Funeral Service Times August 2017 June 2019 | Page 22

22 ALTERNATIVE FUNERALS
Moving with the times
A recent survey showed traditional hymns no longer make the nation’s top 10 preferred
funeral songs marking a significant change in society’s ideals when it comes to what makes a
funeral service
T
his year, for the first time, the
Co-operative Funeralcare
funeral song charts had no
traditional hymns in its top 10
- not a single one.
Hearing that people are moving away
from traditionality when it comes to
services and end of life options is nothing
new, however, the chart shows just how
much society as a whole has strayed
from what was once considered the
standard order of service. This is not a
huge surprise when it is considered that in
the 2011 census, just over a quarter of the
population cited themselves as being of
‘no religion’ and it might be safe to assume
that that number has increased over the
past eight years. So with that in mind,
traditional hymns not making the nation’s
top 10 list of funeral songs seems fitting
and reflective of people today.
In response to the research, David
Collingwood, director of funerals at the
Co-op said: “We all live such unique lives
and funerals should completely reflect
that. Each element of a funeral is a very
personal decision which is why the music
choice plays such an important and
impactful role.
‘’We’re always encouraging people to
be more open about their funeral wishes,
making it clear to their loved ones what
they would want for themselves when
the time comes. Even knowing what song
someone would have wanted can bring
such comfort at an incredibly hard time.’’
However, what is interesting is that
when we consider alternative funerals
we consider the outrageous and obvious
non-traditional choices. Personalised
coffins, alternative funeral cars, streamed
services or someone choosing to launch
their remains into space are the decisions
which stand out the most but often it’s the
nuanced differences which come together
to collectively create a shifting idea of
what a funeral should be. Something that
looks like what would be considered a
typical service but in fact is markedly
different from one that takes place in a
place of worship and is broken up by
hymns and prayers.
From opting for a celebrant instead of
JUNE 2019
a religious leader or requesting mourners
to wear colourful clothing, the modern
person is always making tweaks and
changes to a funeral service until they
reach one which suits their needs, lifestyle
and reflects their morals and beliefs.
Thankfully, many companies in the trade
are either entering or adapting to cater
to these needs, whether it’s a completely
brand new idea or a slight change to what
was already being offered it’s clear that
such a caring sector is doing everything it
can to keep its clients happy at such a sad,
emotional time.
www.funeralservicetimes.co.uk