Not meaning to be morbid and I hope you won’t take it that way but

I have been to some very impersonal, awful funerals where even the name of the deceased was wrongly given by the person conducting it.

I think it’s a great idea to think about what send off, if any, you would like. I am not religious and planning a humanist funeral. Several that I have been to have been a real celebration of the person’s life, with friends and relatives playing an active part.

I think it can be meaningless to have a religious ceremony at the end of life if religion has not been a part of it during a lifetime.....but perhaps it could be meaningful for the comfort of others?

I have a number of hymns that I like nanna8 and they are in my funeral arrangements plan. You are not being morbid but practical, it is so much easier for those left behind if we put some thought into what we would like.

I am having.

"Another one bites the dust" by Queen.

Not morbid at all. Having recently had my mums funeral it’s got me thinking about what music I would like so I will let my family know. I’m having trouble deciding which though as I’ll have made my decision then hear something else on the radio confusing the issue. Currently in contention are Elton Johns Your Song, also Dancing Queen I think at the end as I l

to dance and love Abba. I also love Stevie Wonder and many of his songs are reminders of certain times in my life. I’m a big musicals fan so would like something as yet undecided to reflect this.
As for hymns I love Make me a channel of your peace so that’s a keeper. I need to get it down to a final choice as goodness knows what I would end up with if it was left to DH although I know and can guess what his own choices are for himself.

* love to dance

Mine have been instructed that I want a direct cremation. No service.

We are not having funerals to spare our relatives the harrowing of listening to words/music/songs that will upset them. As none of our family are religious any kind of ceremony will only do that. Sorry if that sounds harsh - I am left with a lot of painful memories of the huge funeral of my SIL dying a couple of years ago- so many distraught young people it made a bad situation worse. I do appreciate though that many people take a lot of comfort from these occasions and the music but just not for us.

I love the thought of Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust too. My boys and their kids would probably laugh, better than crying. But I think, as my coffin
slides away, I’m going to have David Bowie’s There’s A Star Man Waiting in the Sky. An alternative would be Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon.
In the hopes that I’ll be up there looking down somehow since my top of the bucket list wish for a trip on the International Space Station is unachievable. Their B&B rates are astronomical!

There are some songs from my youth in the 1960s which resonate because the words are appropriate. 'Going Back' by Dusty Springfield, 'In My Life' by the Beatles, both quite moving but not sad.
Also 'I Can See Clearly Now' by Johnny Nash which says I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's gonna be a bright sunshiny day. Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies. Look straight ahead, there's nothing but blue skies.
I think that's all rather heavenly and uplifting!

Nanna8 you are being practical, not morbid.
There wouldn’t have been any singing allowed at the funeral you went to today because of COVID, even if the family had wanted it.
I might jot down some suggestions for hymns but I will leave it to others to finalise. I want a green burial so unless there is also a church service there may not be any music at all.

My sons and I used to enjoy a good debate about what songs we’d like at our funerals! I have always wanted Rolf Harris ‘s Two little boys as I used to sing it to my 2 sons when they were little and I love it but it’s become controversial now ?. Like a previous poster, I also want Green Day ‘s Time of your Life. My main stipulation for my funeral is that I’m buried with a piece of wool in my pocket as apparently it gives me a free pass at the gates of heaven as an acceptable excuse for not attending church on Sundays ...... shepherds have to look after their sheep 7 days a week! I have it written in my will just to ensure I don’t miss out on this perk of the job!!

I conducted my husband’s cremation service, all the music was from the musical HAIR (try listening to “What a piece of work is man” - it’s Hamlet’s soliloquy act 2 scene2). Ended with “Let the sun shine” then I accompanied him downstairs and watched as the coffin burst into flames.
I want a direct cremation. The family can have a party when they get the ashes.

Another Queen one: Who wants to live forever, singalong at the end to Fairytale in New York, because I’ve always loved Christmas. It’s a minimal (cheap and prepaid) cremation with a celebrant.

I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who isn’t having a funeral.

