Dies Irae vs On Angel's Wings - POLL

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Slightly off-topic but I want Pie’ Jesu by Andrew Lloyd Weber sung at my funeral. It probably won’t happen.

I actually like “On Eagle’s Wings” when it is done by someone who can play and sing it properly. At my old parish the music director was one such a fellow and had a beautiful voice. He made it sound absolutely lovely.

In actuality, my family will choose whatever music brings them comfort, and that is the way it should be, IMO.
 
cspb56 said:
Heavens yes, Amazing Grace is another one over used. There are a few things we have to remember. First we can’t dictate a persons personal preferences in music. What one person dislikes another likes thats just life. Second, I don’t know how many people in this thread are musicians but when you’re dealing with a family who is planning a funeral for a loved one, one has to do so carefully. Again, as I said ,you offer suggestions that might move the family to choose something else but not the time to push an agenda. I have been playing funerals for 37 years and not once has anyone wanted Dies Irae but if they take me up on that suggestion I would be more than happy to accommodate.
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Ah, but that’s just it isn’t it? The Mass is not a private affair. It’s not about personal preferences at all (and yes, that includes nuptial and requiem Masses.) The Mass is a public liturgy and should not be “customized” to suit the deceased, the priest, or the family. As Father Z reminds us, “say the black, do the red!” I’d like to see the Dies Irae returned to its proper role in the Requiem Mass, not be relegated to a hymn that some might choose if they happen to like it.
 
PietroPaolo said:
Ah, but that’s just it isn’t it? The Mass is not a private affair. It’s not about personal preferences at all (and yes, that includes nuptial and requiem Masses.) The Mass is a public liturgy and should not be “customized” to suit the deceased, the priest, or the family. As Father Z reminds us, “say the black, do the red!” I’d like to see the Dies Irae returned to its proper role in the Requiem Mass, not be relegated to a hymn that some might choose if they happen to like it.
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And yet from time immemorial there have been options in the Mass which have been left to the personal tastes of the bishop, priest, and laity. Surely a priest is competent to select which vestment of the prescribed color to wear from his sacristy closet, and even the laity may donate vestments which they want to be used in the sacred liturgy. Likewise, all liturgical furnishings are selected according to someone’s personal taste. Granted, this should be subordinate to the taste of the community and palatable to all who attend Mass, but the fact of the matter is that where there is no black and no red, there are options.

My pastor has dozens of copies of a small pamphlet which is handed out to grieving families and allows them to customize their funeral liturgy to a great extent. You can choose which prayers, readings, psalms, all kinds of things. The primary purpose of a requiem liturgy is to pray for the dead person’s soul, but a secondary purpose is to comfort and edify family and friends, and to that end, it may be customized.
 
Just a suggestion from a church musician (pianist/organist), and this is based on personal experience.

If you are requesting a piece of music that isn’t commonly done (or perhaps was commonly done decades ago but is no longer commonly done), it would be a great kindness on your part to do some work BEFORE you pass and seek out musicians who are capable of performing the piece well.

It’s difficult enough for loved ones to get through the sad days leading up to the funeral. It’s even harder if, instead of resting, crying, sharing memories, gathering the extended family together, etc., they also have to play “Music Detective” and search the county for musicians.

Don’t assume that any musicians can pick up any piece and sing or play it well. Many funeral musicians have another job, and music is just a way that they serve God. It’s not always possible for them to learn, in a few days, a piece of music that they’ve never heard.

They may charge more if they have to practice more, although I personally think a musician should set their price for funerals and not vary it, even if they’re asked to sing The Star Spangled Banner backwards in Klingon while accompanied by a euphonium.

So help out your family one last time–find musicians in advance who can do your songs of choice at your funeral.

Or just let everyone sing “On Eagles Wings,” and “Amazing Grace” and cry all the way through the songs.
 
And it’s an unmitigated crying shame that in 2014 many more people know how to sing Eagle’s Wings than have even heard of Dies Irae.
 
You can leave instructions with your Music Director yes, or a trusted friend.

I myself have very explicit instructions for my funeral given to trusted musician friends.
 
ProVobis said:
Can I put it in my will to have Dies Irae and In Paradisum sung/played in Latin at my funeral? 🙂

youtube.com/watch?v=Zn8_Ik88kQ4

youtube.com/watch?v=7DgM-aLBBm4
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Sure! Our schola was asked by someone who knew his time was limited, for just that. In fact he asked for a full Requiem Mass with the Dies Irae. It would help though to know if there’s a schola or choir in your area that can handle it. The monks at our abbey often get requests to chant at funerals; they don’t go out of the cloister for that, instead they point people to our schola.
 
Elizium23 said:
And it’s an unmitigated crying shame that in 2014 many more people know how to sing Eagle’s Wings than have even heard of Dies Irae.
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Perhaps more people like the former more than the latter, or more parishes are capable of offering the former rather than the latter.
 
