When a loved one passes away, it can sometimes feel like honouring their final wishes requires a fair amount of guesswork. Unless they have left an intricately detailed list about each and every aspect of their funeral service, the disposal of their estate and any memorials, some matters might require an educated guess. Knowing the person, you will need to consider whether this is what they would have wanted, whether it's choosing a charity to donate their possessions to or selecting a floral arrangement for their funeral. What about the music at the funeral? Some people might have left a list of songs they'd like to be played, which could be anything from a sombre and funereal piece of music to an upbeat pop song from the 80s. What about if your loved one wanted live music at their funeral? How do you go about honouring this wish?
The Logistics
First, you need to know if it will actually be possible at the chosen funeral venue. Raise the matter with the funeral director. There not only needs to be the space to accommodate the band and their equipment, as well as the mourners, but any other scheduled, unrelated services need to be taken into consideration. If other services are taking place at the same time at the same venue, it might not be appropriate to have loud, live music that could potentially be overheard by the other service. Such a problem could be overcome by scheduling the funeral so as not to clash with other services. The venue might also have contained facilities, such as an onsite private funeral chapel where any noise from the service will not be overheard. But what about the performers?
The Performers
It's unlikely that the original artists who popularised the songs will be performing, so unless your loved one actually named a local band, the onus can be on you to find the right performers. Consider local cover bands who are adept at playing small events. And while they might be more used to performing at weddings, birthdays and other celebrations, it's not overly complicated for them to somewhat adjust their approach in order to reflect the relevant circumstances. How can you find such a band?
Online Auditions
Do some online research to draw up a list of potential candidates based upon their availability and cost. As for their actual musical abilities, consider candidates who have a showreel or comparable video proof of their style and skills. It can be as straightforward as watching a YouTube video of the band in order to gauge their talent and suitability.
Some mourners might be taken aback at the funeral taking on the qualities of a live concert, but this might have precisely been what your loved one wanted.
Share25 February 2019
Planning a funeral can be extremely hard. You want to send off your loved one in style, but at the same time, your grief may be so heavy that it feels impossible to figure out the best way forward. Hi, my name is Julie. If you have recently lost a loved one, I offer you my condolences. I lost my mother and husband within the span of a year and became skilled at planning funerals. I know how hard it can be so I wanted to help others with organisation, decoration and other issues. I hope this blog helps you. Enjoy reading and thank you.