Hymns for Funeral Mass?

  • Thread starter Thread starter TOP
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
My Grandmother Died on December 8th and her funeral was acople days after. I thought people might find this useful with funerals in advent. She Loved this One Song (name removed by moderator)articular and i sing opera (tenor voice) and play organ as well. it is called Welcome to Our World and Behold A Vigin Bearing Him. its weird to have 2 songs advent/christmas played but they were her favorite and i thought it would suite for the season. i did not want to do Welcome to our World because it wasent christmas yet but i was given special permission to use it.

Entrance: All I Ask Of You
Responsorial Psalm: My Soul is Longing
Offertory: On Eagles Wings
**Communion: Behold A Virgin Bearing Him
Communion Meditation:Welcome to Our World ** Not Recommend if not in advent season for church.
Incensing of Coffin: Go Silent Friend
Recessional: Here I Am, Lord
 
Some Mass Settings that are popular for funerals are

Peoples Mass:Lent
Mass of Angels and Saints: this only at advent and if there is a choir
Mass of Creation: Ordinary Time
St. Louis Mass:Easter
Celtiic Mass: Advent/Christmas/Feast Days

Gospel Acclamations
Alleluia O Sons and Daughters
Celtic Alleluia
Peopls Mass Alleluia
Plain Chant Mode 1 Alleluia

Lent:
Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ
I am also a fan of David Haas- **Come Now O Word of God also makes a nice one **
 
Secret_Square said:
I can’t believe nobody mentioned “I Am The Bread of Life.” It’s the Number 1 song on the Catholic funeral hit parade in my experience 😉
Click to expand...
It must depend on the area. I’ve been cantoring funerals consistently for a few years now either in the parishes where I work or when I freelance, and I can count maybe about 5 times I’ve been asked to sing “I Am the Bread of Life”. I entered this in my post on the first page, but this is usually chosen in my area.
  • On Eagles Wings (no. 1 pick)
  • Amazing Grace (no. 2 pick)
  • Here I Am Lord (no. 3 pick)
  • Ave Maria (half and half - they request this even if there are no other requests)
I just did a funeral yesterday morning and their choices were Be Not Afraid (also “popular” for funerals in this area), Prayer of St. Francis, Here I Am, Lord and On Eagles Wings. I don’t usually have contact with the families of the deceased. When I get a call to do a funeral from the parish secretary or the music director, the choices are usually already made.

When my husband’s uncle, grandmother and grandfather passed away (at different times and from different sides of the family - one side is Irish/English descent the other side is Polish - by the choices, you can probably tell which side chose which) the following pieces were requested by he and his family.
  • “Pie Jesu” by Maurice Durufle from his “Requiem” mass (We did this for all the funerals)
  • Lord of All Hopefulness
  • I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
  • Abide with Me
  • Mother at Your Feet is Kneeling
  • Serdeczna Matko
  • Ave Maria - Schubert
Then we did a Gelineau setting of Psalm 23 and then the specific parts of the mass using the New Plainsong Mass by Hurd.
 
benedictgal said:
But, more important than the offertory, you should also have the parts of the Mass sung, those that belong to the first order. Along with the Gospel Acclamation, you should also have the Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and the Great Amen sung. That was one of the glaring mistakes in Senator Kennedy’s funeral. The parts of the Mass should be sung first and foremost. I would ask the organist just which parts of the Mass he knows. Personally, I would rather go with A Community Mass setting by Proulx over Mass of Creaton any day.

The organist at my late grandmother’s parish wnated to use most of your repertoire. With all due respect, I told her that I did not want any of that used for my grandmother’s funeral. Somehow the OCP stuff, as I see it, fails to do justice to the liturgy.

I know that I said this earlier, but, this is what I would use when planning funerals, including that of my late mother, my late paternal grandmother and my former pastor:

Attende Domine (Lent, Ordinary Time and maybe Advent)
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say (Ordinary Time and Easter)
We Have Been Told
Salve Regina (chanted–used a lot for priests’ funerals)
In Paradisium
Shepherd of Souls
Lord, Bid Your Servant Go In Peace
I Know that My Redeemer Lives (Easter)
Panis Angelicus (a lot of people request that)
Ave Verum (again, a lot of people request that)
Ave Maria (different versions)
Jerusalem, My Happy Home
I Come with Joy to Meet My Lord
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Alleluia, Sing to Jesus (Easter)
The Strife is O’er (Easter)
Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today (Easter)
O Sun of Justice (Lent)

What we also should remember is that at the funeral Mass, we are praying for the repose of the soul of the deceased and imploring God’s mercy on him (of course, in the case of infants and small children, it’s an entirely different matter). It’s not a canonization (which is why, as I see it, “For all the Saints” would not be a good option here) nor is it some sort of celebration of the deceased’s life. That is why violet and black remain valid options for vestments for funeral Masses.

You also need to bear in mind that some of the songs may not necessarily be suitable for different liturgical seasons. Nothing with “Alleluia” should be used during Lent, especially the Gospel Acclamation I like the Kyrie setting that D. Hurd uses for his Lenten Gospel, Acclamation. It is beautiful and certanly fits a funeral Mass when this is celebrated during Lent.
Click to expand...
Ah, BG, will YOU come to New Jersey and play for my funeral? Pretty please?
 
mercygate said:
"I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say, “Come Unto Me and Rest.”

“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.”

"Dies Irae" (but they probably won’t allow it).
Click to expand...
Lol, for some reason I find “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” ironic for a funeral.
 
When my son died as the victim of a drunk driver I was in too much shock to remember what hymn was played. But when my father died 2 years later. He initially had a heart attack which he survived but suffered severe brain damage and never awoke from his coma. They played I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say. It was like my dad was saying those words and leaving a message for us. I fell to my knees and cried loudly like I never cried before. Maybe that was the same song for my son too. So many Catholic songs are truly beautiful. I wish the whole world could hear them. Just to end with a little humor, my 5 year old niece and I would tease each other some times “You’re a silly man” “You’re a silly girl” “silly man” “silly girl” Then a momentary pause, she raises her eyes in thought look toward me and says “CRYING MAN!” I knew what she was referring to, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
 
for mine, I would want

ave maria sung in latin with the organ and with violin.
communion: Panis angelicus, organ by ceasar frank.

not sure about the rest.
maryj said:
the hymnal we use at my church has a listing in the back index, the songs are listed in groups, ie. advent, Christmas, church, wedding, funeral etc. The people at your churchs office can also help you pick the music, they will have a list. When I planned my mothers funeral last summer, I had all the music picked out before our priest came to visit at the house. We talked about the readings and the music then. You’ll need
Opening Hymn
A Psalm for the response after the first reading
song for when the gifts are brought up
Communion song
recessional
We also had my niece play a song on her violin after communion

Hope that helps. Music is suppose to be in accordance with the Holy Mass. I’m not sure if secular music is allowed during Mass but maybe after Communion, but you’d have to consult the priest or the liturgical coordinator at your parish.
Hope that helps
Click to expand...
 
This song here my family chose among others to sing at a morning Requium Mass
on Christmas Eve 2007 for my beloved Father which is technically still in the penitential Season of Advent until Christmas Eve at 6:00 pm

It’s a Beautiful Song traditionally sung during Lent
entitled “O Lord We Believe”

wlp.jspaluch.com/11038.htm
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top