Dear Doctor, I often find myself wondering what I’d like played at my funeral. Any suggestions?
The end is inevitable for all of us, so it’s sensible to make at least some preparations for your final bow. The question is, do you go out with a bang or a whimper? A tear or a giggle?
Most of us, it seems, prefer the latter: Monty Python’s Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life is top of the unofficial “pop your clogs” charts. But here are a few alternative options to suit any mood.
If you’re looking for something religious, then the popular hymn Gwahoddiad (Invitation) is a comforting favourite for anyone, like me, who has a Welsh heritage. The Parting Glass, on the other hand, is a traditional Scottish and Irish song that’s a decent option for ale lovers (“So fill to me the parting glass/Good night and joy be with you all”).
For a more classic farewell moment, however, try Mozart’s Lacrimosa from his Requiem, Dido’s Lament and Thou Knowest, Lord, both by Purcell, or Fauré’s Requiem In Paradisum. Or, if sweet understatement is more your kind of thing, try Jeff Buckley’s A Satisfied Mind; and, failing that, the more uptempo version by gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.
Moving on to more light-hearted options, you could do a lot worse than shuffle off to Willie Nelson’s Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die, Guns N’ Roses Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door or David Bowie’s Space Oddity (“I’m stepping through the door/And I’m floating in a most peculiar way/And the stars look very different today”).
Here’s hoping you won’t be needing any of these any time soon, though.
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