Funeral Hymns
October 24, 2009
I will possibly be singing at a funeral very soon. Last time I did so, it was fairly short notice and simply asked for a member of the family what they would like. I sang, “How Great Thou Art.” If asked, I may have some discretion, and so I thought I would solicit the readership here. My voice range is bass clef G to somewhere up around an A above the bass clef. If the organist is the same one I had last time, she can make key changes easy enough though. Recommendations found in OCP would be the most hopeful since a) they use that hymnal and b) the organist and I will only have about an hour to rehearse. Feel free to link to versions on youtube.
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I don’t have OCP at hand (haven’t been part of a parish that used annual music issues for a while), but I would recommend you consider one of the great English language hymn settings of the 20th century:
My Song is Love Unknown.
The text is by Samuel Crossman, from the 17th century; the tune was composed in 1918 by John Ireland. This classic setting is usually included in serious Anglo-Catholic hymnals, and if your organist is skilled, is probably familiar with it.
The full text (often, just the first two verses and the last verse are done) is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Song_Is_Love_Unknown
Here’s how the music sounds in a YouTube link (it’s been given a woodwind halo, which you can ignore):
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/mid/l/o/v/love_unknown.mid
If this person is Catholic, why not suggest they use the funeral propers for the Mass itself. You could sing their chosen hymns either before the Mass or at the graveside after that portion of the service.
If they aren’t Catholic, then do whatever people suggest. :-)
“God, We Praise You” to the tune of NETTLETON is always good. It’s just a simple setting of the Te Deum. I second Liam’s recommendation of “My Song is Love Unknown.”
I haven’t used the OCP hymnals in quite a while, but when I did I remember they had the In Paradisum in them. It’s perfect (and proper!) for the end of Mass.
Does it have to be a hymn? If you have a bit more time to rehears and acquire the music sheet, try John Tavenor’s Funeral Ikos. Or, if you want an OCP source, I Shall Be Living is one of my all time favorites. Consider the words of that piece- very powerful. It’s about OUR ressurection.
“Parable” is a nice one that we have used for several family funerals. In the OCP Today’s Missal Music Issue, it is #687. A couple of other good ones are “I know That My Redeemer Lives” by Scott Soper(#688), and “The Lord Is My Light” by Chrisopher Walker (#686).
The above suggestions are all good to excellent. Tom’s hymn comment is apt; no problem looking for a good psalm setting. Every regular funeral singer should have a bevy of options aside from Psalm 23. The Walker setting of Ps 27 is nice. Though he composed it with a Celtic feel, I used it for a children’s choir with a gospel style instead.
What psalms are appropriate for funerals? The Lectionary gives a good set of choices. The Order of Christian Funerals also has sections with psalms for the Office of the Dead and for the other liturgies of the rites–they’re all worth looking at. Many have fresh antiphons composed specifically for the rites