony Be Religious?
If you are holding a religious service, perhaps songs or hymns that represent their faith are more appropriate for the setting.
Did They Have Any Passions?
If your loved one had any hobbies or passions that can be summed up in a song, then you could choose a song based on this. For example, if they had a favourite film or TV show, you could take the theme tune or score and play that. If they had a football team that they loved, perhaps they have an impactful song that could be played.
Recorded Or Live Music?
You might also want to choose whether music should be played live at the funeral or through a recording. Perhaps if the departed was musically inclined, a live performance would be an appropriate send-off.
Not Sure Where To Start?
If you’re not sure what songs your loved one was fond of, then don’t worry. There are many appropriate songs for funerals out there. A good starting point is choosing memorable years in the person’s life and working from there. For example, find a song with meaningful lyrics from the year they were born.
There are a few classic funeral songs that are popular for good reason. For example, ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra, ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ by Bette Midler and ‘Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life’ by Eric Idle all have meaningful messages. They are quite often used as exit songs because they are timeless and evoke emotion.
It’s best to steer clear of songs with excess profanity or inappropriate messages. Some genres might not be suitable for the service. It is completely up to you which songs are chosen, but make sure you take your time and only choose one’s that are in keeping with the service.
