music

Music

13 June 2012
Charles
1 Comment
Categories: music

“For the moment, the jazz is playing; there is no melody, just notes, a myriad of tiny tremors. The notes know no rest, an inflexible order gives birth to them then destroys them, without ever leaving them the chance to recuperate and exist for themselves … I would like to hold buy cialis online 1 them back, but I know that, if I succeeded in stopping one, there would only remain in my hand a corrupt and languishing sound. I must accept their death; I must even want that death: I know of few more bitter or intense impressions.”

John-Paul Sartre

Our Glorious Dead

12 June 2012
Charles
3 Comments
Categories: music

Were you intrigued by the illustration on the previous post of the Grammofonus Orchestra? If you were, you might have done some googling. If you were too idle or too busy, we’d like to show you what you would have found.

We can’t find any information about Grammofonus except for a website here and some video clips which hardly anyone has ever bothered watching.

The website reveals the artist to be Stupor Schwärze, about whom we can discover nothing but what he tells us about himself. He’s a musician/performance artist. Anarchic. Arty.

Here at the GFG Funeralcare Tower™ we have fallen in love with Herr Schwärze. We’ve been listening to Our Glorious Dead all morning. One little intern loves Ave Porcus best, another Hitlerwetter. We all love Schlafe Ein. You can listen to the album here.

Sign of the times

12 June 2012
Charles
No comments
Categories: funeral music, music

“A survey last week listed the 50 indicators that you have become a fully fledged adult, which include being able to bleed a radiator, washing up immediately after eating, and carrying spare shopping bags “just in case”.

“I’ve already failed on quite a few – such as owning “best towels” and “filing post” – but in any case I’d like to substitute a handful of my own: buying a slow cooker; enjoying lunch alone in a restaurant rather than fretting that people will think you’re a “Billy-no-mates”; and, when you hear a much-loved song, briefly considering whether you might like it played at your funeral.”

Jenny McCartney here. 

To Know Him Is To Love Him

9 May 2012
Charles
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Categories: funeral music, music

A bit of funerary scholarship from the sagacious Vale

Of borderline relevance only to funeralists, perhaps – but the title of the song was taken by Phil Spector, who produced it, from the inscription on his father’s headstone. It’s unlikely that the same words will adorn Phil’s.

Older readers will enjoy the nostalgia jolt produced by this (perhaps).

Musing on Spector’s dazzling career, one calls to mind the hit he produced for the Righteous Brothers, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. Change lovin’ to livin’ and you see how close the song got to being a firm funeral favourite.

You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips.
And there’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips.
You’re trying hard not to show it, (baby).
But baby, baby I know it…

You’ve lost that livin’ feeling,
Whoa, that livin’ feeling,
You’ve lost that livin’ feeling,
Now it’s gone…gone…gone…wooooooh.

Pyre appeal, Ghana

24 April 2012
Charles
1 Comment
Categories: cremation, funeral pyres, music

In Ghana the famous xylophonist Bernard Woma is appealing for money for a new funeral pyre for the people of his village. Here’s what he says:

Due to centuries held traditional practice, the Dagara people perform funerals in a public setting. This public funeral ritual means that the deceased is displayed in a pyre mounted on woods and covered with a large cloth for public viewing and mourning. Funerals are the most important rites of passage for humanity on earth and the way cultures celebrate funerals serve to satisfy their beliefs in honoring their dead.

Due to the deforestation in the area and no more trees to cut and mount a funeral pyre, people are moving toward better ways to get a funeral pyre. Majority of Dagara communities have began using metal framework designed by the local metal workers at the Nandom Technical School to make permanent funeral pyres in which communities in one area can come together to purchase one for use when there there is a funeral in their villages. The cost is not cheap especially for these poor communities, but it is a good lasting investment and it helps to save the already poor environment in terms of cutting down the trees to make pyres anytime death occurs.

