Music in Funerals and Memorial Services

Music has a very important role in memorial services. Specifically, the appropriate type of music automatically has a calming effect on guests, despite the difficulty of attending the event. People typically expect at least some form of music during services, so feel free to tailor the music selections to meet your needs.

When choosing songs, ensure that they convey messages suitable for the situation, or choose songs that the deceased person really enjoyed. Try to utilize music throughout the entire service, including beforehand while people are finding their seats, and afterwards to let guests know that the formal part of the service is over. Also see our article on funeral hymns.

Overall, keep in mind that there are different ways to use music:

Provide guests with lyrics of songs and have everyone sing together. You can include the lyrics in your funeral programs.
Play music that represents the deceased personâ€™s cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Have live music from friends and family members, including children.
Make a CD of all the music used in the service and provide copies to all the guests.