HOMEGOING BRASS BAND

honouring the departed - giving strength to the bereaved

Established in 2010…

the Homegoing Brass Band is a Vancouver based, non-denominational, ensemble of professional musicians dedicated to providing solemn and uplifting music for funeral and memorial services.

The ensemble size can vary according to the occasion and wishes of the family. A sextet of four horns and two percussion is the most common configuration, and a vocalist can be added. 

The instrumentation is generally selected from trumpet, trombone, tuba, saxophone, clarinet, snare drum and bass drum depending on the occasion.

We are available year-round, in all weather, and on short notice.

"...I could not think of a more perfect send-off. Thank you, thank you, thank you. What you do is so important and incredibly human."
HK & JK
"We cannot thank you and your fellow musicians enough for making it a true celebration of life!"
B, L, & L

Services & Fees

The Homegoing Brass Band will lead cemetery processions and/or play for indoor memorial/religious services. We are available on short notice in any weather. 

Fees are based on the number of musicians requested, at a rate of two hundred fifty dollars per musician. 

The fee provides for two hours from arrival to departure.  Within the two-hour period, you decide when and for how long you would like music played.

Cemetery processions are generally thirty minutes in length, often with an opening and closing song in a memorial chapel.  For indoor services we typically play prior to and following the service, as well as between eulogies/speakers as the family desires.

Fees are negotiable for engagements longer than two hours, further than 50km from Vancouver, or when transport by ferry is required.

Fees are payable in full at the time of booking.

Sacha Levin
Kristy-Lee Audette
L-R Sacha Levin, Seth Kitamura, Brian Harding, Kristy-Lee Audette, Marc Lindy, Tim Sars
L-R Brendan Krieg, Luis Melgar, Marc Lindy

Sample Repertoire

Classical, Spiritual, Jazz

Funeral Music for Queen Mary (Purcell)
Three Equali (Beethoven)
Just a Closer Walk with Thee (Trad)
Last Mile of the Way (Marks/Oatman)
Abide with Me (Monk/Lyte)
Just A Little While to Stay Here (Trad)
Spirit Moves (Dave Douglas)
St. James Infirmary (Trad)
Down By the Riverside (Trad)
Sentimental Journey (Brown/Homer/Green)
When the Saints Go Marching In (Trad)
Amazing Grace (Walker/Newton)

L-R Ashton Sweet, Yves Guihur, Jocelyn Waugh, Kristy-Lee Audette, Michael Simpsonelli, Marc Lindy
L-R Michael Simpsonelli, Luis Melgar, Marc Lindy
From The Vancouver Sun, 25 March 2017 (note: I am no longer 64 years old, nor a podiatrist).  Musicians: (L-R) Ellen Marple – trombone, Luis Melgar – trombone, Alison Gorman – trumpet, Marc Lindy – tuba

video below: L-R Jocelyn Waugh - trumpet, Alison Gorman - trumpet, Luis Melgar - trombone, Marc Lindy - tuba, Sally Zori - snare drum, Liam MacDonald - bass drum video by: Anne Duke

Our on-call roster of professional musicians is the heart and soul of the Homegoing Brass Band. 

Having a large roster of musicians to call upon, ensures we are always ready to be “at your service”.

We are grateful and honoured to have worked with these musicians, present and past:

Audette, Kristy-Lee – trumpet

Barrett, Ross – saxophone

Carter, Jamie – percussion

Coury, Michael – trumpet

DiFine, Mario – percussion

Engholm, Erik – trumpet

Ferguson, Mike – percussion

Gorman, Alison – trumpet, arranger, unlimited support

Guihur, Yves – tuba, percussion

Harding, Brian – trombone

Kim, Michael – trumpet

Kitamura, Seth – percussion

Krieg, Brendan – percussion

Layne, Robin – percussion

Levin, Sacha – percussion

MacDonald, Liam – percussion

Marple, Ellen – trombone, arranger

Matheson, Alan – trumpet, inspiration for us all

Melgar, Luis – trombone, trumpet, arranger

Pemberton, Dawn – vocals

Philips, Brian – percussion, flute

Pincock, Fred – mellophone

Robinson, Isaac – trombone

Sars, Astrid – saxophone

Sars, Tim – saxophone, arranger

Simpsonelli, Michael – percussion

Stoll, Randall – percussion

Sweet, Ashton – trombone, trumpet, saxophone, tuba

Tamara, Shannon – clarinet

Tang, Kevin – trombone

Tate, Brian – percussion

Vint, Jeremy – trumpet

Waugh, Jocelyn – trumpet

Whitehead, Jesse – trumpet

Winikoff, Jason – percussion

Zori, Sally – percussion

ps: my apologies in advance if I have forgotten to add your name – please let me know! 

Contact the Homegoing Brass Band

Director: Marc Lindy - 604 644 7456