Dies Irae vs On Angel's Wings - POLL

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Phemie said:
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.
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Yes. “The Garden” and “Softly and Tenderly” are requested a lot in the South, due to people being converts, OR due to the fact that most of their family did NOT convert.
The Garden is schmaltzy, but their idea of a funeral hymn, as the funerals in the south in other churches “tend” (not ALL, don’t jump on me) to be more about death and desolation than resurrection and mercy.
Softly and Tenderly is a sweet hymn, harmless. How Great though Art is never sung well because people in the U.S. think that if you sing LOUD, you sing well. Chalk that up to StarSearch, the Voice, and other “talent” programming. Any trained musician will tell you that a gifted singer can sing with control, and that is much more difficult.
 
The Das Irae is now rarely heard at funeral masses in the UK (though it is sung on All Souls Day) but I must admit to never having heard any of the more modern hymns mentioned thus far on this thread. At a Catholic funeral in the UK you will most lileky hear:

Sebastian Temple’s Make Me a Channel of your Peace :youtube.com/watch?v=2svZhZT6Pro

Rock of Ages youtube.com/watch?v=X_Xa1ZA7bV8

Abide with me (my favourite) youtube.com/watch?v=cxqylxfYyQM

I watch the sunrise youtube.com/watch?v=vm-A5NlkI8U

Christ enthroned in highest heaven oremus.org/hymnal/c/c044.html

Maybe Jerusalem the Golden or the Lord is my Shepherd
 
I can understand that musicians and others who are involved in funerals on a regular basis can tire of oft repeated hymns but I wouldn’t think that most family members and friends present have attended that many funerals, let alone remember the frequency of the music.
 
felsguy said:
I can understand that musicians and others who are involved in funerals on a regular basis can tire of oft repeated hymns but I wouldn’t think that most family members and friends present have attended that many funerals, let alone remember the frequency of the music.
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When my mother died, we chose the hymns for her funeral.

Six months later, when my father died, we decided to use the exact same hymns and readings.

No one realized. 🤷
 
felsguy said:
I wouldn’t think that most family members and friends present have attended that many funerals, let alone remember the frequency of the music.
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maryjk said:
When my mother died, we chose the hymns for her funeral.

Six months later, when my father died, we decided to use the exact same hymns and readings.

No one realized. 🤷
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Back in the day when I was a Baptist pastor, I recall discussions amongst us about the difference between weddings and funerals. We all agreed that we would rather do a funeral any day as opposed to a wedding. At the wedding, the parties are insistent on perfection in all things for their special day. At a funeral, all that is wanted is comfort. If comfort is offered, little else matters. I understand the Mass is always a public liturgy, but the very context of a funeral Mass cause us to focus more on the people in pain and less on propriety. The instructions and rules are broad enough to allow a broad range of licit music. Funerals are never the proper time for criticism of licit choices.
 
By the way, the two songs I want:

The King of Love
When the Saints Go Marching In!
 
Elizium23 said:
… 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.
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👍
 
Elizium23 said:
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.
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We have two binders, one with readings and General Intercessions and the other with the music that our choir can provide, which is updated when the choir learns something new. Often the celebrant/homilist likes to pick his own Gospel and even when given the choice it’s not unusual for the family to say “Let Father pick which Gospel he wants to read.”
 
pnewton said:
Back in the day when I was a Baptist pastor, I recall discussions amongst us about the difference between weddings and funerals. We all agreed that we would rather do a funeral any day as opposed to a wedding. At the wedding, the parties are insistent on perfection in all things for their special day. At a funeral, all that is wanted is comfort. If comfort is offered, little else matters. I understand the Mass is always a public liturgy, but the very context of a funeral Mass cause us to focus more on the people in pain and less on propriety. The instructions and rules are broad enough to allow a broad range of licit music. Funerals are never the proper time for criticism of licit choices.
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I agree with this.

I think that we need to recognize that many Protestants, especially Evangelical Protestants, have and are converting to Catholicism…but their FAMILIES have NOT converted! It’s often really difficult for these Evangelical Protestants to attend a M–M–Mass and feel like they’re observing a pagan ritual.

Yes, of course the convert’s funeral Mass should follow the rubrics and be liturgically-correct.

But as pnewton points out, the rules for funeral Masses are broad enough to allow a range of licit music. I think it’s really important that a funeral Mass not only honor God, but also minister to and comfort the convert’s non-Catholic family.

This is never the time to “evangelize” them with “extreme Catholicism,” Latin, chant, etc. Believe me, they will already be overwhelmed by even the most contemporary Mass! It is utterly foreign and strange to Evangelical Protestants! (Mainline Protestants will be fine with a Mass, as their worship services are still liturgical in nature.)

However, a compassionate funeral Mass that includes familiar and beloved Protestant hymns like the beautiful “In the Garden” will actually be a form of evangelization and help the Protestant family members to lose their trepidation over Catholicism. They might even get interested, and actually come back to the church for a non-funeral Mass! 🙂
 
The parish secretary at my previous parish wanted the Tennessee Waltz for a recessional for her husband. It was “their” song. The Pastor loved her like his own mother but said “no.” Absolutely not.
 
ProVobis said:
I thought Psalm 23 and King of Love were the same thing. :confused:

youtube.com/watch?v=ioU4rg3Up6I

Or was there another version of Psalm 23?
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I do not want the 23rd psalm as the Psalm they use. SONGS with Psalm-words is a different matter entirely. That’s what I mean. The King of Love IS another version, if you will.
I like the King of Love as a hymn, and if they want to use for it him/her that’s cool.

I won’t do either for mine. If I can help it. 😉
 
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