What do we expect from a funeral?

Can’t think I’d want any of these from the Top 10 funeral tunes played at mine.

1 My Way - Frank Sinatra/Shirley Bassey
2 Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler/Celine Dion
3 Time To Say Goodbye - Sarah Brightman/Andrea Bocelli
4 Angels - Robbie Williams
5 Over The Rainbow - Eva Cassidy
6 You Raise Me Up - Westlife/Boyzone/Josh Grobin
7 My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
8 I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
9 You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry and the Pacemakers
10 Unforgettable - Nat King Cole

Could be a difficult decision of what to have played though. ‘Stairway to Heaven’ by Led Zepp might be too obvious. The classy ‘Ossie’s Dream’ by the magnificent ’81 FA Cup winning side would be wasted on some of my friends who fail to see the beauty of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in the way that I do.

Seriously though, isn’t the point of the choice of music simply to bring back some happy memories of the deceased for those mourning their loss? Father Ed Tomlinson of St Barnabas' Church, Tunbridge Wells does himself a dis-service when he asks What is the point of my being present if spiritually unwanted?

Isn’t it a case of having to accept that you’ve conducted the service and how that affects each mourner is something that many would not want you to know? I recently attended the funeral of a pal’s wife. The Chapel was full of mourners and the lady Minister did a fine job of capturing through her words, the spirit of the deceased. Charlie still talks about the Minister's words in a way that shows he took immense comfort from them and they have in turn, eased his pain at such a low ebb in his life. I’m sure Father Tomlinson does exactly the same and he needn’t feel ‘like a lemon’ at any time.


nick