One of the great joys of singing at funerals is hearing the eulogies - and discovering some amazing lives. We genuinely enjoy hearing of lives well lived, whether across the UK, abroad or within 5 miles of their final resting place. Of families raised, careers and jobs, and retirements enjoyed. Of battles fought both personal and medical, and not always won.
It's often hard for family members to read such tributes, and we take our hats off to the clergy and celebrants who read and often write these excellent tributes instead. They don't always know the deceased, but they work hard to ensure their words are a balance of respect, laced with gentle humour and the acknowledgement that not everybody was an absolute saint from cradle to grave!
It's even nicer when the order of service includes photos. Friends and family can see the person as they remember them; a handsome face in a military uniform, a young fresh-faced bride, a proud parent, a gentle grandparent.
And that's why we wing such a diverse range of music, because we celebrate such a myriad of lives. We've sung opera for butchers, Vera Lynn for pilots, and Lloyd Webber's 'Pie Jesu' for mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles . Here are some of the more unusual requests we've turned into tuneful reality:
"Bring Me Sunshine", yes, the Morecambe and Wise sign-off tune, which sent everyone out with a big smile.
Tom Jones' "Green, green grass of home" for a traveller whose family followed his casket into a tiny Hampshire church, so we had to sing the whole song eight times through!
"When Irish Eyes are Smiling" a lovely tribute for a child of the Emerald Isle, that harked back to Australian Toni's Irish roots.
"I'll Walk with God", a request from a Mario Lanza fan from "The Student Prince" that has turned into a favourite for soprano Toni for it's soaring vocal line and heart-felt lyrics.
"Senza Cantene", the Italian version of The Righteous brothers' hit "Unchained Melody". One of those tunes that gets the whole church humming along.
Admittedly, we've also had to turn down a few requests that we really couldn't sing (Freddie mercury's Barcelona" being one) but we always say, if you love the singer, play the CD. Many things we can do, but be a female Freddie is a tall order for anyone!
It's even nicer when the order of service includes photos. Friends and family can see the person as they remember them; a handsome face in a military uniform, a young fresh-faced bride, a proud parent, a gentle grandparent.
And that's why we wing such a diverse range of music, because we celebrate such a myriad of lives. We've sung opera for butchers, Vera Lynn for pilots, and Lloyd Webber's 'Pie Jesu' for mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles . Here are some of the more unusual requests we've turned into tuneful reality:
"Bring Me Sunshine", yes, the Morecambe and Wise sign-off tune, which sent everyone out with a big smile.
Tom Jones' "Green, green grass of home" for a traveller whose family followed his casket into a tiny Hampshire church, so we had to sing the whole song eight times through!
"When Irish Eyes are Smiling" a lovely tribute for a child of the Emerald Isle, that harked back to Australian Toni's Irish roots.
"I'll Walk with God", a request from a Mario Lanza fan from "The Student Prince" that has turned into a favourite for soprano Toni for it's soaring vocal line and heart-felt lyrics.
"Senza Cantene", the Italian version of The Righteous brothers' hit "Unchained Melody". One of those tunes that gets the whole church humming along.
Admittedly, we've also had to turn down a few requests that we really couldn't sing (Freddie mercury's Barcelona" being one) but we always say, if you love the singer, play the CD. Many things we can do, but be a female Freddie is a tall order for anyone!
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