Hearing the sound of Bagpipes at a funeral is a moving experience - regardless of race or religion. For hundreds of years the tradition of Bagpipes have added respect and dignity to an emotional and loving farewell for a departed loved one.
Although there are many different Bagpipe funeral and memorial tunes that can be played during a funeral service, out of respect, what matters most is what the family would like to hear and experience and I will play for them.
I can play the Bagpipes at the funeral home, cemetery or the church. I play my Smallpipes which are quieter in sound for background music that can be played inside. There are also situations where there may be no cemetery service. In that case, I will play before and after the church ceremony.
Usually, I play as your funeral procession arrives at the cemetery. I will play until the casket is in place at the grave. After the religious ceremony, the military honors (if any) and any speakers then I will play the Bagpipes with closing music from the selections below or anything the family prefers. I play until the last person has placed their flower on the casket, paid their final respects and walks away from the casket.
