Singers for Funerals Offer A Proper Operatic Farewell For All Types Of UK Funeral

Jan. 17, 2010 - PRLog -- Singers for Funerals is the brainchild of two professional opera singers, mezzosoprano Kirsty Young and soprano Toni Nunn. Both have performer with professional opera companies across the UK and beyond, including Kirsty's own company, Hatstand Opera. Between them, the two ladies have sung in over 600 venues in the UK, from cathedrals to tiny parish churches, theatres to town halls, mansions to marquees.

Kirsty Young is keen to bring all that performing experience to provide quality singing for funerals:
"After singing at various funerals over the years, we realised how music could be a great comfort to family members at a difficult time, by celebrating what their loved one enjoyed in life. It is often very difficult for churches to provide a choir to sing at funerals or cremations. Many families therefore had no choice but to use recorded music, where they might have preferred a real 'live' singer. We give families back that option for live music, sung by an experienced professional, at an affordable price."

Drawing on their combined experience, Kirsty and Toni offer a range of music for funerals, from familiar hymns and sacred songs to popular songs and opera arias. Kirsty explains;
"Before starting our Singers for Funeral service, we did a lot of research into the most popular items sung at funerals, and we offer as standard at least 40 items to choose from. Our funeral songs list includes favourite hymns such as "Jerusalem" and "How Great Thou Art", plus traditional songs such as "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Danny Boy". While our most popular request is Schubert's setting of "Ave Maria", we also sing modern classics such as "Time to say Goodbye", and "Over the Rainbow", which always brings a tear of joy or two!"

Singers for Funerals have also addressed the issue of the shortage of organists available for funerals by recording their own accompaniments and sourcing professional orchestral backing tracks. This enables Singers for Funerals soloists to perform at any funeral - church, civil, cremation or humanist burial - and still provide professional singing with high quality accompaniment. Using backing tracks also enables Kirsty and Toni to sing items that are unsuitable for organ accompaniment, and their discreet PA system enables them to control their accompaniment without relying on the church or crematorium music system.

Singers for Funerals are also delighted that Wesley Music will soon be holding a selection of our bespoke backing tracks, ready for use by our soloists and thereby eliminating the need for our PA system in cases where crematoriums in the UK use the Wesley system.

At the Singers for Funerals website, http://www.singersforfunerals.co.uk, Kirsty and Toni have listed their Top 40 funeral music list, but their repertoire extends much further. As professional opera singers, they are happy to perform both opera arias and duets suitable for funerals. The website also includes samples of Kirsty and Toni singing with both orchestral and piano, so families can hear both the beauty and the power of their voices. Singers for Funerals focus on funerals in Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey and the west of London, but both soloists are happy to travel further if requested. Singers for Funerals also has an associate tenor in Birmingham for funerals in the West Midlands.

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About Singers for Funerals: Singers for Funerals was founded in October 2009 by Kirsty Young and Toni Nunn, in response to increasing requests for quality singers for funeral services. Singers for Funerals offers professional singers for all types of funeral services in Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, and through an associate tenor, in Birmingham and the West Midlands too. Singers for Funerals have performed in a wide variety of venues, including modern churches, tiny parish churches and crematoriums.
http://www.singersforfunerals.co.uk

Singers for Funerals is presented in partnership with Kirsty's national touring opera company, Hatstand Opera. Founded 18 years ago, Hatstand Opera specialises in fun, entertaining opera highlight shows, and the company have performed in venues across the UK and beyond.
http://www.hatstandopera.co.uk.

For more details on Singers for Funerals or Hatstand Opera, please email us.