Frequently Asked Questions
No. We started out in London but we can now perform anywhere in the UK. Travel expenses apply if your service is outside of London.
We have many singers based in London, Surrey, Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Essex and Bedfordshire, and some located further out, in Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, the West Midlands, Hampshire, Dorset, and Norfolk.
We have performed at services as far from London as Manchester, Cardiff, Norfolk, and the Isle of Wight.
From our perspective the music can come at any time you like, though depending on your denomination there may be places in the service where it's traditional for there to be a hymn or anthem. We often sing to break the long silence during Holy Communion, lead the congregational Offertory hymn in a funeral Mass, or perform a special song after the eulogy. Many people will have background organ music as the congregation arrives and leaves; some then have a special song or processional hymn as the coffin enters, and another when it leaves the church. We're happy to advise you about what would fit best with your service.
It depends what your funeral is for; do you want to celebrate your loved one's life, or just be reminded of time you spent with them? Perhaps you're not ready to let them go just yet, and the music is to help you find a way to express your grief. Most people choose their favourite hymns for comfort, but we'll sing anything you like. If you're looking for inspiration you can visit our Listen page or our Articles for lists of of the best funeral songs. We'll be glad to advise you if you're stuck.
In our experience most people will have between 2 and 4 hymns at a funeral service. The lyrics for these are either printed in the Order of Service booklet, or in hymn books. However it's not mandatory to have hymns at a funeral, and you can include as many or as few as you like. Professional singers often lead the hymns, to give the congregation a helping hand. There may also be one or two hymns or songs where the lyrics aren't printed and the congregation can just sit and listen to the singer.
Yes. We don't have a set-in-stone repertoire, and we'll accommodate any music you'd like. Our singers are very experienced, with a wide repertoire of church hymns and funeral songs, but we're always happy to come across new music to add to it.
However if you're stuck and need help choosing music you can always browse our Articles, which contain lots of ideas and suggestions.
Yes, anything! We have a wide range of singers and will match whatever music you choose to the right voices from our book. We have sung pop songs, songs from the musicals, classic rock, old folk songs, and even performed a Meatloaf medley on the violin.
Prices start at £275 + VAT. We provide a completely bespoke service, so each quote is tailored for your requirements. Things that will affect the cost include
- The number of singers you'd like
- The amount and type of music required
- Whether the singers will be leading the congregation or performing alone
- The amount of preparation and rehearsal required
- Whether or not a bespoke arrangement is needed
- The distance of the service from London.
We'll work with you to find the perfect arrangement to suit your budget.
Because we draw on a book of over 150 singers we will always be able to find singers for you, no matter the day, time, or location. If your service is outside of London there may be travel expenses, but so far in ten years we have never had to turn anyone down due to lack of availability.
Yes. We have over 150 singers on our book, so we will always have someone available, even at short notice. in fact, in over ten years we have never had to turn a booking down due to lack of available singers. We prefer to have at least a week to find the perfect voices, but in the past we have even taken bookings on the morning of the service itself!
Ideally we'd like a minimum of one week to source exactly the right singers and to make all the arrangements, but we can send singers with as little as a day's notice.
As long as you can give us a reasonable amount of notice it's fine if you change your mind about what music you want. We understand that planning a funeral is a difficult time and that it's an important decision. We'll stay in touch with you all the way through until the day so you can always contact us if you have questions or want to change anything.
Our process is led by your music choices. We'll have a personal consultation with you over phone or email, and help you decide how many singers and what music to have, informed by your budget. We can do this in stages while you decide on the final details.
Once we know what you'd like us to do, we'll send a finalised quote for you to approve and take it from there. We'll contact the church and funeral director, the church organist if there is one, and anyone else involved, to make sure everyone's on the same page.
The singers will arrive early on the day to rehearse, and there's no need to meet them unless you want to. People often don't get a chance to greet the singers afterwards either, but that's very normal and our singers are used to it.
We'll send our invoice after the service, and you can pay by bank transfer or post us a cheque.
No. Once we have all the necessary details from you, we'll take it from there. You can stay in touch with us in the lead-up to the service if you like, but it may be that you speak to us once in the initial phone call/email and then just see us on the day. We'll get in touch with you if we need to check anything.
No. We want to leave you to concentrate on saying goodbye to your loved one, so the singers will be in place when the congregation arrives and will stay there until the venue is empty.
You don't need to pay us on the day, we'll send you an invoice after the service with all the necessary details. We accept payment by bank transfer or cheque.
We have a strict dress code of smart black, with a small lily-shaped badge to help you can identify the singers. You can see our singers dressed according to our dress code by clicking the link below. Please let us know if there will be a different dress code for your service.
Yes, we sing at both religious and secular funerals, and funerals of any religion or tradition. We are popular among the Catholic community, but we equally sing very often at Church of England, Methodist, and Baptist services. We once even sang at a joint Jewish/Buddhist funeral! Music is an important factor in the funeral rite no matter what traditions are followed, and we respect all beliefs and customs.
Yes, we often sing at graveside services. Having music at the graveside, or at an outdoor service is a popular option, and can help bring a more focused and intimate feel to an outdoor service.
We may make a recommendation according to your music choices, but ultimately it's up to you. We can provide everything from a single soloist to a choir of twenty!
We normally recommend choirs in multiples of four, because most hymns and choral songs are written in four parts. More singers will always result in a more blended and uplifting performance, unless the venue is extremely small.
We're happy to advise you based on your requirements, and we'll balance the choir carefully no matter how many singers you choose.
Hear how different numbers of singers sound on our Listen page.
