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Songs for Funerals - Choosing Funeral
Music to Make the Service Meaningful
By Susan Colin
Finding the right songs for funerals or memorial
services can seem difficult because most families are in
shock or are overwhelmed with making arrangements.
However, there are some easy to follow basic concepts
when selecting funeral music that can make this process
go smoothly.
Often times people have left instructions, either verbal
or written, to play a song that was important to them in
their lives. Ranging from old spirituals to folk songs
to arias to rock anthems, the choice may seem confusing
to casual acquaintances, but a close family member or
friend will understand and can share with the gathering
of mourners the relevance of this song. By honoring the
deceased person's request, mourners have a final
opportunity to share a moment with their loved one, and
each other. This provides a cohesive experience when all
in attendance can take comfort and experience a powerful
moment of shared grief as well as the poignant
celebration of a life completed.
Regardless of most people's level of religious
observation, having songs that refer to some scripture
can provide a familiar source of strength. Christians
and Jews alike typically include Psalm 23 "The Lord is
my shepherd..." This prayer has numerous musical
settings, both in English and Hebrew. A particularly
elegant version is written in Hebrew by Gerald Cohen,
called "Adonai Roi."
Transcending religious affiliation, everyone wants to be
remembered as a worthwhile person. We are as significant
as the love we created and now leave behind. The Native
American poem "I am with you still" (also sometimes
written as "I did not die") provides a comforting
reminder that those we love remain in our hearts, in the
breezes that blow, in everything we choose to remember.
"I am with you still" has a musical setting in English
with one additional phrase in Hebrew, selected from
Proverbs 10:7, which translates to "The name of the
righteous is invoked in blessing." This is a perfect
song for a funeral or memorial service for both young
and old. When we speak the name of our loved one we
remember him or her as a blessing in our lives, and in
the world.
Songs for funerals provide mourners with a powerful and
important opportunity to reflect, share their grief,
immerse in love and gratitude, and create a new and
final memory that can be drawn upon in the potentially
difficult and sad times ahead. Later, as time passes and
sadness subsides, this music can provide a gentle and
soothing reminder of the gift of loving and being loved.
Susan Colin is a singer, songwriter and Cantorial
Soloist who often sings at funeral and memorial
services. Susan lives in the Dallas, Texas area and her
recordings can be heard at http://www.susancolin.com and
http://www.itunes.com |
