Composing a Memorial Service From Beginning to End  Planning a
unique ceremony can allow mourners to express themselves in a
more meaningful way.  BY: Sarah York  Excerpted from
"Remembering Well" by Sarah York. c 2000 by Sarah York. Used
with permission.  Not long ago, I attended a memorial service
that was planned and conducted by a friend of the bereaved
family. It was in many ways a satisfying ceremony, providing
space for people to share their memories of the person who had
died. But the service leader conducted the service as if he were
the master of ceremonies introducing one act after another. A
memorial service is less like a variety show and more like a
musical composition or a woven fabric. Each part, from beginning
to end, is a part of the whole and contributes to the rhythm and
mood of the entire service. Each part has a purpose, and
participants need to know how they fit into the larger design,
the fuller meaning.  Four elements are essential to nearly all
ceremonies (with additional readings or