Music for my funeral

[Dunsignalling]

It's just struck me that having the theme music from Railway Roundabout playing as one rolled away might be rather pleasant, and maybe even appropriate.

 

No doubt someone out there knows its title and performers.

 

John

Edited September 27, 2017 by Dunsignalling

[manna]

G'Day Gents

 

Pinks song, 'I'm not here for your entertainment'

 

manna

[wollastonblue]

I have left instructions with SWMBO for 3 tracks:

 

Pet Shop Boys - Always on my Mind

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDe60CbIagg

 

Talk Talk - It's My Life

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ixRWvrkUHo

 

Storm - It's time to burn

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0dUwjZNLjw

 

My other request is that if there is cash to be put behind the bar afterwards it's only to be spent on Real Ale.

[Rivercider]

Having not previously thought about this, then I think 'The Slow Train' by Flanders and Swann might be appropriate,

makes me a bit sad to think about it though.

(A single power car should be enough).

 

cheers

[br2975]

On the way in to the service

.

"See the conqu'ring hero comes" by Handel

.

During the service

.

"Hiraeth" by Parson Price, performed by the Morriston Orpheus Male Choir

.

On the way out again

.

"Sunchyme" by Dario G

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YTqmMDd3zs

.

On the way into the oven

.

The closing bars from "Phantom of the Opera"

i.e.

"...............it's over now, the music of the night !"

Edited September 27, 2017 by br2975

[bike2steam]

 

Talk Talk - It's My Life

Mmm, good choice, but must admit, I prefer the No Doubt version.

[rockershovel]

ABSOLUTELY NOT "Music of the Night" or anything else from my good wife's incessantly played kitchen playlist of 60s and 70s music. I quite enjoyed the actual show but can't stand to hear it AGAIN now.

 

Not least because although she denies it, the volume she plays it at shows that she must be at least as deaf as me..

[45156]

It's just struck me that having the theme music from Railway Roundabout playing as one rolled away might be rather pleasant, and maybe even appropriate.

 

No doubt someone out there knows its title and performers.

 

John

It's called Paris Metro by William Hill-Bowen.  It bears a musical similarity to Coronation Scot by William Ellis, which would be my choice, as it portrays very well the might of the steam loco.

Edited September 27, 2017 by 45156

[The Stationmaster]

We arranged for my father's funeral to take place in a small modern church where he had done most of the interior woodwork and had made the laminated timber altar - wrong branch of the religion but the owning concern were quite happy to accommodate us for a suitable fee.  However the organist failed to show  (he probably went to the wrong church).  The vicar took me aside and explained the lack of organist is an apologetic whisper but said he was a good strong singer who could lead the hymns or he could ask if there was an organist in the house; we jointly decided the latter would be silly so he duly led the singing and did a great job.

 

At the post burial eats an old friend of dad's came up to me and said 'why didn't you ask if there was an organist present?'  So I told him what the Vicar and I had decided and he replied 'what a shame, I'm a church organist'

 

So if you're ever in that situation don't be afraid to ask if there's an organist in the house - you might be pleasantly surprised.

[Joseph_Pestell]

My late first wife had Widor's toccata from his fifth symphony as her coffin departed for the crem (all the service was at church.) You need a brilliant organist though and we had one.

Not so much the organist as a very good and loud organ.

[runs as required]

Not so much the organist as a very good and loud organ.

Not sure I agree.

For our children's weddings we had the French exchange contingents all come over (as self proclaimed  "Revolutionaires" - much to the Rector's  puzzlement) .

Widor and French organ music was requested - and duly massacred.

   dh

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I'm afraid that I don't understand your point at all. What's an "active religionist" in this context?

It's something of an insider joke. Those who have an active faith - folk typically regarded as 'religious' by external observers - quite often will mark the death of their relative by an event to celebrate their life, rather than using the formally formatted funeral service in their denomination's service documentation. The formal service is an 'acceptable and established' format suitable for those who are notional adherents, but don't actually pitch up other than for major life events.

 

The disconnect between the formal funeral services and the beliefs and attitudes of the majority attending are becoming ever more apparent. I am at an age where a wide acquaintance over a lifetime now means a dozen and more funerals a year. Why a service with hymns that only a few percent of those attending can sing? Or even 'The Old Rugged Cross' - please, no ! - which practically none now living can sing at all. Why have family members stumble through readings and prayers that are clearly unfamiliar, and in conversation afterwards have clearly been completely obscure?

