Honouring my grandfather

A couple of weeks ago I attended my grandfathers funeral, where I was also a pallbearer.  Two of the most emotional moments of the service for me were related to music.  Funnily enough these were the most emotional moments for most other people too and it shows the power of music to move us and tap into our core.

My grandfather used to do highland dancing and my aunt also plays the bagpipes on the hills surrounding her farm.  As a tribute to him she arranged for a bagpiper to play music as we entered and left the church.  I remember standing next to the hearse as everyone filed in and I nervously waited to be shown how to carry the coffin.  The bagpipes played in the cold, crisp air and the sheer volume surrounded me and worked its way into my thoughts stopping me from focusing on dropping him too much!

My wife said the congregation could hear the pipes from inside the church and it was quite moving to hear the plaintive sound seeping into the building as people settled themselves before the service began.

When I has the weight of the coffin settled on my shoulders and we began the walk into the church the piper played us in. It was very moving for me to feel as if I was carrying my grandfather on his final journey and showing my love for him by doing him this honour as this almost stately music played behind us.

During the service there were the usual hymns, but I have to admit these didn’t do too much for me.  I always find it hard to link to hymns in church when you can hear people sing off key or like myself with nervousness or hesitancy.

But another moving moment was when a song was played for my Grandfathers wife that meant a great deal to them.  We were told the significance of the song and as it started and we listened to the lyrics it was even more powerful.  The vicar also said it related to everyone there and so when we heard the lyrics we were all soon deeply moved and welling up.  The song was ‘One Shining Moment’ by Des O’Connor and the funny thing is, whilst I’m not a fan of Des at all, the potency of the lyrics and their personal significance still made me and everyone else link to what was being said and become emotional.  That is the true power of music.  To make you share and feel with everyone else even if you all don’t share the same taste or passions.

Finally, as we followed the coffin out of the church the bagpiper played a Scottish lament called ‘The Dark Island’.  By this time I had had my emotions riled up by the service and words I had heard and I quite freely wept as we followed the coffin and the lament swirled in the air about us.  Passing people stopped to watch and notice the unusual sound in the streets and I found it to be a moving and fitting tribute to my grandfather.

Any funeral is hard to get through and when particularly emotional music is played it helps us link to our emotions and grieve.  Music can also be used to honour and respect and both of these things happened at my grandfathers funeral.  I thought I would share these moments with you.


    Away to the westward, I'm longing to be
    Where the beauties of heaven’ unfold by the sea
    Where the sweet purple heather’ blooms fragrant and free
    On a hill-top, high above the Dark Island.

    Oh Isle of my childhood I'm dreaming of thee
    As the steamer leaves Oban, and passes Tiree
    Soon I'll capture the magic, that lingers for me
    When I'm back, once more upon, the Dark Island.
   
    So gentle the sea breeze’ that ripples the bay
    Where the stream joins the ocean, and young children play
    On a strand of pure silver, I'll welcome each day
    And I'll roam forever more, the Dark Island.

    True gem of the Hebrides, bathed in the light
    Like a midsummer dawning, that follows the night
    How I long for the cry, of the seagulls in flight
    As they circle high above’ the Dark Island.