Celebration of Life Funerals

New Orleans Style Jazz Funerals

Gooding Funeral Services is known for New Orleans Style Jazz funerals and with years of experience, we are now the go-to funeral firm in Leeds, for the provision of live jazz funerals, and for charity and trade association events.

The Gooding Memorial Jazz Band comprises professional musicians who understand what is required of them during a funeral performance and who themselves, have years of public performance experience. It is traditional for the band to lead the first/main line of funeral mourners, as they proceed along the street. Our jazz band will follow your Gooding funeral director for a little distance, as they page away from the funeral service venue, and should you wish, our band will also accompany the funeral party as it enters the grounds of the cemetery or crematorium.

In New Orleans, a dancing umbrella performer or even several umbrella dancers, will be found accompanying the second line of funeral mourners. His or her performance adds another layer of colour and movement and emphasises to mourners and spectators alike, that the funeral is the celebration of the life of an individual.

Should you wish to include a marshal (umbrella performer) at your loved one's funeral, we would be delighted to arrange this for you also.

call: 0113 210 7998 or email us

The Inspirational Voice; Alison Jiear

Gooding Funeral Services is very proud to announce our association with Ms Alison Jiear of The Inspirational Voice.

Alison is a serious musical theatre performer, having first trained at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Australia. Her West End musical theatre credits include Shoes at the Sadler's Wells Theatre, On the Town at the English National Opera & Theatre Du Chatelet, Paris and Hot Mikado. She was also featured in the film Being Julia.

In 2015 Alison appeared on Britain's Got Talent singing You'll Never Walk Alone and she continues to make appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the London Concert Orchestra, and has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall and Portsmouth Guildhall.

We are fortunate to be the only funeral director in the North able to work with Alison and to bring her to you directly.

call: 0113 210 7998 or email us

Past Events

• Dying Matters; What can you do? 15 May 2018

Leeds Kirkgate Market, Vicar Lane, Leeds LS2 7HY

The Gooding Memorial Jazz band was invited to open this free, public event in the new section of the wonderful Kirkgate Market, Leeds.  Shoppers and market stall holders alike, were moved to shake a leg and then lulled by the beautiful sounds of Louisiana.

Similarly to previous years, Gooding Funeral Services had a stall at the event and our staff were on hand to give information and advice to market shoppers and visitors.

After lunch visitors were first soothed and then uplifted by the angelic voices of the Gooding Gospel Choir. Their beautiful voices gave way to several rounds of applause.  Who says Gospel choirs are only for church on Sundays and Royal weddings!

A huge thank you to everyone who visited, chatted, giggled, danced, photographed, videoed, asked questions, listened, drank tea, commented on Facebook and Tweeted; we thank you for your participation. Keep asking questions, keep in touch.

• Leeds Bereavement Forum 2017/2018

Leeds Bereavement Forum offered a series of free monthly lunchtime Special Interest Group talks covering different issues surrounding death, dying and loss.  Xina Gooding Broderick - a Co-Chair Person on LBF, contributed to the events as a guest speaker.

Guest speakers covered a variety of subjects such as what makes a good funeral, advance decisions, end of life care and bereavement in Leeds hospitals and lots more.