 

 I truly welcome fully secular funerals, where the content can be exactly what suits those present, and as much or little of it as they require. One of the best I have attended had a grandson reading a text composed by the deceased giving thanks and farewell to the many people with whom he had felt privileged to enjoy his life's journey, accompanied by some projected photos illustrating key scenes, commenced and terminated with a couple of recorded music choices reflecting his musical interests. It was very well liked, and some years later is fresh in the memory and prompts a smile at the recollection.

[Tim Dubya]

[dvdlcs]

Alan Parsons - Old and Wise

 

 

Leonard Cohen - If It Be Your Will

 

Edited September 27, 2017 by dvdlcs

[polybear]

My Uncle was a big Jazz Fan - he had "Mournful Blues" on the way in, "Shout for Joy" on the way out.  The Vicar asked for one in the middle too - the tune from the James Bond Film in New Orleans, where they top someone whilst the band is walking down the street. 

[Classsix T]

Going Underground - The Jam.

 

C6T.

[clecklewyke]

Not so much the organist as a very good and loud organ.

 

I have heard Vidor's toccata played on a perfectly good organ by a dear old lady who had been asked to play for a wedding but had evidently never heard it before. At a quarter of the normal tempo it might have surficed as a funeral march but...

 

I would suggest that with such difficult music the organ is only as good as the organist!

 

Ian

[45156]

 

So if you're ever in that situation don't be afraid to ask if there's an organist in the house - you might be pleasantly surprised.

My dad was the church organist, and my comment when at the church was "it's a shame he's dead, as this organist is pretty mediocre and he's doing a rotten job".  Dad was, however, a phenomenal musician and teacher (as was testified to my the much missed Jock 67B who was one of his pupils). 

Edited September 27, 2017 by 45156

[45156]

It's called Paris Metro by William Hill-Bowen.  It bears a musical similarity to Coronation Scot by William Ellis, which would be my choice, as it portrays very well the might of the steam loco.

and here's the Melachirno arrangement of 1956 for those who can't remember the TV show

 

Edited September 27, 2017 by 45156

[Joseph_Pestell]

I have heard Vidor's toccata played on a perfectly good organ by a dear old lady who had been asked to play for a wedding but had evidently never heard it before. At a quarter of the normal tempo it might have surficed as a funeral march but...

 

I would suggest that with such difficult music the organ is only as good as the organist!

 

Ian

 

I am no keyboard player myself (or any other musical instrument for that matter) but Toccata does not strike me as a particularly difficult piece by organist standards, albeit very impressive and a favourite.

 

But tempo is, of course, all important. The poor Ave Verums are always due to taking it too slowly.

[ikks]

Could not give a rats...........my darling Ruth and I have decided not to have a funeral.................cardboard box under a tree maybe......... unless Kim or Donald vaporizes  us first 

 

Mike

[Arthur]

 

My old music teacher, no mean keyboard player, used to do weddings, funerals etc. whilst he was a student. He told us that Vidor's Toccatta, a perennial request at weddings, was difficult to play and that he bluffed his way through with a slightly simplified rendition.

 

It is a more demanding piece that most.

 

.

[Rugd1022]

For my Dad's funeral back in July we had the Captain Pugwash theme played as we all shuffled out of the crematorium, being as he was a Navy lad, it raised a few chuckles which was rather nice.

 

Not sure what I'd like played at mine, but I'm quite tempted by the theme from 'Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)'...!

[clecklewyke]

My old music teacher, no mean keyboard player, used to do weddings, funerals etc. whilst he was a student. He told us that Vidor's Toccatta, a perennial request at weddings, was difficult to play and that he bluffed his way through with a slightly simplified rendition.

 

It is a more demanding piece that most.

 

.

 

It was the repeated semi-quaver arpeggios that defeated the old dear in Crail kirk. She determinedly tried to play them all but could not at the tempo required - after all the most she had played were hymns with nice block chords - so she slowed it down to a quarter speed. Oh dear!

 

I have seen a version which has a quarter the number of notes of the original - it was a shame she did not know of it.

 

(I speak as an enthusiastic listener, definitely not a performer.)

 

As for Ave Verum, there's a nice feedback loop. If you sing it too slow you run out of breafh so you simply have to speed up!

 

I would choose it because 

 

1) it is lovely

 

2) most singers know it so minimal rehearsal is needed for a scratch choir to perform it at short notice (and one rarely gets much notice of a funeral)

 

and

 

3) I've been singing it since I was an 8 year old church choir boy and still sing it regilarly with the Spennithorn choir (two sopranos, two altos, one tenor (me!) and one bass). We are all over 70 and may not sound very good but in our imaginations...

 

Ian

Edited September 27, 2017 by clecklewyke

[Classsix T]

Two from Blue Öyster Cult!

 

(Don't Fear) The Reaper

Burnin' For You

 

C6T.