Funeral & wake music · Surrey
A singer for a funeral or wake
Live music for the service or the wake, played with care — the songs they'd have wanted.
Get in touch →Solo acoustic guitar and voice · gigging for a living since 2006 · played with care
I'm Aaron, a singer and guitarist based in Dorking, and I play funerals and wakes across Surrey. I approach every one as a celebration of a life, with the empathy and understanding the day deserves.
I can play during the service — a song as people come in, one to walk out to, something quiet while everyone sits with the moment — and I can play the wake afterwards, where a few familiar songs help people talk, remember and lift a little.
Mostly it's just a guitar and my voice, kept gentle and read carefully. The most important thing is that the music suits the person you're remembering. Because of my schedule it's very difficult for me to learn new songs, but if there's a particular song or style of music you'd like me to play, please let me know in your first email and I'll tell you whether it's possible for me to learn it in time.
My repertoire runs wide and across the years, so whatever music meant something to the person you're remembering, there's every chance it's something I can play for them — from the early rock and roll through to something much more recent:
What matters most to me is taking the time to understand the music that was theirs, and the feeling you'd like for the day, before anything's agreed — so we both know from the start that it's right, and that I'm the person to help give them the send-off you have in mind. Tell me a little about them and the songs they loved, and we'll take it gently from there.
Booking me for a funeral books me for the day, not for a block of time — so whether you'd like me at the service, at the wake, or both, it's one simple fee: £500 on a weekday, or £700 if it falls on a weekend. There's nothing to work out song by song or hour by hour, and you'll know the cost before you ever pick up the phone, which is one less thing to think about at a hard time.
What I bring
- —One fee for the day — the service, the wake, or both, not charged in blocks
- —Just a guitar and a voice, kept gentle, with a fuller set for a wake if you'd like one
- —My own PA, so it works in a chapel, a hall, a pub function room or at home
- —A particular song that mattered to them, where my schedule allows me to learn it in time — just ask early
- —Public liability and equipment insurance, the cover most venues ask for
Questions people ask
Do you sing at the service, or just the wake?
Either, or both. At the service I can play people in, a song to leave to, and something quiet during. At the wake I'll play a gentle set of familiar songs while people talk and remember. Plenty of families have me do both.
How much does a funeral singer cost?
It's one simple fee for the day — £500 on a weekday, or £700 if it falls on a weekend — whether that's the service, the wake, or both. I price it as a single booking rather than per song or per half-hour, because once you've booked me the day is yours. I'd rather you knew the cost upfront, so there's no awkward conversation about money at a hard time.
What kind of music do you play?
Live acoustic guitar and voice, kept gentle, drawn from a wide repertoire that spans the years — from the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly and Elvis through to Oasis, George Ezra and One Direction. I take my lead from the person you're remembering and the music that meant something to them, so whether that's the songs of the fifties and sixties or something more recent, I'll shape it to suit them. Tell me about them and I'll build it around that.
How much notice do you need?
I know these come together quickly, often in a matter of days. Get in touch as soon as you can and I'll do everything I can to be there — even at short notice, it's always worth asking.
Can you learn a song that meant something to them?
It's worth asking as early as you can. My schedule means learning a new song in time isn't always possible, so if there's a particular song that mattered, mention it in your first email and I'll tell you honestly whether I can have it ready. It needs to sit with a single voice and guitar.
Get in touch
Tell me the date and a little about the day. It comes straight to me and I'll reply personally, with a straight price and no rush.
I also play birthday parties, garden parties & bbqs, christenings & naming days and corporate events.