Don't kill me, but Haas has a setting of Newman lyrics. It's a song about Purgatory called "Angel's Farewell", also from "The Dream of Gerontius". Haas calls it "Guardian's Farewell". It's the guardian angel talking to the soul going to Purgatory. It's a really nice setting, I think.

You'd have to tell people beforehand that "this is a song about a guardian angel seeing his charge off to Purgatory", because otherwise Newman's lyrics at the beginning make it sound like a song about chucking people's ashes into the ocean or something. Once you know what the heck it's talking about, it's very touching and comforting. The only thing that I didn't like is that, at one point, Haas changes the words from "Highest" (which rhymes) to "Most High" (which doesn't). I recommend that you should change that right back.

It would probably encourage prayer for souls without throwing people into a panic, so you might want to look into it.

(If you're wondering how I know this... I bought a bunch of almost-random albums at the Celtic Festival last week, and one of them turned out to be some kind of wedding, funeral, and St. Patrick's Day album by a lady from Old St Patrick's in Chicago. I didn't realize there was so much Haas on it until I listened to it, and a lot of Lawton also. There's some definite gems on it, also a lot of non-gems (for which I blame the songwriters, not the singer). Still, she's a very good singer, especially for certain techniques I might wish to acquire, and it did give me copies of some useful things and knowledge of others I should avoid, so it wasn't a waste of money.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paAVIBcErko&feature=related

Dream is PD and piano vocal scores are available on IMSLP.

http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Dream_of_Gerontius,_Op.38_(Elgar,_Edward)

Donna, it is called "Prayers of Cardinal Newman" for SATB and organ.

It is a heck of a poem, isn't it? Very similar in some ways to medieval takes on "The Art of Dying Well".

I was blessed enough to once hear a performance of Elgar's "Dream of Gerontius" at Gloucester Cathedarl. Unforgettable!

A couple days ago I was ruminating on Purgatory, and I remembered this thread so I went and read Dream of Gerontius
http://www.ccel.org/n/newman/gerontius/gerontius.htm

Oh my goodness gracious, it nearly brought me to tears- especially that last verse from the angel:

SOFTLY and gently, dearly-ransomed soul,
In my most loving arms I now enfold thee,
And, o’er the penal waters, as they roll,
I poise thee, and I lower thee, and hold thee.

And carefully I dip thee in the lake,
And thou, without a sob or a resistance,
Dost through the flood thy rapid passage take,
Sinking deep, deeper, into the dim distance.
Angels, to whom the willing task is given,
Shall tend, and nurse, and lull thee, as thou liest;
And Masses on the earth and prayers in heaven,
Shall aid thee at the Throne of the most Highest.

Farewell, but not forever! Brother dear,
Be brave and patient on thy bed of sorrow;
Swiftly shall pass thy night of trial here,
And I will come and wake thee on the morrow.

I don't think most people (Catholic or non-) understand how profoundly loving and merciful the concept of Purgatory really is.

A bit off-topic, oh heck, way off topic, at the opening "school Mass" for a grade school this morning, amidst the (pretty sad,) Spirit and Song Music, the General Intercessions included a beautifully written petition for the souls in Purgatory.
I had to pick my jaw up off the floor...

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)

"So," says the little child, "There is no Santa Claus."

"Yes, that's right."

"There is no tooth fairy."

"Right."

"There is no Easter Bunny."

"You've got it!"

"Well," says the child, "what about Hell?"

I think some of the fire and brimstone has been reinforced by the Irish. An associate pastor from Ireland spoke often of flames, ripped-off arms, bloody stumps, and etc. As our former German pastor of 38 years often said, "The Irish ruined the church in this country."

Re: Irish Purgatory --

A lot of the Irish stuff comes from the very famous pilgrimage site, St. Patrick's Purgatory, which of course is still operational. Whether you go with St. Patrick or the later repentant knight accounts of Purgatory, there's quite a lot to give you motivation for staying awake day and night at Lough Dearg over the whole weekend. (Or walking barefoot up and down Croagh Patrick, or standing around praying in freezing cold water, or whatever your little Irish heart desires.)

The first problem was that, while this is really suited for those with a nice Irish turn for asceticism to counteract the partying, it's not suited for everybody. The second problem was that Irish priests were strongly influenced by crazed French Jansenist seminary teachers purposely chosen by the English government when the Irish were allowed to have seminaries again, and Jansenists were sure that everything really rough was suited for everybody. The third problem was that, with tons of Irish and tons of Irish priests, their influence was sure to be strong.
But it's silly to say they ruined the Church, or even that all Irish were into the sulfuric sermons. There are just as many happy Irish stories about Purgatory as scary ones.

Even at its height, Irish Catholicism no more ruled the American bits of Catholic church than my elbow does now. German Catholicism had just as deep an influence; it was just less showy and prominent. You could probably say the same for Italian and Polish Catholicism. All these groups have very strong beliefs, practices, and stories about Purgatory, and they all go in the mix. You can find "soft" and "hardcore" stuff about Purgatory among all ethnicities.

All the St. Gertrude the Great prayers didn't come out of Irish Catholicism, for one thing. I'm sure I could think of more examples.