A REPORT this morning on BBC Radio 4 says that hymns at funerals in England and Wales are fast giving way to far perkier pop songs.
However, Scottish mourners are bucking the trend by choosing traditional hymns.
The report was based on a study by Co-operative Funeralcare. Its survey of 242 funeral homes and 30,000 services showed 58 percent of people in England and Wales chose pop music.
The Co-op found that since its last study four years ago, the number of people in England and Wales choosing hymns to be played at funerals dropped by 6 percent, from 41 percent to 35 percent, while the number opting for pop music rose from 55 percent to 58 percent.
In Scotland the number of funerals accompanied by hymns rose from 54 percent to 56 percent and those with pop music fell from 37 percent to 36 percent
The funeral top 10 was headed by Frank Sinatra and included My Heart Will Go On, by Celine Dion, I Will Always Love You, by Whitney Houston and You’ll Never Walk Alone, by Gerry and the Pacemakers.
Alexandra Burke’s chart-topping cover version of Hallelujah appears at number 26, two months after it first aired on television.
More than a quarter of funeral homes surveyed received unusual requests during the year, including television themes from Emmerdale, Top Gear and Only Fools and Horses; Doctor and the Medics’ Spirit in the Sky, AC/DC’s Highway to Hell and So Long, Farewell, from The Sound of Music.
The study also revealed about one in every ten requests for pieces of music were rejected because clergy conducting the funeral felt the choice was inappropriate.
Frank Sinatra’s My Way was most played song at funerals last year and The Lord Is My Shepherd the top hymn.
The Co-operative Funeralcare’s Lorinda Sheasby said the study reaffirmed that trends in funerals were changing.
Today’s tear-jerking chart topper is extremely unlikely to be tomorrow’s funeral classic, but it’s quite possible it will figure highly in the months or even years to come. As more people choose non-religious funerals, so they incline towards contemporary songs with which they closely identify.
Our aim is to make more people aware of the options and choices open to them, so that ultimately the funeral service reflects the life of the individual, which is of great benefit to the bereaved.
The trend has also been observed in Australia. At Centennial Park, the largest cemetery and crematorium in the southern city of Adelaide, only two hymns still rank among its top ten most popular funeral songs: Amazing Grace and Abide With Me.
Among other less conventional choices were Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by the Monty Python comedy team, Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, Hit the Road Jack, Another One Bites the Dust and I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.
The choice of Always Look On the Bright Side of Life may very well be inspired by its performance at a memorial service for Monty Python’s Graham Chapman, where a very irreverent John Cleese uses the word “fuck” and calls Chapman a “ freeloading bastard”.
Enjoy!
According to this report, the Church of Scotland slammed mourners for choosing pop songs for funerals.
They said it was part of an “unhealthy” denial of death, and that hymns should be chosen as they are more comforting.
Reverend Ron Ferguson said:
This is not healthy. Such songs might seem a good idea down at the pub, but may not feel so appropriate at the actual ceremony.
Something more traditional, with poetic words which speak of a transcendent love which knows no boundaries to help to bear the true weight of the occasion and bring solace to the grieving congregation.
Me? I intend to go out to the tune of Tom Lehrer’s Vatican Rag. It would be rude not to have one final pop.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
April 16th, 2009 at 8:56 am
Playing Westlife songs at funerals really shows a distinct lack of taste. How about Motorhead’s ‘Killed by Death’ or ‘Dancing(on the grave)with tears in my eyes’ by Ultravox.
April 16th, 2009 at 10:02 am
I don’t think you can really call John Cleese irreverent. After all, as he says, it’s exactly what Graham Chapman would have wanted him to do.
Maybe I should go with that Tim Minchin one that starts with the number ten?
April 16th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Peter Hammill’s A Way Out would be my choice.
Or You’ll Never Walk Alone being a liverpool fan.
Of course, as a thrash metal guitarist too, I would also plump for Nuclear Assaults sensitive ballad “Hang the Pope”
April 16th, 2009 at 11:13 am
The “theme from Top Gear” mentioned is actually an Allman Brothers piece called “Jessica”, and it’s actually a beautiful piece of music in its own right. The show now uses a short, heavy remake as its theme, but I can’t see anyone wanting that new version at their funerals. The original would not be out of place IMHO.
