Q. For a funeral, when should the bagpiper play?

A.
Personally when it comes to bagpipe music for a funeral, I think the cemetery is the optimum time for the bagpipe.
As the procession arrives I play until the hearse comes to a stop.
I then stand at attention as the pallbearers gather.
As the casket is gently taken from the hearse to graveside I walk with everyone and play a suitable piece of music.
Then at the completion of the service, but before any announcements by the funeral director- I play the final tune.
I play this once through and stop, once the instructions are done I walk off into the distance playing music.
The sound of the pipe follows me as I journey.