Losing a person, you have known and loved for years is perhaps one of the things that people find hard to recover from. Putting behind memories and letting go is not easy, however, giving this person a loving goodbye is the least that we can do to honour their lives.
Planning a funeral is no easy feat. Right from hiring musicians for funerals, caterers, and decorators, funerals string ensembles, everything needs to have quality thinking and effort put into it. However, one of the most important aspects of a funeral is the music that is played. Music has the power to make you feel things that no words ever could. Choosing the right music can be an amazing form of catharsis for those seeking closure or simply finding it hard to grieve. Through music, you can make an entire crowd feel things that they never thought they could feel. There is no better way to celebrate the life of a departed soul than through words of kindness and music for the soul. However, many people find it hard to think clearly when they have lost someone. This is but natural and we empathise with you. Therefore knowing a few tips and keeping them in mind can come in handy while choosing what music you would like to play.
Table of Contents
Which Songs Hold A Story?
Did you know that the average American man or woman listens to approximately 2 million songs in a lifetime? Mind-blowing isn’t it? Imagine how every song may have shaped the person they had become to be. There must have been songs that lifted them, helped them grieve over their losses, songs that were their best friends as they went on long walks, songs that they may have shared with a loved one perhaps on prom night, the list could be endless!
Just like that, think of the songs that held a special place in the person’s heart and make a list of them. If you were very close to the person who has departed, you may find it hard to even remember what songs they truly liked. For this, a bit of help always goes a long way. Take a moment to reach out to the person’s friend circle or extended family members to take in suggestions. You will find that you have a lot more songs on your list and since the list would be made of everyone’s suggestions, most people will be able to relate and get closure of their own as they attend the funeral.
Speak To Professionals
Some musicians specialise in music that can match a person’s exact requirement. These teams also cater to funeral live music and can arrange funeral live streams. Through experience, they have ready curated lists that you can browse and choose from. These lists are created after due diligence and a lot of thought goes into the making of them. Based on several clients taken in the past, lists are then given for clients to browse through. Chances are, you will find a handful of songs that will immediately click with you and make you associate them with certain fond memories shared with your loved ones. Here are some of the most heartful songs and music pieces that continue to remain evergreen for funerals.
- My Way – Frank Sinatra
- Angels – Robbie Williams
- You’ll never walk alone – Gerry and the Pacemakers
- Pie Jesu – Faure
- Canon in D – Paachelbel
- Nimrod from Enigma Variation
- See you again – Charlie Puth
- Someone like you – Adele
- Someone you loved – Lewis Capaldi
- Lay me down- Sam Smith
Keep A Blend Of Songs
Very often for the planner, it is natural to stick to one type of genre and make a list that is relatable for them. However, with every passing year, beautiful heartfelt songs are created in every genre, artist, and era. Usually, when a loved one departs, several families and friends coming from different backgrounds and upbringings come together. For example, if a person who has spent important years of his life in let us say the 1990’s, hearing a song like My heart will go on by Celine Dion would be a whole lot more relatable compared to someone who has spent their crucial years in the 2000s. This person will probably relate to songs from Savage Garden or Coldplay. The beauty about all these 3 artists is the fact that all of them have heartfelt songs about losing someone.
Ensuring that your choice of music is a blend of songs from different categories will help your guests feel like they do belong because they will be able to recognise these songs and therefore truly be a part of the gathering. During funerals string ensembles, you can also mention this to the music team so they incorporate a good mix of everything.
Include Literature And Hymns
Who said songs and music only have to do with artists who have produced them? There is something equally powerful that can move millions. Poetry!
Reading a few lines from a favourite poem or a book that was close to the departed person’s heart can also add so much value to the service. Reciting lines with funeral live music can turn out to be a very powerful way of giving people a glimpse into the life of the departed person, therefore making them feel a whole lot welcome.
You can also add hymns, which again is a very powerful piece of music and are associated with the god. Therefore, the impact of hearing a hymn can sometimes be the strongest since people often find comfort during such times in god.
Have A Ready Playlist On A Streaming Platform
Other than hiring musicians for funerals and arranging live music for wakes and funerals, it is good to ensure that you have a working playlist ready and available on music streaming platforms such as Spotify or YouTube music, this will help keep all your music in one place so that you don’t have to worry if you lose a Cd or end up with a corrupted pen drive, etc. These playlists are synced online into your profile so you can access them from any cell phone that has a cellular network and data.
Additionally, ensuring that you have checked for all technical glitches will help avoid any other unfortunate inconveniences on the day of the service.
While losing someone is something we cannot control, there is one thing we can control. Which is to help them move on to their next journey, as their loved ones continue to remember and celebrate the once incredible life they had.
