Music for a farewell: songs for a funeral

Music says in three minutes what a speech cannot reach. Well chosen, it turns a service into a portrait.

The only criterion that matters

What did that person listen to? The “right” piece is theirs: the song they hummed around the house, the record they wore out, the first dance at their wedding. A funeral with their music is a funeral with them in it.

Classical pieces that carry the moment

• “Ave Maria” (Schubert or Gounod)
• Pachelbel's Canon
• Albinoni's Adagio
• “Nimrod” from Elgar's Enigma Variations
• “Abide with Me”, for services with a hymn at their heart

Modern favourites

• “Hallelujah” — Leonard Cohen
• “Tears in Heaven” — Eric Clapton
• “My Way” — Frank Sinatra
• “Time to Say Goodbye” — Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
• “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” — the Israel Kamakawiwoʻole version

How to organise it

• Few pieces: one on entry, one central moment and one farewell are enough.
• At religious services, ask first: some churches restrict non-liturgical music.
• Live music if the budget allows: a cello or a single voice changes the air in the room.
• Test the equipment. The classic speaker failure is avoided with a two-minute rehearsal.

After the service

Their song can keep playing: adding a video with their favourite piece to the memorial means that whoever visits it years from now won't just read their life — they'll hear it.