Funeral Director Turns Music Producer

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The UK’s largest funeral director has taken on a new role … as a music producer.

In a groundbreaking initiative, two of Scotland’s leading groups of musicians - The Glasgow Phoenix Choir, which has been sponsored by The Co-operative Funeralcare for the past three years and The Co-operative Funeralcare Band, have joined forces to record Songs of Solace, which is released on sale today (20 November).

The compilation CD, produced for Scotdisc, features a collection of the most popular contemporary songs, hymns and classical music requested at today’s funerals. All proceeds will be split between the Choir and the Band, both registered charities.

The tracks were selected from charts compiled by The Co-operative Funeralcare earlier this year, following research into the most popular music requests at funerals*.

Lorinda Sheasby, Head of Marketing at The Co-operative Funeralcare, said: “This is music, which in its own way, means a lot to people. Producing the CD gives us the opportunity to showcase some of Scotland’s best musical talent and to help them continue the fantastic work they do.

“The collection is aimed squarely at the general public for listening to on any occasion and will, we hope, evoke good memories of those who’ve passed on. Music is very powerful way of defining a person’s life,” she continued.

The 28-strong band and 60 choir members offer a diverse and successful array of musical talent and have previously performed in concerts together. Although both are seasoned recording artists separately, this is their debut collaboration on disc.

“The stars of Songs of Solace range from a 18-year-old percussionist in The Co-operative Funeralcare Band, to an 80-year-old chorister,” said Marilyn Smith, Conductor of the Glasgow Phoenix Choir.

Robin Basu, Manager of The Co-operative Funeralcare Band, said: “We’re delighted to have joined with the Glasgow Phoenix Choir, which is renowned for its high class repertoires. We hope that Songs of Solace will be the first of many recordings with them.”

Songs of Solace, which features 16 tracks, will be available from www.scotdisc.co.uk or www.amazon.co.uk, from Friday 20 November and HMV and www.hmv.com from Monday 23 November.

The Co-operative Funeralcare Music 2009 was based on a survey of 242 funeral homes operated by The Co-operative Funeralcare, responsible for more than 30,000 funerals between February 2008 to February 2009.

The Songs of Solace track list is:-

1) Abide With Me
2) You’ll Never Walk Alone
3) Softly as I Leave You
4) Amazing Grace
5) The Lord is My Shepherd
6) Ave Maria
7) ‘Largo’ from New World Symphony
8) Fields of Gold
9) My Heart Will Go On
10) Pie Jesu from Requiem (Lloyd Webber)
11) Nimrod from Enigma Variations
12) You Raise Me Up
13) Wind Beneath My Wings
14) Pie Jesu from Requiem (Faure)
15) Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
16) Jerusalem (Click Here to play song)

The Co-operative Funeralcare Band was established in 1918 and has been sponsored by The Co-operative for more than 90 years. It has won the Scottish Championships 29 times and the National Championships of Great Britain twice, as well as being runner-up at the European Championships on two occasions.

The Glasgow Phoenix Choir is a mixed voice choir with 110 members, ranging from teenagers to octogenarians. Founded in 1951 from members of the disbanded Glasgow Orpheus Choir, itself 50-years-old, it continues to perform throughout the British Isles, Europe, Canada and USA

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