Funeral Music Selection
  • bkenney27bkenney27
    Posts: 444
    I am currently revising my funeral selection sheet and am wondering what some your selection sheets look like. I would like to, little by little, weed out some of the more contemporary schmalzy garbage that is standard, but what traditional hymns or chants have you found? Also, which popular sacred selections (such as Be Not Afraid) would you also refrain from suggestion to the community? If you wouldn't mind sharing your selection sheet, please let me know or just email it to bkenney [at] parishmail [dot] com. Thanks!
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,698
    I find many times when families are given a list of choices, they select the first option.



    Processional Hymn Options:
    Requiem Aeternum

    Psalm Options:
    Requiem Aeternum

    Gospel Acclamation:
    Alleluia, Requiem Aeternum

    Offertory:
    Domine Jesu Christi

    Communion:
    Lux Aeternum

    Song of Farewell:
    Subvenite

    Recessional Song:
    In Paradisum
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,471
    From
    THE RECTO TONO REQUIEM: SONGS IN THE KEY OF DEATH
    Thanked by 3Gavin Ben Jahaza
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,507
    C-minor, what?
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,187
    Oh, I thought this was a serious request. :(
    Thanked by 1Kathy
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,471
    i'm sure it was...

    bk: do a search (upper right hand corner of this page)
    there are a TON of suggestions for your question in lots of existing threads
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,507
    Sorry.

    When hymns are needed, I suggest these:

    Jerusalem, my happy home
    Sing with all the saints in glory
    I heard the voice of Jesus say
    The king of love my shepherd is
    Love divine, all loves excelling
    There's a wideness in God's mercy

    To explain about the ceremonial hymns at the end of the Mass (subvenite and in paradisum) I say that these are both songs about the angels coming to meet their loved one and escort them to paradise.
  • Chris HebardChris Hebard
    Posts: 124
    By the way, I just got a vague request for "Alleluia" as one of the selections for a funeral tomorrow. There will be a Gospel acclamation, of course, but the funeral director who relayed the message thought that there was something more specific implied. Any thoughts?

    To return to the poster's question, here's a draft for an amended funeral music list that was set aside by the pastor, despite my "big tent" accommodations. Hymns are numbered as in OCP's Music Issue.
    Funeral Mass Hymns 2013 with_Numbers_E_1.doc
    30K
  • bkenney27bkenney27
    Posts: 444
    Thanks, Adam. Sorry for creating an unnecessary duplicate thread!
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Oh Kathy, how could you have left off "Be still my soul" (FINLANDIA)? IMO, one of the best text to tune weddings evah!
    For a mixed crowd, dismissal/commital "Shall we gather at the river" soothes the savage Prot.
    "I know that my Redeemer lives" DUCK STREET. (Just seeing how many are still awake on a Friday afternoon. I'm typing this after 8th grade retreat Mass!)
    And one from the Flowerday (well, Culbreth) playbook: "In every age" Janet Sullivan Whitaker.
    If I was famous, I'd say "The Farewell" by some idiot in California, based on the discourse.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,187
    By the way, I just got a vague request for "Alleluia" as one of the selections for a funeral tomorrow. There will be a Gospel acclamation, of course, but the funeral director who relayed the message thought that there was something more specific implied. Any thoughts?

    If the request was relayed verbally, it's quite possible that the request was for the Leondard Cohen song "Hallelujah" - a very popular song, especially since the recordings and performances at such major events as the 2010 Winter Olympic opening ceremony in Vancouver, by the Canadian singer k. d. lang.

    I can understand such a request, since people will ask for anything; however, this is probably not an appropriate song for a funeral liturgy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE
    Thanked by 3Spriggo Gavin Chris Hebard
  • Chris HebardChris Hebard
    Posts: 124
    It came to me just now . . . the request is probably for the Celtic Alleluia.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    This is the boldest statement I will ever make.
    Cohen's HALLELUJAH is the worst cover song ever popularized, worse than Them's "GLORIA" or the Kingsmens' "Louie Louie."
    What irony to plead "God save us from another cover of 'Hallelujah!'"
    But Chuck, kd's wasn't the worst ever broadcast. It just was cheezy.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,698
    If someone asked for an Alleluia I'd probably do one of the threefold alleluias from the Simplex.
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    I'd probably choose one from the PBC. Tone VI or Tone VII triple alleluia, or even the Tone VIII Melismatic Alleluia.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,507
    Verse 2 of Hallelujah is pretty mixed up about the B i b l e
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Adam Wood
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,187
    Here's an Alleluia with versicle John 6:40, which is close to that used at my father-in-law's funeral a few years ago.
    Giffen-Alleluia in C with verse.pdf
    64K
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