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Funeral Music

(91 Posts)
kittylester Fri 24-Feb-17 18:24:41

I've not been on here for the last couple of days (very busy, broken unplugged internet!!!) but I'm hoping that GN can come up with some suggestions for music for Mum's funeral.

We need a song for entering the crematorium, one for leaving and a piece of reflective music for the middle of the service. Plus 2 nice hymns!! Apart from the reflective one we'd quite like jolly (ish)'easy listening' songs. Please.grin

Mum was 93 and liked people like Matt Munroe.

Thank you lovely Grans/granddads!

Greyduster Fri 24-Feb-17 20:41:11

I have a list as long as my arm, but I would like to come in to Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus, and go out to Grimethorpe Colliery Band playing Coronation Scot! Somewhere in the middle there has to be a Bach prelude and a bit of Tom Lehrer! I have to write this down at sometime or I will end up with something totally boring.

Greyduster Fri 24-Feb-17 20:50:29

kitty please accept my apologies. I should have read your post more carefully. Can I recommend Mozart's 'Souave il Vento' (May the winds be soft and the seas be calm'). from Cosi fan Tutti. It is lovely.

hildajenniJ Fri 24-Feb-17 21:17:43

My Dad was a huge fan of Formula One so we sent him out to The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, which is the theme tune to the show. At my Aunt's funeral we had the cricket theme tune which I believe is called Soul Limbo. At another Aunt's, my cousin's chose Sunshine on my Shoulders by John Denver.

BBbevan Fri 24-Feb-17 21:43:19

I am having ' The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" when I enter. Nice and stirring and very appropriate. ?

mcem Fri 24-Feb-17 22:01:00

The Meditationn from Thäis by Massenet is beautiful or one of Albinoni's adagios.
North of the border Highland Cathedral is first choice for any ceremonial in our family.

callgirl1 Fri 24-Feb-17 22:16:22

My husband was a brass band musician for most of his life, and one of his favourite pieces, which he`d also played, was Cornet Carillon, by the Black Dyke Mills Band, so we had that for entering the crematorium, we only had the one hymn, the Eventide Hymn, The Day Thou Gavest Lord Has Ended, then we left to Robbie Williams singing Angels, one of David`s favourite recordings, but not mine, but it was a family majority thing, I got to choose the first two.

Bellanonna Fri 24-Feb-17 22:39:28

Panis Angelicus.
Et Incarnatus Est (Mozart)
Something from Queen

hildajenniJ Fri 24-Feb-17 22:44:37

For a hymn we had Great is thy Faithfulness, Oh God my Father, for both of my parents funerals. It has always been my favourite hymn.

Chewbacca Fri 24-Feb-17 22:48:01

I attended a funeral just a few days before last Christmas and one of the pieces of music played with Debussy's Flower Duet. Just lovely. And I think of my friend whenever I hear it.

pensionpat Fri 24-Feb-17 23:11:59

Time to Say Goodbye.

Days. My preferred version is by Kirsty McCall.

LadyGracie Fri 24-Feb-17 23:21:26

We're this week arranging my MIL funeral, we've chosen Handels Where 'er You Walk, Now you Belong To Heaven, sung by Mari Olsen and Josh Grobans You Raise Me Up.
We also liked Over the Rainbow, Wind Beneath my Wings and Songbird.

NonnaW Fri 24-Feb-17 23:32:47

My dad left instructions for Neil Diamond singing Chelsea Morning and The Old Rugged Cross by Daniel O'Donnell. I think the hymn might have been Abide With Me, but I'm not sure.

DH has chosen some really off the wall music for his.

janetta46 Fri 24-Feb-17 23:41:01

Not quite the right era, but I do like Joe Brown's "I'll see you in my dreams"

rosesarered Fri 24-Feb-17 23:42:16

Matt Monroe 'On Days Like These' just lovely.

phoenix Fri 24-Feb-17 23:43:15

Very timely thread, as DS1 is struggling to decide on the music for my mother's funeral on Thursday. I have made a note of some of the suggestions on here which I will pass on.

It's hard isn't it kitty, trying to strike the right tone. My mother was not at all religious, but hymns are expected. DS1 has decided on The Lord's My Shepherd for one of them.

I have suggested The Circle of Life from The Lion King for the bearing in. Mum and I chose that for my stepfathers funeral, so it could be seen as an appropriate link, especially as she will be buried next to him.

rosesarered Fri 24-Feb-17 23:48:51

The flower duet is lovely as Chewbacca says, moving and beautiful.

Grandma2213 Sat 25-Feb-17 01:39:32

At a friend's funeral last year I was totally moved by Eva Cassidy's 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' which is one of my favourite songs though I never knew it was one of her favourites too.

Knowing your Mum as you did I'm sure you'll pick the right music for the service, maybe prompted by some of the ideas on here. Take good care of yourself. flowers

kittylester Sat 25-Feb-17 06:39:22

Thank you - I knew I could rely on you all.

It is hard phoenix. Mum didn't go to church but did go to a convent school and we feel she'd 'expect' a religious ceremony. We have asked my friend who is a celebrant to take the service. I hope mum won't be shocked by her pink hair!!

Lynnebo Sat 25-Feb-17 06:46:29

The only hymn we had at Dad's (90yo) was Love Divine All Loves Excelling as we entered, as it was sung at his wedding to my stepmum 18 years ago. For the reflective time - Moonlight Serenade, Glenn Miller (they would dance around the kitchen to it) and before we left Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong. It was a lovely service x

gillybob Sat 25-Feb-17 08:13:03

We played Que Sera Sera ( whatever will be..) by Doris Day as one of the songs for my mum. The words were appropriate for us and she loved it also love is like a Butterfly by Dolly Parton for the same reasons .

My grandma a few months earlier had a full Catholic affair as she was very religious so mostly hymns (our shared favourite hymn was Lord of All Hopefulness) with Under the Bridges of Paris by Dean Martin thrown into the mix (it sounded amazing in the High Church) as this was a song my grandparents used to Waltz around the sitting room too. Happy memories.

NanKate Sat 25-Feb-17 08:29:52

I too will note down some of these suggestions which seem so appropriate.

Can I add 'Going down to the river to pray' by Alison Krauss, I think.

Thinking of you Kitty

Granjan06 Sat 25-Feb-17 08:50:39

The Prayer by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli was played at a funeral I went to.

Greyduster Sat 25-Feb-17 10:52:25

bellanonna I had forgotten just what a beautiful piece "Et Incarnatus Est' is.

felice Sat 25-Feb-17 10:59:47

I chose One More Step, as the final hymn for my dear Uncles funeral.
He was a happy man and the lines; 'from the old I travel to the new, keep me travelling along with you' seemed to fit.
Also easy to sing.

GrandmaMoira Sat 25-Feb-17 11:10:30

Sorry for your loss. I've not been to a service that had hymns for a long time. It seems to be 3 pieces of music and people are choosing secular music. Wind Beneath my Wings is often sung at funerals and not yet mentioned here. Unforgettable by Nat King Cole could be suitable for someone of your mother's age.