A Country Funeral

 

We have lost three members of the choir this last year.

And today the choir sang at soprano Deb’s funeral.

It was an emotional and difficult afternoon all told. 

Difficult because Deb’s partner is also a chorister 

And difficult because of the fact that Deb took her own life, 

A suicide by fire.

Caerwys church is a robust handsome little Church hidden away in the centre of a large village six miles South of Trelawnyd. The choir met around 1pm and we Sheltered from the cold against the wall next to the main door, hands in pockets.

In Wales covid rules still apply at funerals, so only 30 mourners were in Church.

A hundred or so people lined the Church paths outside and as the coffin was brought in under a grey sky growing heavier from the North,  we sang a selection of quiet, gentle songs,  rather shakily I thought.

The service was relayed through speakers to the people in the graveyard and we listened to an emotional, intensely personal  and totally woman led service which had a certain warmth all of its own.

The choir surprised the congregation by singing one of Deb’s favourite African songs as the coffin left the Church and it was lovely and rather heartbreaking to see her partner Claire, who usually sings tenor next to me,  singing it too with a sad smile on her face but with her head held high against the chill of the afternoon.