James Brown: “Get Up Offa That Thing”.
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My wife has requested that we play “She’s Gone” by Hall and Oates at her funeral.
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My Dad passed away 4.5 years ago and he had specified a couple of pieces of music he wanted to be played. A very good friend of mine was playing the organ for the service and we discussed suitable organ music for other parts of the service. One of the things my Dad and I shared was a love of all those old classic war movies like The Battle of Britain, The Dambusters, The cruel sea etc and I still remember watching those with him many times over the years.
I found an arrangement of the Dambusters theme for organ online and my friend played that as my Dads coffin was lifted up and carried out of the Church for burial. I will never forget it and that’s the moment that really put tears in my eyes…
Bit of a stiff upper lip moment that one…
Jonathan
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Piper to the end by Skippinnish for me
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It does contain:-
She’s Gone She’s Gone
Oh why? Oh why?
I’d pay the devil to replace her
She’s Gone She’s Gone
Very, very painful
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Pat Metheny, Are You Going With Me?
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Half the struggle is that the average crematorium sound system isn’t up to much (at least no chance of waking the dead at any rate) so you have to keep it simple or well known.
I favour the Swan of Tuonela (Sibelius) but I won’t be there to hear it so if they put on Highway to Hell and I wouldn’t know the difference.
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As I was scrolling down this thread I was thinking about the Stingray theme with the ‘Anything can happen in the next half hour…’ voiceover
Or Captain Scarlet - don’t try this at home! Maybe ‘this is the voice of the Mysterons’ half way through if someone can manage two rings of light moving across the coffin.
I’m hoping this is a long way off but I don’t want sadness. Some extracts from the Best Jokes thread would be welcome. Perhaps fancy dress.
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I had this task a few years ago for a daughter. Her mother long dead and her sibling unable to involve herself.
What do you know about the musical tastes of a 48 year old daughter.
Packing her things away I saw she had an obvious love of Joan Armatrading.
So I went with……
Trouble by Joan … You lived your life and how you survived I’ll never know.
I’ll have to say I love you in a song …Jim Croce.
Drop the pilot …Joan
By far the worst day of several in my life.
For myself I have no fear of dying or intent to choose any songs.
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It was pretty tricky deciding on music for my parents’ cremations as it was something we’d not really discussed.
I suppose it throws up the question of whether or not it matters what they might have wanted as I think the choices can be more poignant for those left behind.
We had Pie Jesu from Fauré’s Requiem as entrance music for both as I consider it one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. It’s simple, very moving and set the tone for the services even though they were small.
We added some traditional Welsh language and English hymns during the service and for the exit.
Took me ages to decide, but always came back to the same Welsh language hymns which had moved me since childhood when we sang them in chapel or at school.
I’m not sure I’d have been comfortable with modern songs or jokey lyrics in all honesty.
For myself, I have no idea, and probably don’t want any fuss. Probably best for those who are left to decide what comforts them be it solemn or not.
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Another problem this throws up if going for traditional hymns/classical works is that there are often dozens of versions to potentially choose from, and many simply do not work for a given choice when yuo have a personal favourite version - hymns may be too slow, too fast, have a different mix of vocal ranges than than your preferred version, may be sung solo rather than by a choir and so forth. Full orchestra vs piano vs organ vs poor synth/keyboard. Really important to specify the version you want.
The local crematoria have some kind of subscription service and can source most but not all music you specifically request.
Imagine choosing a modern song and having a cover version played!
Were I to choose something relatively modern for myself, I’d clearly be a bit fed up at shuffling off this mortal coil.
This might be ideal:
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Who wants to live forever by Queen and i did it my way Frank Sinatra.
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My father’s widow had a hard time choosing hymns, but the combination of rugby arias and welsh hymns made his funeral memorable.
I think I would have to add ‘eternal father’ to the tune ‘Melita’ and ‘guide me o great Jehovah’ to the tune ‘Cwm Rhondda’ for my own send off. That’s the Welsh heritage done, but I would add a tune from another passionate nation for the hymn ‘be still my soul’ to the tune Finlandia.
( there are many good recommendations on https://www.songsforfunerals.co.uk/)
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For my mum we had The Carpenters “We’ve only just begun” which was incredibly moving.
Back in the day I used to sing in a Cathedral Choir (Chichester). We once did a funeral and they played a recording of Barbara Bonney singing Richard Strauss’s “Morgen” which was one of the most astonishing, and moving pieces I’d every heard.
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Jackson Browne - For a Dancer
I probably chose some rather obscure Welsh language hymns which just moved me. There is such a rich heritage of church/chapel music which not being parts of mainstream classical/operatic music I fear will be lost to future generations.
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Waylon jennings. Farewell party. Very emotional. Great singer
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