Music befitting to funerals

Visual arts, music, poetry and other forms of art.
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Heith
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Music befitting to funerals

Post by Heith »

Whilst planning my funeral -a favourite hobby, somewhat- I notice that I frequently change my mind about the music. One's funeral is highly intimate affair. I think it may well be the most important day of my life, for then we will only slowly begin to fathom what comes of one's work and life, if anything.

What kind of music would you like to be played at your funeral? Or what music brings a funeral to your mind?

I will open the thread with Purcell's When I am Laid in Earth. Lately I've been listening to quite a lot of English composers, and thus Purcell comes quite naturally.

When I am laid, am laid in earth, May my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in thy breast;
Remember me, remember me, but ah! forget my fate.
Remember me, but ah! forget my fate.
obnoxion
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Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 7:59 pm

Re: Music befitting to funerals

Post by obnoxion »

Nowdays I am not very fond of thinking about my funerals, because all I see is my children in sorrow. So I like to think my death in other ways. For example, I can take comfort in the fact that I will never have to attend my own funeral. And I adimre all serious attempt to imagine the unimaginable, so I am very interested in all detailed visions of life after death. So I guess that's my favourite hobby.

After I'm dead, anything goes, really. What ever helps my loved ones, I'd say go for it. But I suppose something bittersweet with a bit of fun and cheer would do for me, like "Death of a Clown" by The Kinks.
One day of Brahma has 14 Indras; his life has 54 000 Indras. One day of Vishnu is the lifetime of Brahma. The lifetime of Vishnu is one day of Shiva.
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Mimesis
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Re: Music befitting to funerals

Post by Mimesis »

I have for a long time thought that I would like something of my own music played at my funeral - there is one piece in particular which by its very nature of expression and content would fit this very appropriately.

However, I now find myself quite strongly opposed to this, as it could so easily become an act of arrogance, and in doing so could very much tie the ego to my death, which I would never want. This in fact would be the anti-thesis of what I would wish/hope for, which is essentially the final and complete dissolution of the ego.

Ultimately, something that bought joy to those whom I love would be perfect, regardless of whether it befitted my tastes and appreciations in life.

Perhaps music, and art in general is a way to express the spirit as conduit in life. When we find death, or rather death finds us, music should perhaps remain the great gift of the living that it truly is. I think I would therefore leave it in the capable and trusted hands of those whom I love to decide, so that it primarily meant something of joy and depth to them.
"We are such stuff. As dreams are made on, and our little life. Is rounded with a sleep."
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Nefastos
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Re: Music befitting to funerals

Post by Nefastos »

obnoxion wrote:I can take comfort in the fact that I will never have to attend my own funeral.


Pekka Ervast mentioned in several occasions his "talks" (for the lack of a better term for the subtler forms of contact) with people who visited their own funeral, being on the other hand quite ponderous, on the other hand feeling sad for their weeping relatives.

I think I will have quite a lot to do after my death, either exploding to bliss if everything goes in optimal way, or being submerged to some obscure personal (non-)reality if I fail to fight with this constant urge to depart before my time, so I don't know how large a mass of spiritual molecules of this mind will have a possibility to attend the funeral. Death is disintegration, after all, and none of us walk through it and remain absolutely same.

The last week I had a great possibility to attend to the Festive Orchestra of London's concert where they played not one but two of my all time favourites. First, Bach's D minor violin concerto with its tremendous allegro assai (searching after this in YouTube brought this nice result, someone else also seeing the Luciferian mania in this masterpiece: the fury of the never-attainable burst of all-consuming energy I crave for in every second). Also the clicheic but beautiful Pachelbel's Canon which the relatives can play instead if they'd rather think about how very calm and tender a person I was. :ugeek: But in case they're not afraid of pomposity, I actually chose for my funeral song the Dorian toccata (also Bach's) some twenty years ago. In it I always hear the same terrible craving which has burnt me & made me & defined me all my life...
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
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