In line with these changes, the villagers of Hiineteng have approached me to help them acquire a community pyre. They have demonstrated their seriousness and commitment by contributing a meager amount of 150 Ghana cedis equivalent to $100. This contribution has been going on for two years due to their poor financial capabilities. The pyre, made in three sizes, cost between $800 and $1200. When I asked at the NandomTechnicalSchool, the small size of funeral pyre costs 1,200 Ghana cedis about $800. The medium one costs 1, 400 Ghana cedies about $950 and the large one cost 1, 600 Ghana cedis about $1100.

Because of their passionate appeal to me and their commitment to get one for the village I am appealing to you to support us with whatever you can afford. We are looking to purchase the medium size pyre and we hope to get it this year if we can come up with the money.

I emailed Bernard and asked him what he reckons is the best way to get money to him from the UK. This is what he said:

Dear Charles

Thank you so much for the note. I went on your funeral website and saw what you are doing. These things sometimes considered little do contribute significantly to the social well being of society and I appreciate your work and willingness to help out my community. I am currently in the US and will be going back to Ghana on May 17th to be there for the entire summer. One way to send money to Ghana is by western union or if you want to send the donation by check to avoid the wiring charges at western union, then you can just mail a check in my name to my US address. So please let me know how to want to send it.  Thank you again and this means a lot to me and my village.  My address here is

Bernard Woma
800 N Smith Road
Apt K 5
Bloomington, IN 47408
USA

The GFG, skint as it is, will be sending Bernard a cheque, and we hope you will, too.  One for you, GM? 

Find Bernard’s website here.

Saying goodbye to Dad

19 April 2012
Charles
5 Comments
Categories: funeral music, music

A lot of people would reckon this song mawkish and sentimental and, of course, in their own terms, they’d be right. But for a great many other people, this would make an excellent funeral song. Luther Vandross wrote it from his own experience of his father’s death when he (Luther) was seven. 

Even if you don’t like it, it’s got plenty of blast from the past power. 

Here’s an alternative.  

Have you got any great funeral song ideas? Tell us, please!

What caused Mozart’s death?

11 April 2012
Charles
2 Comments
Categories: Academia and death, music

Mozart’s health has fascinated observers for over two hundred years. The documents have examined to reveal every available medical detail. Any mention of a cough or an ache has been minutely analysed for evidence about the diseases he suffered and the mystery illness that killed him at the tender age of 35. But is this intense scrutiny is obscuring our picture of Mozart? Over 160 different causes of death, alone, have now been suggested. Professor Winston sifts through the morass of information and speculation to discover what Mozart’s health can really tell us about the man and his music.

Professor Robert Winston brings a scientist’s ear to his passion for music, exploring the medical histories of great composers and how illness affected the music they wrote.

Caught this the other day – sadly it’s the last in the series, so in case you missed it too and have always wondered how a relatively young man could die whilst composing ‘Requiem’……

You can catch the episode here  if you’re quick – or just listen to the piece itself!

All things bright and beautiful?

11 April 2012
Charles
5 Comments
Categories: ceremony, funeral music, Humour, music

Posted by Belinda Forbes

The sun is shining again here in leafy Berkshire.  The mourners no longer need to huddle for warmth in the crematorium waiting room.  The cruel winter wind that has been whipping across the chapel entrance is now a gentle breeze.  Unfortunately, I’m allergic to tree pollen so it’s not all good news.

Although I am a secular funeral celebrant, I’m often asked if a hymn is‘allowed’.  The most common reason people give for requesting hymns at an essentially non-religious funeral is that they want to sing something.  And for many people the thought of singing something secular is just too daunting.  It is possible of course and we’ve sung along to Always Look on The Bright Side of Life (works best with two or three extroverts leading the singing from the front); Danny Boy and the fiendishly difficult Bridge Over Troubled Water amongst others.

By far the most common hymn requested by my clients is All Things Bright & Beautiful closely followed by Morning Has Broken.  A love of nature andgardening or a desire to have something that ‘isn’t too depressing or sombre’ are  the usual reasons given.