If your congregation will be singing together we strongly advise having someone to play the organ or piano. Many churches and crematoria have a resident organist, but we can also provide trained and vetted organists starting at £275 + VAT, who will also lead the rehearsal with the singers.
Yes. We can provide an organist from our book, or if there is already an organist booked through the church or funeral director our singers will be happy to work with them. We'll make contact with them before the service, to check the versions of the hymns and arrange a rehearsal if possible.
Yes we have many professional instrumentalists of all kinds on our books as well as singers - including organists, pianists, trumpeters, violinists, flautists, saxophonists, and string ensembles. Musicians start at £275 + VAT.
Yes, if you would love a special poem or reading at your service but are nervous of reading in public, or think that it might be too difficult for you to speak on the day, our performers can read for you.
No, you can book with us directly if you prefer. Contact us today to discuss your requirements. We'll always check in with your funeral director once the booking is in place.
Unlike other services, the way we operate means that if someone is ill or stuck on the day we can almost always replace them with another singer. We are in close contact with our singers in the lead-up to the service and on the morning itself, and we move quickly if there's a chance they won't make it. We want our clients to be able to trust in our reliability, and in over 10 years we have never left a service without a soloist.
We ask that you always let us know if there is going to be filming or live-streaming, so that we can tell the performers in advance. You are of course welcome to include our performers in a live-stream of the service, but we ask that this stay publicly available online for a maximum 48 hours after the service. In order to protect our musicians' Performance Rights we ask that no recording of our performers be posted on social media, and that it's kept for private use only. Full rights over the footage is negotiable in each case if you would like to discuss this with us.
Many people tell us in their feedback that find that hearing a special song at a funeral service helps them to grieve, and to feel close to their loved one once again. Music simply goes to places that words can't reach, particularly when it's sung live. When you hear it live you hear it afresh, you hear new things that you'd miss on a familiar recording. There's something very special about it being sung there in that moment, especially for you, your congregation and your loved one, that makes it much more touching and memorable.
It can also lift the more sombre moments in a funeral service, helping the congregation to feel more at ease and remember happy times with the person who has passed. Live singers are often hired for funerals nowadays because people are less confident singing the hymns. Hymn singing can become awkward, repetitive and effortful without a confident voice to lead them when the congregation is smaller or not composed of regular churchgoers.
Nearly all of our clients who have given us feedback say that having a live choir or singer made a huge difference to the service. They say that friends and family all talk about the music afterwards, and that it helps to make a difficult day more bearable. Funerals can be expensive, but out of all the arrangements it's the music that stays in their memory for years to come. Many clients return to us again when another loved one passes away.
Visit our Reviews page to see how much singers and choirs can lift and elevate the service, help with singing the hymns, and help people feel they've given their loved one a good send-off.
The most important thing is that the singer has the proper background or training. If you're hiring someone to sing a solo of Schubert's Ave Maria for example, look for a recent degree from a reputable music school in their bio. Music like this can be managed without training, but it may sound effortful. A trained singer will also have a more reliable, supported sound for leading the hymns.
If you're hiring someone to sing a piece of pop or folk music the training is less important, but always look for recent, professional-quality videos and recordings.
But hiring a funeral singer is about more than just looking for a good voice. When we audition singers, proper training and vocal excellence are a given. We're looking for qualities like sensitivity, awareness, diligence, respectfulness, and ideally a background in church singing that means they'll understand the particular cues and quirks of funeral services. It's vital to our business that our singers don't draw the wrong kind of attention, and instead feel like a seamless part of the experience.
When deciding how many singers to book you might want to think about the type of music you would like, the size of your venue, and what sort of atmosphere you're looking to create.
Some songs require a certain number of voices, and we can guide you on this. We normally advise booking choirs in multiples of four (e.g. 4, 8, or 12 singers etc).
A soloist will be enough to fill a small church or venue if they have the proper training. However a small choir or 4 will add depth, interest and harmony without overwhelming the space. If there are more than 3-4 songs or hymns, it's nice to have a blend of voices to listen to rather than just the same one each time, which can become tiring.
If your venue is a mid-size or larger church you might feel safer booking a larger choir. More singers will create more volume of course, which is important if you're worried the congregation will be nervous to sing. But it will also add depth and the harmonies will be more blended. Choirs of 8 and upward are a very effective way to create a special atmosphere or elevate the service.
Hear the difference between different numbers of singers on our Listen page.
The most obvious reason for choosing a choir over a soloist is volume. Congregations aren't as confident in singing hymns nowadays, so the hymns at funerals can become awkward, repetitive, and effortful. Having one good strong voice to lead them is a great way to avoid this difficulty, but having a choir of strong voices is even better.
Choirs are also the default mode of music for church services. Having a soloist is a popular modern option, but it's more traditional for the music to be led by a choir.
Another benefit of a choir is the variety in the voices. One beautiful voice is always a treat to listen to. But after 2 or 3 solos, especially when the hymns repeat the same tune, it's nice to have the option to tune in to something else.
But choirs are more than just the sum of their parts. They add richness and depth, allowing you to hear the harmonies where the real emotion lives. They surround the congregation with music, making it an immersive experience rather than something you just watch and hear. Many people find this surprisingly peaceful and comforting. The way human voices mix together unlocks something in us, and has a very powerful effect on a funeral.
Of course, there's no need to choose between a soloist and a choir. We specialise in classical soloists with choral experience, so you can always book a choir where one or more members can also perform solo pieces during the service.
Visit our Listen page to hear the difference between solo voices, and choirs of different sizes.
Still have questions?
We are always happy to talk through your needs over the phone, or via email.