It’s peculiar, I know, but I’m fascinated with funeral music. I’ve been collecting selections for my own funeral for decades, beginning with my all time favorite: For All the Saints, by Vaughn Williams. After Ronald Reagan’s service I watched We Were Soldiers simply to hear the striking, majestic music in the recessional. I was saddened, indeed, when the paper came Tuesday and I realized that we had missed President Ford’s service.
We watched excerpts of the Washington Cathedral service Tuesday, pointing to people we recognized and remembering the political world of our high school days. I appreciated Tom Brokaw’s eulogy, how he mused on football as a metaphor for life. My heart lurched when Susan Ford Bales read from the book of James, her voice on the edge of control. But on the whole, we missed all the good music.
I started sniffing around the internet and found the program for the service. I love organ music and would like to collect more this year. I’m printing out the prelude and hunting down these pieces on Amazon to listen to parts. Marcel Dupré is a new composer to me, but I surely like what I’ve heard thus far.
Minnesota Public Radio has limited coverage of the funeral. If you are in for an exquisite, absolutely fabulous musical experience do this: Download the state funeral (takes less than a minute) and move the clip position to 42:45 so you can hear The King of Love My Shepherd Is.
The best way to listen to this is to open a new tab and follow along with the words on the program. The organ accompanies the singers the first two verses and then drops out as they sing Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed. The minimal, etherial harmonies on the next verse match the words In death’s dark vale perfectly.
The organ re-enters with the last verse in a triumphal reharmonization. Goosebumps! Major goosebumps!
It doesn’t get any better, musically speaking, this side of paradise.
A Living Pencil 
We listened on NPR and sang along to “For All the Saints” Whenever we go to a funeral (usually a very evangelical memorial service, sans casket, etc.) we end up discussing funeral services for weeks. Mike would like a small choir of former Latin students to chant a funeral mass upon his death. It’s a nice idea and all, but they’d have to PRACTICE. I guess if he got a terminal illness and we knew he was going to die, it might work out… We’re peculiar, too.
I dont think it’s peculiar to think about what one would like for his/her funeral (music). I missed the service, too, but will capitalize on your research and review the links.
You would have appreciated Giles’s wedding service, as the organ/organist at the church was spectacular. That was one of the deciding factors for selecting that church.
Not completely sure, but am thinking I would like the spiritual *Swing Low, Sweet Chariot* sung at my service 🙂
Kristen, I was so happy to see that they sang ALL the verses of “For All the Saints”. I appreciate Mike’s dilemma. For decades we never sang “For All the Saints” in our churches. How does one request the congregation to sing a song which no one knows?Dana, I wish I could’ve been there! I love live organ music. I love the architecture I saw in the pictures.
We watched the service on FoxNews and were glad we did! The whole service was refreshing, uplifting and a great funeral service commending a believer to his Maker. (The last service I saw from the National Cathedral, the 911 service, was syncretistic to the hilt, save for Billy Graham’s address to the Christians in the crowd. ) The scripture was read and hope in Jesus as Savior, that Pres.Ford evidentially had, was proclaimed. A good service.
We enjoyed all the music, but the recessional seemed discordant and depressing after all the wonderful expressions of Christian hope and joy in heaven.
We also were in awe watching the Armed Forces Honor Guards and pall bearers. I just listened to a Logos cd about Worldview, maybe you have heard it…the speaker talked about not just brandishing the ‘correct’ answers on a Christian Worldview test, but incorporating into our lifestyle those graces of honor, tradition and symbolism that modern society so wants to rid us of. Here were these Service men, bearing a fallen chief through stormy gusts, to the various places of honor and Christian service. Their bodies, I’m sure they would have laid down in battle, served by carrying. It was their lot, or great priviledge, to bear Pres. Ford and show him honor in straightness of form, gracefulness of carriage and sureness of step.
BTW, in all of the telecasts last week, we learned that soon after taking office, the presidential funerals are planned, just in case, I guess…If there is more time, iof course plans are modified, but the basics are in place shoud the need arise.
I, too, love ‘For All the Saints’, but as with many special hymns, I tear up too easily…
Thanks for your enthusiastic comments on my blog, Carol! Apparently we share taste in music as well as taste in books. I actually studied pipe organ in college (minored in music) and attended a good many concerts at Holy Name Cathedral and Fourth Presbyterian in Chicago–there’s nothing in the world like a well-played Bach toccata & fugue!
In High School and college, I was the organist at a church that had a huge (electrified) pipe organ, over one hundred years old. Providing funeral music became my part time job. I think I took that privilege for granted at the time; but realize now that it was a special opportunity. Nowadays, I notice many funeral homes just pop in a CD. It makes for flawless music, but still it just isn’t as personal.Poeima