Please help me with song ideas for my sister’s funeral

[weusedtocampinthegarden]

My sister has recently passed away and my parents would like me to choose music for her Funeral. It will be at a cremation and not religious. Mum has chosen a piece of classical music for while everyone is gathering. I have already chosen Emilie Sande Read all about it pt 3 for the middle of the service as this reflects her very well.
I need two more piece of music. One for as she comes in at the start (with the family behind her), and one for everyone going out.
she wasn’t into classical music but she liked r an b an dance music, and 90s indie. She died suddenly and unexpectedly. When she was alive she did a lot to help other people. She also danced Ceroc a lot so it could reflect that but I don’t know anything about that kind of music.
I would love the leaving song to be more full of hope. Neither song has to be directly about death or sad, but don’t think my parents are ready for anything too comedy (although I would love gangsta’s paradise to be played as she loved that song)
any and all suggestions welcome.

TIA

No suggestions but for my husbands song for everyone leaving we had “hey ya” by outcast because it was the only song he mentioned for funeral so I think you should ahve gangsta s parodise

it was a lovely reenergising after sadness and was quite funny as he was 79 when died - he was very young g at heart

we had field of dreams coming in - sting version

We recently had Love changes everything at a family funeral think it was Michael Ball but it seemed to fit well with humanist ceremony. I'm sorry for your loss💐

Sorry for your loss.

Days by Kirsty McColl is lovely.

I am so sorry for your loss Op.
Can you delve into your sisters playlists to find a few alternatives? Personally , if it’s what she lived I would go with Gangsta Paradise, it’s a real great song.

Wrong era but I had a couple of funerals of contemporaries this year (60s). One went out to ABBA Dancing Queen, and the other to I’m Every Woman by Chaka Kahn
In each case her family just went with things on the Spotify of the deceased. They did make me smile as I had danced with both friends to those songs in our youth.

Ooo like the suggestion of days as it speaks directly to loss

I'm sorry for your loss. The song that came to mind for the exit when you mentioned the 90s was 'Bittersweet Symphony' by the Verve, another with a similar feel in my opinion is Sweetness Follows by REM.

James- she's a star. Fits the 90s indie and a beautiful song

So sorry for your loss OP. What about There she goes by the La’s for a loving, hopeful but not too brash 90s indie vibe

Sorry for your loss. Yes, Kirsty McColl Days is one of my funeral songs. Does someone have access to her phone / spotify to see playlists/most listened to as that might give ideas.

For some songs there might be instrumental version of something if words dont fit situation (Bittersweet Symphony for example). Or an acoustic / slowed down version if it fits better (James Sit Down). James “moving on” fits a funeral well.

This is absolutely what you need to do, I was a church organist for many years and I once played for an incredibly sad funeral of a 13 year old cancer victim. The family chose a traditional schedule that they felt they should. The church was overflowing with mourners, no one sang the traditional hymns, no one reacted to the music at all, until the very end when they had a contemporary piece that visibly touched everyone there.

you need to pick music that would have made your sister smile.

i’m so sorry for everything you are dealing with hoping all goes well.

I love this too

God Gave Me Feet For Dancing is very uplifting https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5JUjFN9AuFU

I’m very very sorry for your loss OP. If she was a late 90s indie kid Trash by Suede has some really lovely lyrics about celebrating difference

Thank you all for your lovely suggestions. The 90s indie ones are ones I hadn’t thought of. Thank you. They would be very fitting.
I have already got ‘days’ tagged for my funeral! It’s a great song.
thank you all

I’m so sorry for your loss. No real suggestions but definitely go with Gangsta’s Paradise if that’s what your sister loved. As others have said, it would bring a bit of light to it.

My sister and I have made an agreement that whoever’s funeral is first, we’ll play Feeling Hot Hot Hot. We used to play a game as children that one of us would pretend to die in a game and the other one would dance around singing that song. Morbid but funny to us.

We also played at my mum’s what was on her cd player in the car when she died

i wanna dance with somebody - Whitney Houston

Memories - Maroon 5

I love that song - there is no other happier song!

So sorry for your loss. There was a young woman who wrote a song for her sister on the Piano show with Mika and Lang Lang. I think the song was called Evie. I cant remember all the lyrics but it was lovely. Worth a listen.

Do You Realise by the Flaming Lips is just lovely and I think perfect for a funeral

This is by the links originally and it's what I would choose for one of my parents though thankfully I actually haven't had to do it yet!

Sorry for your loss OP.

Would Pictures of You by The Cure work? It's a very long intro, though.

Not sure if she liked Oasis but if so Masterplan.

Into the West sung by Annie Lennox is beautiful.

And just so fun for us to sing along to as children. Would bring back lovely memories of us playing together growing up.