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  #16  
Old 05-06-2009, 11:54 AM
southpaw pete southpaw pete is offline
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Sorry for your loss. My Grandma passed away about a month and a half ago as well. I wrote this song for her:

This song goes out to you, from people in this room
With eyes full of tears
We can say the worlds a better place
Because of your life.
Not too much to say,
But this room is full of precious memories
The times with you we hold on to forever.

chorus:
You made us laugh and dream
And smile and see the sunny side of life
And now we're here with tears in our eyes...
We celebrate your life today (4x)

This song goes out to you
From many generations;
Young and old whose lives have been blessed through you.

Chorus.

It is pretty simple. If you are interested, I can record it and post it as an mp3. There are tons of other great song ideas on here as well - as well as countless hymns (How great thou art, my Jesus I love thee, amazing grace...) I'm sure whatever you choose to sing will be appreciated by your family.
Pete
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  #17  
Old 05-06-2009, 12:00 PM
valleyguy valleyguy is offline
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I happen to like Warren Zevon's "Keep me in your heart". Here's the chords.
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  #18  
Old 05-06-2009, 12:35 PM
MikeTX MikeTX is offline
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Over The Rainbow and Keep Me In Your Heart are GREAT suggestions!
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  #19  
Old 05-06-2009, 01:09 PM
FutureFolkie FutureFolkie is offline
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There's a lovely Irish Traditional song called "The Parting Glass" that could be a good'un.

EDIT: Sorry for your loss.
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Last edited by FutureFolkie; 05-06-2009 at 06:34 PM.
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  #20  
Old 05-06-2009, 02:24 PM
mhs mhs is offline
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My condolences.

My mom died last month and she was a professional musician, so I played one song that my mom taught me when I was a baby laying under her piano.

"God Bless the Child".

It was certainly well received, as if it were the perfect choice, and I know it was for me because of the meaning.

This is a youtube version of my playing it solo awhile back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFQUfFyYubw

Best wishes -
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  #21  
Old 05-06-2009, 03:29 PM
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Gutch Gutch is offline
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Vince Gill's "Go Rest High On That Mountain" is a great one. I played it at my father's funeral.
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  #22  
Old 05-06-2009, 03:50 PM
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Guyute Guyute is offline
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I like the suggestions of "Amazing Grace", "Keep Me in Your Heart", and "Tears in Heaven".

I played at my friend's mother's funeral at her request. She asked me to play "Ripple" by the Grateful Dead and up until then, I never really thought about it, but it's actually fairly appropriate for a funeral.
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  #23  
Old 05-07-2009, 08:50 AM
BigRed51 BigRed51 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronmarkson View Post
Does anybody have any suggestions for Songs that are appropriate for a funeral? My grandma died this past Tuesday, and my grandpa has requested that I play and sing something at the funeral.
About a year and a half ago, a friend asked me to sing at her father's funeral. I consider it a great honor, and like you, I had no idea what songs would be appropriate. Her father had been a long time bluegrass performer, but I had never met him. I talked with my friend at length about songs that were his favorites and that she remembered him singing, and she in turn spoke with her mom, and with her brothers. Many were clearly not fitting, and one they were in agreement with ... Will The Circle Be Unbroken ... is one that the verses have always seemed a little strange to me. I ended up doing The Lighthouse at the beginning of the service, and a medley of I'll Fly Away (very slowly, not at bluegrass tempo ... and it is a beautiful slow song!), Angel Band, and the chorus of Circle be Unbroken, which I repeated twice, encouraging everyone to join me on the second verse, and since the response was beautiful, finishing with a third verse all a cappella.

It was very well received. I would recommend spending some time talking with your grandfather about songs that made him think of special times with her, and doing the same with your parents, and any aunts and uncles that are available. Then put all of that information together, and make your own decision, remembering that it's not about the performance, but about the memories that celebrate her life, and in a Christian service, about celebrating the homecoming.

