The scared & healing power of music.

Personally, I believe music is one of the most important and potentially heart-aching & therefore - healing parts of an end of life ceremony. We all know how it feels to have a song bring us to our knees in grief, we also know how music can comfort and calm and help us feel connected to our loved ones.

I am a big believer in the power of live music and singing during end of life rituals also. If you aren’t already familiar with them, please have a look at The Threshold Choir . These wonderful people sing to those at the end of their life. I have sobbed every time I have heard the Brisbane choir sing in public.

I also know the healing power of musicians playing during services.
I recently led a service for a man who was deeply passionate about music. His childhood friends who also happened to be talented musicans played ‘Music for a found harmonium’ in his honour.
The three siblings who played are true artists, true musicians. The love and deep sorrow they were feeling was not contained. 
It flowed from every strum, 
from every pick, 
from every glide of the bow,
from every movement of their grieving bodies. 
As they played, they communicated with each other in that magic way that musicians do.
They ached, they paid tribute, they honoured him, they played with so much love and respect I was on the brink of complete overwhelm.
It was breath taking.
It was magic and sacred and something I will never forget.

The night after the funeral I updated my Funeral Wishes Document to include live music and sing-a-longs for my funeral.