My husband died unexpectedly. He wanted to be cremated but that was as far as he got.He wasn't religious so I chose what I thought he would like.The theme music from Last of the Summer Wine,his favourite programme, as the coffin came in .and Glory Glory Man United as we left .That raised a smile as he was a lifelong fan .I think he would have agreed with my choice.

I don't actually want a funeral, and have said as much to my family but that aside, there are two things that I have often thought I would like:

-Music, by John Miles

-A classical arrangement of Seasons in the Sun (not that one exists, as far as I know, but if it did ...)

I have chosen three pieces of music and songs, one of them is Lee Marvin singing Wandering Star, from the film ‘Paint your Wagon’. I went to see the film with my Mum when l was 12 years old, and l have been a bit of a roaming star for most of my adult life. The best thing l ever bought was my first of many Caravans since 1982, it’s always been a big part of my lifestyle, whenever l had time off work for a few days, l would be hitched up and gone roaming!

The second song is as a request from my Daughters, Whitney Huston’s ‘I will always Love you’ something that we would all sing along to on the Car Radio in the 1990s.

The third will either be an instrumental piece, or a Hymn, but I’m unsure which yet. My DH had a melt down into sobs of tears at my Daughter's funeral in 2015, she entered the packed Church to Roberta Flack singing ‘The first time l ever saw your face’. She was just 36 years old, and lost her life after a 2 year battle with aggressive Breast cancer.

I want the old burial service by my graveside. As there are not likely to be many mourners we’ll omit the church service and the beautiful music I love.
And if anyone says “passed away” I shall come back to haunt them.

Nanna8, thank you for reminding me. I keep meaning to make a note of what I want to be played at my funeral. No hymns as I always think they are a bit of a trial for everyone who has to sing them, particularly if they aren't used to it. So, I know I want "Elizabethan Serenade" by Mantovani's Orchestra to come in, such a beautiful piece of music, then "Time after Time" , the Eva Cassidy version because it speaks from my heart about what I feel about my family and how I'll always be there for them. Not sure about my grand exit - but I think it will be "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison, not only because I am one but because it is one of my favourite feelgood songs, and I would like to go out on a happy note! Only other instruction would be to play "Sailor" by Petula Clarke as it was a song I sang as a very young (3 yr old) child and it will make my brothers smile.........

MerylStreep

I don’t know what everyone would like to do as I’m donating my body for medical science.

Callistamon
I love that hymn ?

Hope they want it.
They came up and looked at my friend’s body, removed one or two bits and left the rest. His wife had to sort out a service very quickly.

Quite honestly, I've never considered it!

If I am not here, the decision could be made by my nearest and dearest (husband) who would choose something fitting. If he was not here, then it would fall to my kids who would probably not choose any hymn. Perhaps I should choose, but I'm not going to be there so I don't know.

Over the Rainbow, the Hawaiian recording.

Funerals aren't for the deceased though, are they? I think it's fine to say, a humanist funeral please or a cremation as opposed to a burial but when I go, I want my family to do what is most helpful for them. eg If I live to a ripe old age, my passing might be a blessing both for me and those who care about me. If I drop dead tomorrow, well I guess there will be some sadness and I think that probably will change how the funeral is conducted. What I have said is that I don't want anything elaborate, I'd like a humanist cremation service and apart from a few flowers on the coffin I'd like donations to one of the charities that I support. With regard to music and readings, I honestly don't mind, just do what they want to do but no-one is to fall out! TBH if they want to celebrate my life, do it whilst I am alive and can appreciate it!

My mother in law was the same, thinking it avoided a funeral. She didn’t realise that the body is returned to the family and it could be months after the bereavement.

There are certain times of the year when bodies are needed for the new intake of medical students so her timing was out.

Changing the subject - I would like Que Sera Sera as I made my debut singing it at the top of my voice during a high mass.

The Rose sung by Michael Ball. Quite like the idea of Faith of my Fathers but my children are all heretics and wouldn’t be impressed!

Kamiso, Faith of our Fathers, is DH's favourite, but certainly not mine. Hence my own list to pre-empt him choosing it for my funeral!