I would have a Queen number too,' Tie your mother down' 
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Music for my funeral, I'm forward planning!
(99 Posts)Does anyone know of any suitable pieces of music which can be played at my funeral? I most certain want Sailing By but haven't found another two pieces. I just love Annie's song by James Golway (spelling??) but I'm not an Annie. I have heard some classical pieces which are soothing and beautiful to hear but never caught their names.
Always look on the bright side of life was played at a funeral I went to. 
As I always knew, and often reminded, that I was not good enough for my adoptive parents, my choice had always been 'The only disappointment in the family was me' by Slim Dusty but both of them died some years back so it no longer holds the same meaning.
So now I've chosen 'I am Woman' by Helen Reddy at full volume. They both disliked the song anyway, particularly my narcissistic, abusive, adoptive father...think it hit a nerve with him, hahaha!!
Chestnut
Some seriously weird choices here. If they played 'Fairy Tale of New York' I would have to leave. Have a thought for the people listening.
Why would you have to leave?
If they played a hymn you didn’t like, would you walk out as well for that?
It’s a few minutes of music, not an entire concert.
?
I'm going to have Hymn to the Fallen (or it might be Prayer to the Fallen) by John Williams in the Saving Private Ryan film - I think it's a beautiful piece of music, and I'll probably have something from Karl Jenkins' music The Armed Man.
I wanted to end the funeral with something Yorkshire and humorous but couldn't find anything other than On Ilka Moor Baht 'At but that's about 12 verses long and I would want it all so that's out. The one humorous piece of music I do really like is Narcissus by Joyce Grenfell and Norman Wisdom - this never fails to have me laughing away at it. I wanted some music that would send people out with a smile on their face rather than looking all gloomy.
Lilylaundry
Does anyone know of any suitable pieces of music which can be played at my funeral? I most certain want Sailing By but haven't found another two pieces. I just love Annie's song by James Golway (spelling??) but I'm not an Annie. I have heard some classical pieces which are soothing and beautiful to hear but never caught their names.
But Lily, John Denver doesn't mention the name Annie in the song, it's just in the title. It's a song about love. Go for it.
Pythagoras
My mother organised the music for her funeral too, 25 years ago now. On the list was Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring which none of us (her children) thought we knew, until we heard it and recognised it. It's by Bach:
youtu.be/wEJruV9SPao
That was a favourite of my mother’s - we played it at her funeral, too.
Soroptimum, if you can find a suitable recording, they’ll have it played for you, won’t they? We did that with my niece’s Panis Angelicus - just asked them to play track 8 on the CD.
As a Prodigy fan and planning to be cremated I have asked for 'Firestarter'. Seems apt.
My dear friend had Amazing Grace by Elvis and Fields Of Gold by Eva Cassidy.
Chestnut
Some seriously weird choices here. If they played 'Fairy Tale of New York' I would have to leave. Have a thought for the people listening.
Why? It's not about you - it's about the person you are there to remember. Why should it not be about the music they loved?
And I love Sarnia's choice of Firestarter!
Are the people who want ‘pop songs’ played planning to have a service in a crematorium? I couldn’t imagine that kind of music in a church.
Germanshepherdsmum
Are the people who want ‘pop songs’ played planning to have a service in a crematorium? I couldn’t imagine that kind of music in a church.
From what I understand, you can have any music you like in a church. I used to work as the Vicar’s Secretary years ago. Quite a few people asked for ‘Always look on the Bright Side of Life’ from Monty Python. The vicar was happy to oblige.
Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce for me and Scott Mckenzie’s San Francisco. My DDS chose Dance with My Father for my DH’s funeral.
I picked Nimrod for my own Dad.
Thanks!
That was to LadyLeftField.
My DH loves westerns and says he wants the music from The Magnificent Seven, the bit where they ride down the hill after delivering the coffin to the cemetery.
Yep, pop songs in church are just fine. My Mum's coffin left to Thank you for the Days, by The Kinks. I wanted to give thanks and this did it for me.
I agree with Calendargirl. "Going Home" by Sissel. is beautiful. We had that for my brother's funeral at the very end of the service
Also "If we never meet again" by Elvis Presley.
My BF chose that Kinks track for her step-son. I’ve been to funerals with Simply the Best by Tina Tuner and Take That’s Rule the World - which I didn’t realise had such appropriate words for the occasion.
If you wish a church funeral, ask the advice of the organist at the church, as a minister or priest is entitled to veto anything too worldly. The organist will know what the present incumbent feels about the matter, and even if both the organist and the priest predecease you, or go somewhere else, they are unlikely to have suggested something wildly unsuitable.
Otherwise go down to your local library and get someone to help you find some of the pieces of music suggsted here, either online or on tape or cd, so you can listen to them and make your choice.
My father who was quite unmusical requested J.S. Bach's organ prelude over "Jesus, joy of man's desiring" both for my mother's and his own funerals. I suggested and he approved adding the Scottish metrical version of the 23rd psalm "The Lord is my shepherd" sung to the tune of "Crimond" and "Abide by me" as she had been fond of both, although going on my own preferences I would have preferred the Scottish metrical version of Psalm 121 "I to the hills will lift mine eyes, from whence doth come mine aid".
If you are not planning a religious ceremony I suggest you ask some of the younger members of your family whether there is any piece of music they especially associate with you, then you might want to chose that, on the asssumption that they will be present.
A good friend of mine whose service was in no way religious, had asked for a recording of Edith Piaf singing "Je ne regrette rien" as he liked both her voice and the sentiment.
A friend of ours had a G&S number - IIRC ‘With Cat-Like Tread’ played loudly as the coffin was brought in - needless to say he was a G&S fan.
It was a very lovely, very old church and until then the atmosphere had been sombre, but that put a smile on everyone’s face, as I’m sure he would have wished - he was a very smiley, jolly chap.
tiredoldwoman
I would like Samba Pa Ti by Santana , Mike Oldfields version of Tarrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra and Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars . Maybe Cockney Rebel's Come up and see me Make me Smile ?
I'm with you on the Santana tiredoldwoman, maybe Moonflower.
I've always joked about Stairway to Heaven, but having been to quite a few upsetting funerals, humour doesn't seem appropriate.
I like Satisfy my Soul by Paul Carrick.
I’m having a simple cremation so there will be no service and no music BUT if I were to have a funeral song it would be “wish me luck as you wave me goodbye”…?
I would worry that in having a favourite song played I would spoil that song for my family as hearing it would always take them back to my funeral.
Revd Richard Coles talks in one of his books about Don’t Leave Me This Way being played at a funeral he was conducting. It was played as the coffin was being carried out of the church.
(For those who don’t know, he was in the Communards, a 1980s band and this was one of their most popular songs)
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