April 16th, 2009 at 11:13 am
The obvious choices would be ‘Going underground’ by the Jam or ‘Light my fire’ by the Doors depending on how you’re going out. Personally I want ‘Nothin’ by the Reel big fish which has a lovely chorus which goes “I don’t fuckin care, I don’t fuckin care, I don’t fuckin care anymore” ( and I never did!)
April 16th, 2009 at 11:53 am
I wonder what the 10% rejected by the preachers were? And anyway, wouldn’t the better option be to play the music and reject the preacher?
April 16th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
My Uncle Jack had Sandie Shaw (I think it was her) singing ‘I’m just a Jack in a Box’ at his funeral!! That was quite some time ago and it caused quite a stir amongst some parts of the family.
April 16th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
“the Church of Scotland slammed mourners for choosing pop songs for funerals.
They said it was part of an “unhealthy” denial of death,”
No, we’re not burying him. He’s not dead. He just smells a bit.
As a Scot myself, I can officially inform you all that the reason for the lack of ‘pop’ songs at Scottish funerals is due to the fact that they’re all shit! We just have better taste, that’s all!
There’s definitely been some good suggestions put forward here though.
Brian Jordan,
Agreed! What exactly does it have to do with the preacher anyway? He/she has no right to deny the wishes of the deceased or their family.
Kev,
Brilliant!!
April 16th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Just been speaking to a friend on the phone and she tells me that her Gran went into the crematorium to the strains of Baby it’s Cold Outside. Followed by Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. She was about 95 years old and full of mischief to the end…good on her I say.
April 16th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Call me a killjoy, but I’d rather not have a “sending off” at all. After all, I won’t be going anywhere that I’ll be remotely aware of myself. And none of my friends and relatives really share much of my taste in music anyway.
Play whatever you want, but don’t expect me to sing along. ‘Cos I’ll be dead
April 16th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Kev, Jack in the box was actually by Clodagh Rodgers and yes I know I’m sad for actually knowing that.
How rich is it for the CofS to accuse others of “An unhealthy denial of death”? We are not the ones pretending that we are going to pie in the sky land, we understand that death is final and don’t try to pretend otherwise.
Songs? Old and wise by tha Alan Parsons Project, apt if a little cheesy. The Sage from Emerson Lake & Palmer’s Pictures at an Exhibition:
“I carry the dust of a journey that cannot be shaken away,
It lives deep within me ’cause I breathed it every day,
You and I are yesterday’s answers, the earth of the past come to flesh,
Eroded by time’s rivers to the shapes we now possess.
The lines are interspersed with Greg Lakes wonderful accoustic guitar playing.
April 16th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
I’d have;
‘Song of Captivity and Freedom’ from the Doctor Who soundtrack (listen to it, if you don’t get goosebumps then you are dead inside)
‘This Woman’s Work’ by Kate Bush (I want people to start crying! I’m dead for Christ’s sakes!)
‘Our Farewell’ by Within Temptation (melodic metal fan, plus it’d be the perfect song to tell my daughter and husband how much I loved them)
‘Sioni Bod Da’ from the animated adaptation of Soul Music (by Terry Pratchett, geek to the bitter end)
‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ sung by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (written by a committed atheist! Plus this was played on one of my favourite episodes of Scrubs)
‘Sail the Sky’ by the Bedlam Bards (I ain’t leavin’ without making sure people knew I was a Browncoat!)
And as I’m being put into the ground or cremated I want ‘Song of Freedom’ from the Doctor Who soundtrack, which is probably one of the best bits of music I’ve ever heard on a sci-fi soundtrack.
Although, since I’ll be dead, they can pretty much play whatever they like! They can play the theme to ‘Countdown’ for all I’d notice.
April 16th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Rozi,
That’s gonna be a long one!!
April 19th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Well, dammit, I want to make people very VERY sorry I died.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Well, Rozi, with a sevice that long, you’re sure to have that effect!