If anyone has advice for me, it would be wonderful. My grandmother just died yesterday and we're going north for the funeral in two days. I've been asked to sing at the service and I'm having trouble finding an appropriate song (and Amazing Grace is not an option).
Any suggestions?
Are all religious songs not an option? or just Amazing Grace?
Because I would suggest Ave Maria (in Latin). The version by Bach is (I believe) the one that sticks out in my mind.
The thing about the Ave Maria in Latin is that it's not about the words as much as it is about the beauty of the voice, and the sad, yet reverent tone of the melody.
It would give the mourners time to just be with their own thoughts for a short while, and not have to listen to what someone is saying, or have to follow along with the ritual of the ceremony.
Thank you all very much. I think that I'm going to have to learn some of these songs for the future, as the lyrics all seem lovely. I also got a couple of emails with some beautiful songs, too, and I'm very thankful for that.
The song I ended up finding that had the right feeling (which was more focused on others than on the singer -- I really didn't want to get caught up in my own ego with the song, and so many have that flaw) was one that my mom's cousins (and, I suppose, my cousins too) had recorded called Deep Peace. For the interested, the lyrics are:
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to youDeep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace of Christ the light of the world to you
Deep peace of Christ the light of the world to youDeep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
You won't find their interpretation of it on any file-sharing program, but it's possible that you'll find other melodies associated with the words as apparently they are traditional. If anyone wants the version I'm going to sing, drop me an email and I'll send it to you.
When my mom died 2 years ago, Show Must Go On by Queen put everything in perspective for me. She had severe diabetes for years and my conscience mind was ready for it, but that song put everything into perspective for me and my feelings. The show must go on, it's a part of life and those who passed would want us to just keep going.
Damn. I miss one day and things go bad around here. I'm really sorry for you. I can't really suggest any music, since most of my sad songs are heavy metal based, or have been suggested. And I understand the detachment. When my grandmother died, I didn't feel it right away. It hit me during the service. Thankfully, I didn't have to sing or say anything.
So, hugs from an 80 ton machine, for whatever good that can do.
If someone played Mariah Carey with Boyz II Men at my funeral i'd resurrect myself and kill whoever played it. Usually no songs are played where i'm from for funerals so I don't have any to list all I know my daughter got some girls aloud tickets and now im stuck going with her
Joined: 2006-05-20