URGENT Funeral music and poem ideas?

[sammysam]

My Grandma passed away on the 18th and her funeral is on monday. There will be only 8-10 people at the funeral and no one is religeous and we can't sing so my dad asked me for some ideas for insperational songs/music/poems and my mind has gone completely blank. I need to let him know asap so we can sort it out in time.

Why has my brain gone so blank-i know there are many out there-please can I have some suggestions x

what kind of person was she?
what did she enjoy?
what kind of music did she like? when was her "heyday"?

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die

Death is nothing at all...
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way you always used.
Put no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effort,
without the ghost of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was;
there is absolutely unbroken continuity....

Why should I be out of your mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you for an interval,
Somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well

Sorry for your loss. I have always loved both of those poems

A recording of Amazing Grace or Abide with Me?

A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil?this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

if you do a search on here for "funeral" you will find lots of threads, if you need it urgently.

Was there anything that she particularly liked or that reminds the family of her?

The Humanist Society has a booklet you can order and it has suggestions for readings etc (sorry if it's a bit late for you)

She would have been 77 in september.
It sounds really awful and makes me feel so bad but I really am not sure. The only music they ever listened to was clasical but I think that was more my grandad.

She was a lovely warm person who loved entertaining but was quite overpowered by my grandad (he had a big personality) and had no interests that I know of or saw any evidence of-she didn't read, sew, knit etc. She loved watching tv and thats about it-that sounds so awful but is the honest truth.

Thats why i'm so so stuck.

for my nans and gt nans funeral we had daniel o donnell- rugged cross played, my mom wants him played at her funeral too but hes my forever friend.
has she got a song she liked perhaps a song that is special to her (song her and her dh danced to at there wedding for example)

i like this one

I am standing on the sea shore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts
for the blue ocean She is an object
of beauty and I stand
and watch her until at last she
fades on the horizon.

Then someone at my side says
"There she has gone" -
gone where?
Gone from my sight - that is all.
She is just as large in the mast,
hull and spars as she was
when she left my side. The
diminished size and total loss
of sight is in me and not in her,
and just at that moment when
someone by my side says
"She's gone" others on a distant
shore take up
the glad shout -
"There she comes!"

Bishop Brent
Bishop of the Philippines
1862 - 1929

What sort of music would your dad like then? There are pop songs that would fit, classical and hymns

Thank you everyone. It's stupid really but aprons (the kind you tie around your middle) really remind me of her-I suppose from being little when she would always cook for us-they're setting me off when I see them.

I think that's exactly what the generic funeral hymns are for. I'm not in the least religious but in these circs I would choose one of these. Or the Lord Is My Shepherd.

I've always wanted Lord of the Dance for my funeral

My dad has decided on one by Yusuf Islam / Cat Stevens and he has just found a poem in a book (not sure which one yet)

Life Must Go On

Grieve for me, for I would grieve for you.
Then brush away the sorrow and the tears
Life is not over, but begins anew,
with courage you must greet the coming years.
To live forever in the past is wrong;
can only cause you misery and pain.
Dwell not on memories overlong,
with others you must share and care again.
Reach out and comfort those who comfort you;
recall the years, but only for a while.
Nurse not your loneliness; but live again.
Forget not. Remember with a smile.

I like the Song for Athene by John Taverner (used at Diana's funeral, but don't let that put you off)

if they liked listening to classical music together this is beatiful-and a nice piece for a funeral i think. you have to listen to the whole thing..

here

Thank you so much everyone for your kind help.

Talking to my mum last night she said that my grandma really loved the ballet when she was younger but I can't think of anu=y suitable music-does anyone have some suggestions please?

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day.
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Christina Rossetti

how about the dying swan?

Saint Saens the Swan from Carnival of the Animals

try clicking on the Swan on the listen now bit on here...

It's lovely and sad and balletic

www.amazon.co.uk/Saint-Sa%C3%ABns-Carnival-Animals-Symphony-No/dp/B000MCIB5W/ref= sr11/203-0646914-1444716?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1185437326&sr=8-1

oops here

oh that's a better idea Janitor - a Youtube clip - hadn't thought of that.

Sammysam have a look at this (sorry about the geeks but the music is lovely and it's quite short so good for a funeral)

the swan

poem ; stop all the clocks by auden xxxx