used with mobile nav - no delete

Twin Cities wedding and event pianist, Sharon Planer, loves the adventure of bringing events to life with her live piano music!

88 Keys on the Road - Blog

Follow us on Google+

~ search results for ~
Funeral & Memorial Music

Celebration of Life piano music for a special lady.
February 17, 2023

“I was looking for the right pianist to play live at a “Celebration of Life” gathering we were having for my mother in July. I connected with Sharon through the All Time Favorites web site, and her talent along with her genuine caring to deliver a perfect evening was absolutely wonderful! If you are looking for a top professional to enhance your event with the delight and ambiance of live music, Sharon is the one. Many thanks to you, Sharon, for adding the perfect touch to our very special gathering!”

— Review posted by Jilene on July 29, 2022.

Song adds personal touch to funeral
April 13, 2014

A family member asked me to provide piano music for a memorial service. A young adult wanted to honor her great grandfather by singing a special song that she had learned as a school choral piece. The song is called, 'Farvel' (farewell), aka 'You Will Always be in My Heart'. The poem was written by Halvor Langslet in 1899 and the music was composed by Daniel Pederson (copyright 2007). This was a new song to me and it turned out to be so beautiful and perfect for the service! I just had to share it here. There is no recording of our performance, but I found a YouTube recording as a choral performance. You can read the lyrics and story in the image below this clip.

This song is sung by the RRHS Concert Choir. We sung this song on our Band/Choir trip to Norway this past Spring.

by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

When I received a phone call from a gentleman who needed a pianist to provide piano accompaniment for an opera singer from Albuquerque, I was immediately intrigued!

The event was a memorial service for the gentleman's mother. He lived in Albuquerque and his mother had spent the last several years of her life there as well. She had lived most of her adult life in a lovely home deep in the woods on the shores of one of Minnesota's beautiful lakes and the family wished to host her service in this beautiful setting!

A particular opera singer, Denise Wernly, had become a favorite performer of the mother and family while in Albuquerque. Denise was invited to come to Minnesota to perform for the memorial service....and to the family's delight, she agreed! She sent me her music ahead of time and arrived a day before the event giving us a chance to practice together.

The family put a lot of thought into the music choices. The service began with Bach/Gounod's 'Ave Maria' followed by 'Pie Jesu' from Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Requiem Mass'.

Denise's voice soared and the guests were touched with the emotion and beauty of the music.

The beautiful setting of the home reflected a place where many of the guests had spent time and had wonderful memories. Some of the guests shared their personal memories during the service.

'Silent Night' is not a typical song to be performed for a funeral or memorial service, but this song had particular importance and was the concluding piece.

The guests were then treated to some lighter musical fare with the beautiful melody of 'La Vie en Rose'. The atmosphere really came alive with some opera favorites . . . 'Voi che Sapete' from Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro' followed by 'Habanera' and 'Seguidilla' from Bizet's 'Carmen'.

It was a pleasure to provide piano accompaniment for Denise. I enjoyed her music and talent immensely! Her music and the thoughtful comments of the guests memories made this service a unique and beautiful celebration of a life of a special woman who will live on in the hearts of many.