I have to admit that when I read the title my first thought was Bob Dufford’s “Songs of the Angels” which is his take of “In Paradisum”. It is sung during the incensing during the Final Commendation at all funerals in our parish. Sometimes it is simply repeated until the casket is out of the church and sometimes it is followed by a recessional song of the family’s choosing.

To agree with previous posters, I too have come to loathe “Be Not Afraid”. It’s sung at almost every funeral as is “How Great Thou Art” (though it’s never done well). For the most part we’ve been spared “On Eagle’s Wings” since it’s not one to which our choir director has become attached. Since it’s not sung often, it’s not on people’s radars when they are planning a funeral. I think it’s in the music selection binder they are given to pick from but because they’re not that familiar with it they don’t chose it very often.

One of the songs that has been requested more often lately is “I Come to the Garden Alone”. I’d never heard that in a Catholic church until the last few years.
 
Cat said:
Just a suggestion from a church musician (pianist/organist), and this is based on personal experience.

If you are requesting a piece of music that isn’t commonly done (or perhaps was commonly done decades ago but is no longer commonly done), it would be a great kindness on your part to do some work BEFORE you pass and seek out musicians who are capable of performing the piece well…
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I am glad you pointed this out. I choose the option of family preference, but I have to add two caveats.

First, no song should be used *during *Mass that is not liturgically proper. Eagle’s Wings? Yes. Wind Beneath My Wings? No. If the family really wants to hear, maybe based on a dying request, Go Rest High on That Mountain, it should be done before Mass starts, or at a wake, rosary, or some non-liturgical event. Ditto any canned music.

Second, any music must be available. This should go without saying, but one cannot pick Dies Irae if no group or cantor is present to sing it. One cannot pick Eagle’s Wings if one is dealing with a chant group that does not know it.

Beyond that, I cannot think whose preferences should be considered beyond that of the deceased or the family. Some back pew liturgist that views their preferences as more perfectly “Catholic?”
 
pnewton said:
Perhaps more people like the former more than the latter, or more parishes are capable of offering the former rather than the latter.
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While I’m sure that second statement is true, considering the lack of knowledge of Latin I witnessed recently when I heard the pronunciation of “'felix coeli porta” in a recent rendition of ‘Ave Maris Stella’. But I don’t think you can honestly believe it’s a question of liking one more than the other when most people in the pews wouldn’t know “Dies Irae” if it came up and bit them.
 
ProVobis said:
Can I put it in my will to have Dies Irae and In Paradisum sung/played in Latin at my funeral? 🙂

youtube.com/watch?v=Zn8_Ik88kQ4

youtube.com/watch?v=7DgM-aLBBm4
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That won’t work.

Chances are, your will won’t be read until well after you are buried. 🤷

Especially if you have a complicated will.

For example, my father died over night. That morning, at 8:30, we received a call from the funeral home about what we wanted. That afternoon, we met with the priest. If something had been in the will, I wouldn’t have known until days after the funeral, when I found it.

And my father’s will was so simple that we never had it probated. If you have a will that is kept at the lawyer’s. And it will be “opened” to find out what is in it, that won’t happen right away. Certainly not before everything already set.
 
Phemie said:
But I don’t think you can honestly believe it’s a question of liking one more than the other when most people in the pews wouldn’t know “Dies Irae” if it came up and bit them.
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I do not know why that would matter. The preferences of the grieving are what they are. I do not think it a time to undergo musical appreciation lessons just some chant can stand a fair chance of being chosen, like it has personhood and might be offended. I think I might have missed your point.
 
pnewton said:
Perhaps more people like the former more than the latter, or more parishes are capable of offering the former rather than the latter.
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Masses for the Dead (outside of Funeral Masses) were much more common in the 50’s and before. How many priests even have black vestments today? Now it seems only on Nov 2 is there a remote chance of hearing Dies Irae.
 
The majority of Catholic funerals I have attended had “On Eagle’s Wings” as part of the liturgy. I don’t mind the words, but the music, honestly, is not suitable for congregational singing. There are so many other good funeral hymns that can be chosen; however, for many people, this is a “go-to” hymn, and I guess I have to respect that.

My parish always uses Bob Dufford’s version of the “Song of Farewell”, which is pretty, but I prefer the Old Hundredth version.

I guess we should be happy if “On Eagle’s Wings” is chosen, which is scriptural, over “Lord of the Dance”.
 
I would say that funerals are very personal and any hymn or song should be ok as long as it falls within the guidelines of the church.

Many like Ave Marie, and my personal favorite is Jesus Remember Me.

Jesus be praised.
 
My FIL has already requested What Wondrous Love Is This. That works well too.
 
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