 Many of the Funerals we sing at are for people who have lived a full life and have come to the end of that life having fulfilled their dreams and made many friends along the way. We feel that our singing can ease the grief of friends and family, and make the grief a little easier to bear.
Occasionally, however, the deceased is a younger person, cruelly snatched from life before they have hardly set out on the journey. Today we sang for Baby Primrose, who was stillborn. The hymn was 'I see the Sunrise', and then we sang Kate Rusby's 'Underneath the Stars (you left me)', in the Voces8 acappella arrangement. This is a really beautiful, very poignant and fitting song. Then we moved to the graveside and sang the lovely, simple Carol, 'Still, Still, Still' while Baby Primrose was laid to rest...
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On Monday, 4th December 2017, we had the pleasure to sing at the funeral of a lovely lady in Wargrave. 5 or so years ago, we sang at her Husband's funeral, and the family had requested we sing 'Burlington Bertie from Bow', which apparently was the Husband's party piece. Now, at his Wife's funeral, we were all handed linen handkerchiefs as we entered the church, along with the Orders of Service. We wondered what these were ofr, but all became clear when the daughter of the deceased told us that her Mother's last wish was that we should all leave the church happy, so she had chosen 'Wish me Luck as you wave me Goodbye' to be played as her coffin exited, and the we should all 'wave our knickers in the air'! So, rather than have us all whip our knickers off, she had supplied nice handkerchiefs that we could wave instead!  .....So that was a first! On Monday 4th December 2017, Occasions were asked to sing Carols and other Christmas Music in the John Lewis store at Reading. We set up on the Ground Floor among the Christmas Trees and decorations, and our sound wafted up the escalators to the roof, giving all the shoppers a real treat! Apart from the usual Hark the Herald Angels, Away in a Manger, Silent Night and Ding Dong Merrily, we also sang such favourites as Do You Hear What I Hear, Winter Wonderland and Mary's Boy Child. Look out for us again this year, if you're in Reading doing your Christmas Shopping!    Our Annual Remembrance Service was held in the beautiful setting of All Saints Church, Binfield. Family Carols, Readings, Reflective Music from Occasions Singers and the lighting of Remembrance candles all made for a wonderfully moving service. Talks and prayers from Luke, Sarah, Liz and Jan completed a very poignant evening, rounded off with warming mulled wine and mince pies! Please make a date in your Diary for next year's Service, which wioll again be on the first Sunday of December. On October 16th, 2016, Occasions Singers hosted a joint concert with the Male Voice Choir of Voronezh, Russia, at St Mark's Church, Binfield, to raise funds for Roof Repairs to All Saints Church, the other Church in the benefice. While we sang a few numbers, including 'Stand by me' and 'And so it goes' from May (these have really settled in now and are even better than the 93/100 that we achieved in Cheltenham), the evening really belonged to the Voronezh men, whose power and versatility stunned us and the audience! October 16th was Jacqui's birthday, and the Men gave her a lovely surprise present of a rendition of the Russian equivalent of Happy Birthday... |