Outrage as crematorium installs karaoke machine

A crematorium has been condemned by members of the clergy after it unveiled plans to replace its organist with a karaoke machine.

Tony Edwards, 49, has played at thousands of funerals over the last 13 years, and believes grieving families appreciate the human touch of a live performance as they commemorate the death of loved-ones.

However, managers at the Counties Crematorium in Milton Malsor, Northampton, have told him he is going to have to make way for an automated music machine.

Traditional hymns as well as chart hits will be downloaded and played from a digital music library through speakers, with requests requiring 24 hours notice.

The crematorium's owner, Dignity funeral services, claims that the new Wesley Music System, to be introduced next month, will offer more variety and choice for customers.

But local clergy and funeral directors have criticised the move to replace Mr Edwards with the jukebox style gadget, which they described as "dreadful".

Mr Edwards, who began playing the organ at 14, has been told by Dignity that people could still request his services but they would charge an additional £35 to have him play.

Previously his organ playing was included in the £565 funeral bill.

Mr Edwards, from Hardwick, Northants, said: "I feel really let down.

"Being a musician I take a great deal of pride in my work and I don't think people are going to get the same level of sound quality or music from this machine."

Reverend Brian Stevens, vicar of St Edmund Church in Hardingstone, Northants, condemned the move, describing the karaoke machine as "rubbish".

Rev Stevens said: "Dignity are only interested in making money and do not care about the human side of the funerals and people grieving for the loss of loved ones.

"The music the machine plays is dull and uninteresting and the tin-like sound is just dreadful – it sucks any feeling out of the music and people do not sing along.

"Hearing a heavenly choir on a karaoke box just sounds rubbish – especially when you could have an extremely talented organist like Tony playing instead."

Funeral director Paul Hollowell, of B. Hollowell and Son in Northampton, added: "Nobody wants this machine but the company are hell bent on rail roading it through.

"They are in effect increasing the fees to have a brilliant organ player, who will sadly be redundant, replaced with a second rate Karaoke machine."

The Wesley Music System is free to install, but subscribers pay around £6,000 a year to the makers for the licence to play the music.

It is connected to the crematorium's existing speakers and triggered using a remote control, but can only play tracks that have been downloaded a day before the service.

Dignity defended the move, saying that it would improve sound quality and help the crematorium address issues over copyright laws.

A spokesman said: "We will be keeping the chapel organ but also introducing the Wesley Music System at the end of June.

"By adopting the Wesley Music System we will address some of the issues of home-recorded music, such as poor quality recordings, the CD not working and copyright laws.

"Most importantly we will give local families the quality of music they expect in their time of need."

(from telegraph)

mmm could be interesting at the Foulon...lol

Anyway... what would you have sung/played at your funeral?