Music at a funeral service is often one of the first things to be discussed, as music has a great effect on people’s emotions.
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Singing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It may be you just don’t like to sing, or prefer to do so in the privacy of your own bathroom. That’s fine, until an occasion comes along where you feel you really should sing, like a wedding or a funeral.
What are the best funeral songs and hymns for a funeral for your mum? We’ve sung at over 100 funerals for much-loved mothers, so here’s our list of the top funeral music for mums.
 So far this year we've sung over 100 individual songs and hymns for funerals, burials and memorials services. As you would expect, this total includes some of the most popular items, including:
 When you’re organising a funeral, there isn’t always a lot of time to investigate lots of options for the service. So, you (and many families like you) may not even realise you can have live music at a funerals service. And that applies to the songs you and your loved one enjoyed, not just the hymns.
 Our ability to sing a wide variety of songs at funeral services has led us to some unexpected gems and new favourites. Many of these started out as a one-off request for one family and have gone on to delight and comfort many others.
 We've started to notice the trends in music played at funerals, with Adele exiting stage left to be replaced by Lilly Allen and others, but some classic pop versions last way beyond their moment in the charts.
 Being an organist can be a rather dull job at time, no doubt. You sit through funerals, often playing the same ten hymns we suspect, and wait, idle, as another 'here today, gone tomorrow' pop hit is played on the CD player.
Who exactly is a funeral for? This may seem an obvious question, but the answer isn't quite so straightforward. We believe a funeral service should celebrate a life well lived, offering the family and those who attend the chance to remember, to reflect as well as say goodbye. Therefore, the choice of music, readings and tributes should reflect their choices.
 One of our favourite funeral hymns is 'And did those feet in ancient times', otherwise known as 'Jerusalem'.
 The Co-op’s recent survey of funeral music shows ‘My Way’ is still in the top spot, having featured on every survey conducted by the funeral service group.
Almost half of people make playlists for their own funerals well before they die. This alone shows how much people’s attitude to funerals is changing.  Statistics do make interesting reading, whether it's the number of votes politicians receive, or the number of songs we've sung at funerals!
Often people ask us which is the most popular song we've sung for a funeral, and yes, there is one that is requested far more than most, Schubert's Ave Maria.  Every year in May, Dying Matters promote a fantastic range of events and activities around the country. The aim is to get people talking about dying, death and bereavement and making plans for their end of life; known as Dying Matters Awareness Week.
 Choosing funeral songs can be difficult, and even more so if you're choosing for a Roman Catholic Funeral.
We have sung at a number of Roman Catholic funerals, when there has been some confusion beforehand about what music may be sung during a requiem mass. Many people wish to celebrate a loved one's life with music that is special to them. So families have been surprised by the restrictions on the type and content of the songs and hymns which are considered acceptable for a funeral mass in the Catholic church. 
An issue that has come to light is if a funeral takes place during Lent, some priests have insisted there's no music at all in the church.
(This is what caused me to do the investigation and call the Catholic Church to get a definite answer).  At Singers for Funerals, families often request is to learn new songs to sing at services. We've already built up a wide repertoire of songs for funerals, from sacred staples such as Ave Maria and The Old Rugged Cross to cross-over classics such as Over The Rainbow and We'll Meet Again, but we're always happy to learn more.
 It’s not often we have competition for sound-space at a funeral, apart from the occasional helicopters or low-flying planes.
 In mid-2012, a young singer uploaded a song about losing her father in a car accident onto YouTube. It became a viral hit with those grieving their own loss, and after exposure on Smooth Radio, it suddenly became THE song to play at funerals.
 Baroness Thatcher planned her funeral with the same thoroughness and patriotic spirit that marked her three terms as Prime Minister.
 Our first venture into the wonderful world of infographics, showing the top songs we sing at funerals and which are more popular, hymns or songs.
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