I wish you the best.
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  #24  
Old 05-07-2009, 06:38 PM
mud4feet mud4feet is offline
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Arms of the Angels - by Sarah MCLaughlin
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  #25  
Old 05-07-2009, 06:48 PM
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Did someone suggest "On Eagle's Wings?" (I kinda skimmed fast through all the posts--sorry. And sorry for your loss. I soloed on Malotte's "The Lord's Prayer" at my Grandma's funeral).
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  #26  
Old 05-08-2009, 12:34 AM
Don Lampson Don Lampson is offline
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Aaron

For a hymn, I'd suggest, "Life's Railroad to Heaven", or as it's sometimes called, "Life is like a Mountain Railroad".

It's an uplifting piece of music for a sad occasion.........

Don
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  #27  
Old 05-08-2009, 09:50 AM
jackstrat jackstrat is offline
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I realise that the hymns are covered but...

What about "Be Still My Soul" (Findlandia)?

Others that come to me, Abide With Me, Be Thou My Vision, Nearer My God to Thee..

I do a simple medly of these hymns in A.

Jack
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  #28  
Old 05-08-2009, 12:46 PM
Jimbow Jimbow is offline
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Silver Wings is an old Haggard song I think- but I've heard it at several funerals and it's an easy 3 chord strummer. You want something of low difficulty when it is for someone you have known and loved- the "moment" may hit you- teared eyes and a choke may visit- Especially when it hits others in the audience first and you see it. "whew"
I wrote one for my grammas' funeral and when my dad started crying in the audience I nearly lost it. Love and family is a mighty powerful thang!
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  #29  
Old 05-08-2009, 05:15 PM
Herb Hunter Herb Hunter is offline
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I'm sorry for you loss. There have been some very good suggestions so far. I'd like to add, We'll Meet Again, by the Byrds and Farther Along by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.

Being unfamiliar with, Silver Wings, I looked for it on iTunes and found the Merle Haggard version. There, I also found an Earl Scruggs version with what sounded like Linda Ronstadt and another by Jimmy Buffet. I liked the Earl/Linda version the best.

The song, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, sung in a slow tempo the way Pentangle does it (available on iTunes) might be appropriate. The uptempo versions most people play seem out of place with the lyrics.

I think the suggestion to play "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was one of the best ones. Joanna Cassidy has a version accompanied by a single guitar available on iTunes. Speaking of that song, my favorite solo guitar version is Eddie Pennington's which is available on iTunes. Tommy Emmanuel played it with Eddie one year at CAAS and that was my introduction to Eddie and his version of the song.

Here is a list of the songs recommended thus far.

Sissy's Song - Alan Jackson
Amazing Grace
In the Garden
Wind Beneath My Wings- Bette Midler
You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban
Homesick - Mercy Me
Home - Daughtry
If Tomorrow Never Comes - Garth Brooks
Candle in the Wind - Elton John
Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
Hymn of Promise
An Unfinished Life - Kate Wolfe
Oh Danny Boy
In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
I Will Rise - Chris Tomlin
Love, Me - Colin Raye
Where Have You Been - Kathy Mattea
Over The Rainbow - Eva Cassidy
Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Joanna Reeves
Defying Gravity - a Jesse Winchester composition
Keep me in your heart - Warren Zevon
The Parting Glass - Traditional Irish song
God Bless the Child
Go Rest High On That Mountain - Vince Gill
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse - slow version
Angel Band
Arms of the Angels - Sarah MCLaughlin
On Eagle's Wings
The Lord's Prayer - Malotte
Life's Railroad to Heaven or Life is like a Mountain Railroad
Be Still My Soul
Abide With Me Be
Thou My Vision
Nearer My God to Thee
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Will the Circle Be Unbroken - Pentangle (slow)
Farther Along - Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt
We'll Meet Again - Byrds

Last edited by Herb Hunter; 05-08-2009 at 06:03 PM. Reason: Added List
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