Funeral suggestions?

[Helenluvsrob]

Bit stuck!

Dad died at the weekend 92 ( as you know) After a full life. Funeral will be a celebration as much as is possible.

Suggestions music/ hymns/ readings welcome also any tips to make things as good as they can be very welcome .

He liked classical / 1950s music . We have 2 very able soprano singers who will likely sing instead of one hymn.

Sort of feel we used our " favourites " for mum last year - 23 psalm , faure pie Jesu etc.

We've booked the tea - I'm quite excited at how very right this bit will be - teeny local independent " artwork cafe" . Lovely cakes and they've suggested we use one wall to display his paintings during the tea. Need to get a service to match this.

[whataboutbob]

Hi Helen I went to my best friend's mum's funeral last year. While sad of course I felt it reflected and honoured her so well. The elements which stand out:
it was her church and the vicar knew her well (an old anglo saxon church, no modern church for her, she would have detested that in her lifetime)
the music was great. The vicar's wife played the keyboard. They played "music for while" sang by Deller on a sound system amongst others, it was the kind of music she liked.. My BF friend read a poem which her mum helped her study for A Level. BF's sister read a passage form one of her favourite novels. Mum's sister who is talented linguistically wrote a poem for her and read it. They got an old college friend to do a reading.
At the pub for the reception there was a "mood board" with lots of lovely photos including of mum in her heyday when she wasa t college and looked lovely.
I think it worked because it reflected her truthfully and also made people reflect back to when she was young healthy and lovely (she had been quite ill) to counterbalance the later years.
I am sure you will do something which dies your Dad justice.

[whataboutbob]

so sorry for stupid spelling error (I'm at work and rushing) should of course be "which does your Dad justice").

[CountessOfStrathearn]

If you have lovely sopranos, what about something from Handel's Messiah?

I know that my Redeemer liveth:

He shall feed his flock (can be done as a duet with the lower soprano taking the first part and the higher soprano taking the second)

[Helenluvsrob]

Thanks countess ! I've asked eldest if she up for the 1st one. Love it.

[thesandwich]

The day thou gavest as hymn? Use one of his pics on the order of service?
Thinking of you. You will do him proud.

[SecretSquirrels]

Sorry for your loss Helenluvsrob.
My mother loves to tell me all about the funerals she goes to and what a wonderful job the son or daughter did and I will never live up to. She has also written a helpful plan for her own funeral including music.
If you were looking for 1950s music how about some Nat King Cole or Rogers and Hammerstein?

[MadameMaxGoesler]

For my father's funeral the intro music at the crematorium was the opening of Purcell's Funeral Music for Queen Mary. The exit music was 'I know that my Redeemer liveth' which he loved and was his mother's favourite.
For my own funeral the equivalents will be the slow movement of the Hummel Trumpet Concerto (Alison Balsom recording) and 'Quando corpus morietur' from the Pergolesi Sabat Mater (Andreas Scholl/Barbara Bonney recording).