Funeral music during Lent
  • ChapmanGonzalez
    Posts: 31
    What are the restrictions on music for funerals during Lent? I heard somewhere that it was OK to use resurrection hymns such as "Jesus Christ is Ris'n Today," that had sung 'alleluias' in them. We normally use the Lenten Gospel Acclamations anyway. The pastor asked me to research this because they are revising and reprinting the funeral booklet. Does anyone know where I can find a definitive answer in the documents? Thanks.
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    As far as I have read, the GIRM does not state that one should use Alleluias during funerals during Lent, so I would assume that one does not sing Alleluia at a funeral during Lent.

    Here is an article from a solid source: http://www.canticanova.com/articles/feedback/arte51.htm

    I perused the internet a bit on this topic and wow, is there ever a lot of controversy. I've never heard of Alleluia ever sung during Lent.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    Lent is Lent and an alleluya is an alleluya.
    There are many Easter hymns that don't have alleluyas.

    Such as -
    'Welcome happy morning', Age to Age Shall Say?
    The Day of Resurrection?
    He Is Risen! He Is Risen!?
    At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing?
    Hail Thee, Festival Day?
    Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain?
    The Easter Sequence?
    That Easter Day With Joy Was Bright?
    And more......
    Thanked by 2CCooze CHGiffen
  • Casavant Organist
    Posts: 800
    Of course, That Easter Day would only work when sung to PUER NATUS...
    I haven't heard of Welcome Happy Morning.
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,944
    While the Gloria is used on certain high festal occasions during Lent (solemnities, for example; probably ordination of a bishop, et cet.), I don't understand where someone would find a basis (other than lack of narrowly explicit prohibition) for replacing the Lenten gospel acclamations with an Alleluia for a funeral. For example, the Mass for the inauguration of Pope Francis included the Gloria, but also a Lenten Gospel acclamation, not Alleluia:

    http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/libretti/2013/20130319_inizio-ministero-petrino.pdf

    And if not the Alleluia for a Gospel acclamation, why alleluias in hymns? If alleluias were intended for liturgies in Lent, surely the *most* appropriate place of all would be the Gospel acclamation - and if not included there, then surely less appropriate in any other liturgical context.

    Note that funeral lections for Eastertide follow the same principle as lections for Eastertide lections generally - there's a whole separate set of first readings from the New Testament for Masses of Christian Burial in Eastertide. I take that as illustrative of the intention that Masses of Christian Burial are intended to partake of the liturgical season in which they occur.
    Thanked by 2rich_enough CHGiffen
  • Caleferink
    Posts: 429
    Using the word alleluia (or hallelujah or any other different spelling of it) is forbidden in all liturgies during Lent as well as the Triduum until the great Alleluia of the Easter Vigil. Full stop.
    Thanked by 1CCooze
  • OrganistRob320OrganistRob320
    Posts: 157
    Chapman,

    What has worked most often is a page of suggested hymns and I put the tiny cross next to those which are not Lenten Appropriate. See the attached.
    Music List for Funerals.pdf
    77K
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    I included the Easter sequence above as an example of an alleluya-less Easter hymn. However, when properly sung an alleluya is appended to it, following the 'amen' - thus: do fa mi-re re. Most Catholics don't seem to be aware of this and never add the alleluya - even though it has the weight of history behind it. The same goes for the other sequences.

    Casavant -
    never heard of 'Welcome, Happy Morning'? You are missing out on a fine hymn. It is a textually rich hymn by Venantius Fortunatus, and may be found paired with the stately tune, Fortunatus, at no. 87 in The Hymnal 1940.
    Thanked by 1Casavant Organist
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,159
    Is outrage. Was it Easter hymns (with no Alleluia) for Requiems in 16th century Milan? It was not!

    It all comes from wanting funerals to be little Easter Sundays of the Resurrection.

    Thanked by 1canadash
  • GerardH
    Posts: 411
    @Andrew Malton - Agreed! I cannot see a clear rationale behind using Easter hymns for a funeral. One can still employ texts about the resurrection of the dead without directly referencing Christ's own resurrection.

    The music that accompanies those Easter hymns would also seem far too boisterous for a requiem.
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,944
    Boisterous a problem? You're not Irish, are ye? Have the keeners do the crying for ye. Besides, not everyone is sad that Himself/Herself has passed on.
    Thanked by 3Carol CHGiffen CharlesW
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    Some of those Easter hymns would be horrible at a funeral, even during Easter season. Singing "Welcome, Happy Morning" at a funeral seems very insensitive. Please. Kindness to the bereaved requires that we let them feel sad at the death of a loved one.

    What's the next attempt to make funerals cheery? Pasting a happy-face sticker on the casket? Maybe one on the inside too?
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn canadash PaxMelodious
  • Blaise
    Posts: 439
    What kind of parish is the OP at? I am assuming it is the standard four hymn sandwich kind.

    At a requiem Mass I sung several years back, we used selections from the Parish Book of Chant.

    That is how I want my own service done. (If not that way, then the burial service according to a Byzantine rite.)
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 392
    Singing "Welcome, Happy Morning" at a funeral seems very insensitive.


    Indeed. I've only heard that hymn once. It was at an Anglican Use Ordinariate Sung as as the Offertory hymn immediately following the Pastor's announcement of leaving the parish. I found it very weird to have such a hymn following that announcement.

    I don't understand why people want Easter hymns at a funeral anyways. Hope in the Resurrection of the Dead, sure. Easter, no.

    Why not something like Jerusalem My Happy Home, or I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say?
    Thanked by 1CCooze
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    Typical Catholic funeral.

    Be Not Afraid
    Eagle's Wings
    Amazing Grace
    How Great Thou Art.
    Thanked by 3Casavant Organist Carol Schönbergian
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    I want Spem at my funeral.
    (And no Easter hymns.)

    (By the way - for a nice treat, google 'manchester spem in alium' to hear 800 people singing spem in admirable togetherness and expression. [This could or would be done only in England, historic home of singing societies].)
    Thanked by 3CharlesW CHGiffen Casavant Organist
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    Not music, but one of my Byzantine friends asked me to promise to read the entire Psalter over his casket when he passes on. He said he wasn't sure anyone else would do it.
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen Incardination
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    What a nice thing to do - and to have done for one!
    Thanked by 3CharlesW Incardination Casavant Organist
  • Casavant Organist
    Posts: 800
    Cardinal Collins of Toronto always says that he likes to have a Jerusalem related hymn as the concluding hymn at a funeral, so to allow us to look to the New Jerusalem which is where we hope our loved one is/will be. What better hymn than "Jerusalem, the Golden".

    Harris Bring Us, O Lord God, anyone?
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • PaxTecum
    Posts: 302
    In paradisum is probably the best
    Thanked by 4Incardination CHGiffen donr eft94530
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