Band at a funeral: revival of cultural traditions
Band at a funeral: revival of cultural traditions
The bands in Russia first appeared at the time of Peter the Great thanks to the Swedish captives. There was a great many musicians among them. Since then a band became the legalized attribute not only for a wedding, but also for a funeral: for politicians first, then for military of a high rank and people possessing considerable merits before the motherland, and some time later and less notable people.
At the time of the Soviet Union wind funeral bands acted as the integral sign of honor and tribute to the memory of the dead. A funeral of military was accompanied by patriotic music of the minor and mourning direction: Mozart, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Verdi’s musical works. There were and there are similar traditions in the European countries. In the USA as mourning music are used jazz compositions.
The 80th – the 90th years of the last century were marked by hard times for funeral bands. Becoming fashionable, cheap, available and qualitative audio recordings of music works, almost completely forced out clients’ desire to order a band because of simultaneous decrease of life standard. Even musicians were invited to celebrations more and more seldom.
When the difficult period ended the longing to live music started reviving. Such requirement could not but also be reflected in the culture of a funeral ceremony: demand for maintenance by a band of a funeral is constantly growing. As a result, many funeral houses offer such an opportunity as to order wind band.
Following your close one to the grave to the sounds of mourning march or the symphony, we do not only pay a tribute to the memory of dead, but we also relieve our own pain of loss, reconciling with the inevitable thing.
Nevertheless, most often the band a la carte is universal, following the example of “Wedding & Funeral Orchestra” of the famous Serbian composer Goran Bregovich. In fact, any occasion can serve for such invitation; everyone will come round to you with pleasure:
- musicians for a holiday,
- musicians for a banquet,
- musicians for a wedding,
- musicians for an office party, etc.
However, the band on a B-day party is quite exotic modern service, though gradually gaining popularity.
It is worth remembering that if you decide to order a band for a wedding, the price of its services can vary over a wide range. Performance at a wedding or at a funeral of that very band of Goran Bregovich can be quite expensive. “Better don’t die. To order us for a funeral – it is very expensive”, the composer said
