"DON'T Cry For Me Argentina" echoed around Burnley Crematorium, but they did shed tears and also shared a lot of laughs in a poignant final farewell to popular singer Chrissie Barnes.

Chrissie, known in the music business as Chrissie Rey, died last Wednesday aged 35 after losing her battle against cancer.

She recorded her own music and methodically planned her own funeral celebration and told Lynn Millard, officiant of the humanist association who conducted the service: "You better get it right or else."

More than 500 people turned up to pay their respects and hear Chrissie, of Manchester Road, Burnley, perform in the final show of her life which appropriately began with her singing Another Opening Another Show as her coffin was carried into the crematorium. Lynn told her family and friends: "Chrissie said don't regard this as a funeral but as a celebration of her life."

He told of how she used to mimic her grandmother who was also a singer by using a vacuum cleaner as a microphone. "They didn't have karaoke in those days," he joked.

Lynn explained how Chrissie first worked as a nursery nurse before moving into the music business and at the age of 34 had the courage to go back to college and begin training to be a music teacher.

He said: "She was a brave and resolute girl and ever cheerful although at times she did have periods of depression during her two-and-a-half year illness."

As Chrissie was committed she sang out loudly Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye and after the celebration was over she received a moving round of applause as the last bars of her rendition of the Evita anthem drew to a close.

She left a personal message of thanks to her family and friends concluding with the thought: "I can only hope that each and every one of you have the privilege to feel as loved in your lifetime as I have in mine."

The British Humanist Association conducts non-religious funeral celebrations. After the service Lynn said: "There were as many standing outside as sitting inside. I am sure the service was exactly what she wanted."

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