One brave family whose late mother adored her garden asked if we could sing, In An English Country Garden.  They didn’t want a choir and all the versions recorded with vocals were either unsuitable or tricky to sing along to.  So we opted for an instrumental version recorded by the Albion Song Society.  To my surprise and delight it went remarkably well.  With a little practice (at home with an understanding friend) to get the timing right, we discovered that it’s easier to sing than All Things Bright & Beautiful.  If any celebrants or choirs out there would like to give it a go, here are the words:

Percy Grainger’s An English Country Garden

How many kinds of sweet flowers grow
In an English country garden?
We’ll tell you now of some buy cialis via paypal that we know
Those we miss you’ll surely pardon
Daffodils, heart’s ease and phlox
Meadowsweet and lady smocks
Gentian, lupin and tall hollyhocks
Roses, foxgloves, snowdrops, forget-me-nots
In an English country garden.

How many insects come here and go
In an English country garden?
We’ll tell you now of some that we know
Those we miss you’ll surely pardon
Fireflies, moths, and bees
Spiders climbing in the trees
Butterflies drift in the gentle breeze
There are snails, ants that sting
And other creeping things
In an English country garden.

How many songbirds fly to and fro
In an English country garden?
We’ll tell you now of some that we know
Those we miss you’ll surely pardon
Blackbird, cuckoo and quail
Robin and turtle dove

Bluetit, lark, thrush and nightingale
There is joy in the spring
When the birds begin to sing
In an English country garden.

For those gardeners who would prefer a little more realism, there’s this version of All Things Bright & Beautiful:

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them all.

But what we never mention

Though gardeners know it’s true

Is when he made the goodies

He made the baddies too

All things spray and swattable

Disasters great and small

All things paraquattable

The Lord God made them all

The fungus on the goose-gogs

The club root on the greens

The slugs that eat the lettuce

And chew the aubergines

All things spray…

The drought that kills the fuchsias

The frost that nips the buds

The rain that drowns the seedlings

The blight that hits the spuds

All things spray…

The midges and mosquitoes

The nettles and the weeds

The pigeons in the green stuff

The sparrows on the seeds

All things spray…

The fly that gets the carrots

The wasp that eat the plums

How black the gardener’s outlook

Though green may be his thumbs

All things spray…

But still we gardeners labour

Midst vegetables and flowers

And pray what hits our neighbours

Will somehow bypass ours

All things spray…

 

 

Goodbye My Friend

21 March 2012
Charles
No comments
Categories: funeral music, music

Oh we never know where life will take us
I know it’s just a ride on the wheel
And we never know when death will shake us
And we wonder how it will feel

So goodbye my friend
I know I’ll never see you again
But the time together through all the years
Will take away these tears
It’s okay now
Goodbye my friend

I’ve seen a lot things that make me crazy
And I guess I held on to you
We could’ve run away and left well maybe
But it wasn’t time and we both knew

So goodbye my friend
I know I’ll never see you again
But the love you gave me through all the years
Will take away these tears
I’m okay now
Goodbye my friend

Life’s so fragile and love’s so pure
We can’t hold on but we try
We watch how quickly it disappears
And we never know why

But I’m okay now
Goodbye my friend
You can go now
Goodbye my friend

Who knows where the time goes?

6 March 2012
Charles
3 Comments
Categories: music

Posted by Vale

Across the evening sky, all the birds are leaving
But how can they know it’s time for them to go?
Before the winter fire, I will still be dreaming
I have no thought of time

For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?

Sad, deserted shore, your fickle friends are leaving
Ah, but then you know it’s time for them to go
But I will still be here, I have no thought of leaving
I do not count the time

For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?

And I am not alone while my love is near me
I know it will be so until it’s time to go
So come the storms of winter and then the birds in spring again
I have no fear of time

For who knows how my love grows?
And who knows where the time goes?