How to choose instrumental music for a funeral video

In some ways, funerals have stayed pretty much the same for many centuries, even millennia. In others, they've changed, adopting new technologies to make the services even more moving, celebratory or personal.

Take funeral videos. These are now a common sight at funerals. They can be a powerful way of showing still and moving images from a person's life and making the audience feel like they're watching a life unfold.

If you do show a video at a funeral, you will probably want to include some music. It's not essential – you can have a silent video if you like. But often, people find that music enhances the video.

And equally often, people find instrumental music (music without singing) to be most appropriate. This lets people focus on the images and videos rather than lyrics.

At Treasured Moments, we firmly believe that where death is concerned, there are no rules about what you should and should not do. People process grief in different ways. When arranging a funeral, it's up to you to decide what's best for the audience and the memory of the person who has died.

That said, the period following someone's death can be emotionally fraught. Moreover, you may find that arranging a funeral is a very involved task with lots of mini-tasks to complete. This means that people often look for direction.

For that reason, we've put together this guide to choosing instrumental music for a funeral video. We hope it helps you pick the right piece of music to celebrate the life of the person you're mourning.

How to choose

When choosing a piece of instrumental music for a funeral video, it can help to think about who it's for. Usually, it's for the person who has died and for the audience.

This means you'll usually want to choose a piece of music that reflects the personality or tastes of the person who has died. It also means you should choose a piece of music that creates a suitable mood, whether it's celebratory or mourning.

It can help to think about the music the person who died used to listen to. Was there a song they always sang around the house? What music is in their CD and record collection or on their online playlists?

It can also help to think about what the funeral video will show. You might be able to choose a piece of music that reflects a particular time in a person's life, for example.

Finally, asking for help can be a good idea. Ask friends, families and colleagues for suggestions. This can help you make a decision at a difficult time.

What to choose

Once you've thought about the kind of music you want for your funeral video, you need to choose a particular piece of music. This can be difficult, partly because there are just so many options available.

Searching playlists online, for instance, can give you good ideas – but it can also overwhelm you with choices. Here, then, are five pieces of instrumental music to get you started.

1. Oscar Peterson: "Hymn to Freedom"