Music for Funeral

[PlainVanilla]

My mother died unexpectedly in her sleep recently. I am in charge of the funeral, most of which has been sorted, but I need a few ideas on the music front.
As she was well past 85 my siblings and I agree that we want a celebration, so no mourning.
I have an idea for the entrance music and we could use the same as our father had for the exit, which was very well received and rather "unusual", but if anyone would be kind enough to make a few suggestions I would be most grateful.

We had for both my grandparents when they passed , Josh Groben -to where you are.

All through the night is beautiful too

Still not quite sure what type of music you are looking for so may not be appropriate, but Harris's Bring us oh Lord God and Gardner's Evening Hymn are good funeral anthems. Fauré's Requiem has some lovely movements - the soprano solo Pie Jesu or the finale In paradisum work well as stand alone pieces. Vaughan William's The Lark Ascending is good exit music though it sounds like you have that covered.

@MountainDweller has the sort of suggestions I would make. Also Bainton And I Saw A New Heaven.

@mehimthem

I also really liked a song Over the Rainbow, played by a Hawaiian man with a ukulele, I cannot recall his name, but it was long & difficult to pronounce (Israel or Isaac something, maybe ?? ).

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - it's my favourite version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

So sorry for your loss. Unexpected - must have been a terrible shock.

Please listen to this, the whole way through. I have chosen this for when my time comes. I think it's beautiful.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3B2mntKAZo

I didn't know what to use when Mum died , but I remembered that she liked all the simple church songs from her own early days. So I used " All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Creatures Great and Small". Everyone sang along - it was lovely.

The Rankin Family, "We Rise Again" was very moving for me when I lost my parents. They were a Canadian group.

So sorry for your loss.

This is beautiful. Have sung it a number of funerals

And this

Love your choice seahorse - wild goose is one of my favourites.

The Ashokan Farewell.

Funnily enough I had lunch with my parents last week and they specifically wanted to discuss the music they would like for their funerals, which is some forward planning! I have a spotify list for mine, which includes Smile, Stairway to paradise, Seasons of love, All kinds of everything, and Gotta Be.

Condolences to you OP. My DF passed away last week and am also in process of arranging funeral, it's horrible isn't it? Trying to second guess exactly what they would have wanted.

Is there any particular music you can remember your mum listening to, singing along with? What about CDs she owned, radio she listened to? Does she still have any friends, siblings left you could ask if there's any music they associate with her?
It doesn't have to be particularly 'funeral like' if it's what reminds people of her. If you can't think of anything I would go along with suggestions the funeral director may make as to popular classical pieces.

Thank you all for the suggestions.
I should like her to come in to a piece from Solomon (G.F. Handel). We will have a hymn that has been sung at all family weddings for the past 100 plus years. The quiet piece will be some Mozart from Cost Fan Tutte, it is just the exit music that escapes me at present.
She like Mahler, but that is far too gloomy. She also liked Eric Clapton, but the only piece I could think of was Cocaine, definitely inappropriate.
My sister suggested The Witch is Dead, as a joke. I haven't had any input from our brother. May have to go through the CDs when I am back at the house, otherwise she will have the same exit music as Dad had, which went down very well and was beautifully upbeat.

Very sorry you are going through this.

Having the same music as your dad sounds like a perfectly appropriate idea, especially as it sounds like it achieved the mood you are after. Why not make it a positive choice and don't feel like you have to have something different.

My dad chose my mum's "going out" music and I will 100% choose the same piece when his time comes. Because I know he likes it and it will connect them again.

When DH died, we had three pieces of music. He had chosen two himself, but we struggled over the third because we weren't expecting there to be more than two. My dad suggested Stop Crying Your Heart Out by Oasis, because he thought the line about the stars fading away was beautiful. We went with it and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. I can't listen to it now though.

My Uncle has 'Always look on the bright side of life' as he loved Monty Python. Is there. TV show or radio show she listened too which you could incorporate?

mahler: the adagio from the 9th symphonie?
or 3rd movement from first?

Intermezzo from the Karelia Suite (Sibelius)

Lead me, Lord (S.S. Wesley)

Widmung (Schumann)

When my mother died we used an old song that she'd sung to us when we were children (and it took forever to find the music) and gave it to the organist.

Are you having a crematorium service as well as a church service? if so, you'll need to think of music for both.

Requiem - Sanctus (Faure)

Salut d'amour (Elgar)

The Swan (Saint-Saens)

Cantique de Jean Racine (Faure)

Laudate Dominum (Mozart)

Ave Verum Copus (Mozart)

Je te Veux (Satie)

Un Sospiro (Liszt)

I'm so sorry for your loss.

A friend of mine had Harvest Moon by Neil Young and I still can't hear it without a lump in my throat. Beautiful.

I'm so sorry for your loss OP.
It's bittersweet to choose music for a funeral of someone dear and you want to make the right choice.
I felt a huge sense of responsibility picking the music for my Dad's funeral.
In the end I went for a nod to Dad's wicked sense of humour (he was only in his 60s when he died unexpectedly) and all his friends said he would have laughed and approved of the choice which I liked...it could have been taken the wrong way by people who didn't know him!
A lovely song we did play earlier in the funeral however was
Your long journey by Robert plant and Alison Krauss (I've actually just listened now and shed a little tear I have to admit)

Other songs I've heard played for friends and family have been -

Unforgettable -Nat king Cole

Goodbye- Josef Locke

Fields of gold -Eva Cassidy

Time to say good bye - Sarah brightman

Good luck with choosing, when you hear it you'll know it's the right one

Gabriel's Oboe... The Mission... '

We had for my nan:
Elvis 'The wonder of you'
The Pogues 'Dirty Old Town'
Dirty Dancing 'Time of my life'

and my dads
Bob Dylan 'Forever Young'
Beatles 'I am the walrus'
Rolling stones 'Wild Horsea'
Beatles 'Blackbird'

I hope you find what you are looking for

's Funeral Music for Queen Mary is beautiful...

Sorry for your loss. I liked a few pieces by Saint Saens Carnival if the animals - some very peaceful pieces in there amongst others

Meant to say for my dads funeral