How to Choose Readings and Music that Truly Reflect a Loved One

An important component of many funeral services, memorial services and celebrations of life is the inclusion of readings and music. Readings and music play a major role in setting the tone of the ceremony and can be an excellent way to pay tribute to the personality and values of the deceased. In today’s blog we will be looking at how to choose readings and music that truly reflect a loved one.

Setting Tone

Music and Readings are excellent ways to convey emotion and are therefore crucial in setting the tone of the ceremony for those in attendance. For traditional funerals or memorial services, which are generally somber affairs, you may want to choose somber and reflective readings and music, perhaps including something more upbeat and hopeful for the end of the ceremony. If the tone is meant to be spiritual and religious, you may want to choose things like hymns, religious music and favorite passages from scripture. If the ceremony is a celebration of life you may want to choose music and readings that are upbeat, hopeful and perhaps even humorous to convey the lighter tone of the ceremony to the participants.

Celebrating the Individual

As music and readings are tied so closely to emotions, making the right selections can be crucial in ensuring that the personality of your loved one comes across during the ceremony. In fact, one could even say that this is the most important factor when you are choosing what readings and music to include. Did your loved one have any favorite songs or music artists that would be appropriate to the ceremony? Did they have a favorite book or writer that you could pull readings from? As these options may not always be apparent or appropriate you could also look at lists of popular funeral music selections and popular funeral readings to find selections that reflect the memory and personality of your loved one.

Honoring Tradition

Music and Readings can also be a great way to honor traditions that were important to your loved one and your family. As previously mentioned, these can include readings and music that reflect the religious sensibilities of your loved one. Music and Reading selections can also be a great way to pay tribute to any cultural traditions that may have been important to your loved one. A great example of this would be including bagpipe music and Robbie Burns readings for those of Scottish descent. Many other cultures also have their own musical traditions and culturally appropriate reading selections that can be a great inclusion to reflect your family’s heritage.

We hope we have been able to provide you with some helpful advice on how to select readings and music that truly reflect your loved one during their final farewell. If you have any questions about end-of-life services, please feel free to contact us.

Arbutus Funeral Service Inc., based in the Walnut Grove part of northwest Langley Township, British Columbia, is a family-owned and operated funeral home providing practical and affordable funeral services. We believe in cultural sensitivity and treat every client and family with respect and compassion. If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about funeral services, please call (604) 888-9895.