tunes for a memorial service

Pat Cannady · Post by **Pat Cannady** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 7:43 am

Funeral/Memorial tunes I would suggest:

the Coolin
The Dear Irish Boy
Easter Snow
Gentle Philip Fahy
Bruach Na Carraige Baine
The Lament for Limerick
The Lament for the Wild Geese
Port na bPucai
Valencia Harbor/The Song of the Books
The Dark Island

All mighty tunes and very powerful when played with feeling.

marcpipes · Post by **marcpipes** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:49 pm

Don't be afraid to compose impromptu either. I did a funeral in January where I had to play about 45 minutes before the sevice began. I had gone through almost every tune I could think of (hymns, Danny Boy, reworked Scottish aires, even Gabriel's Oboe from the movie The Mission). I still had 5 or 6 minutes to play and couldn't think of a damned thing to play. I started making something up and just played what came to me. It must have had a good effect because those who were chattering before stopped and others were weeping and smiling. I remember thinking "Hey this is a nice tune" to myself. They even applauded at the end. Here's the bugger. I can't remeber even the slightest phrase of it. Not one damned bit, but it was the most evocotive thing I played there and perhaps to date. The fairies must have been upon me but stolen my memory when they left.
Marc

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:55 pm

I partly learned 'She Moved Through the Fair' but the melody is good to create a fill for a few minutes.

anima · Post by **anima** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 1:18 pm

"Taimse im Chodladh" would be a good tune, I think it translates out as "don't wake me I'm sleeping" or something like that. Seems appropriate.

Jeff

brianc · Post by **brianc** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 1:32 pm

I happened to catch "Waking Ned Devine" on television last night (PAX-TV).

There was the scene where they were carrying poor Ned's body up to the Church for the service, and they had a lone whistle player, who was playing a very nice tune....

Anyone know the name of it?

Stay tuned,
BrianC

marcpipes · Post by **marcpipes** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 2:00 pm

Dear Brian,
I just looked at the cover for the soundtrack. They don't list by tune names, but for the scene it applies to. The disc is in another case, but I'll let you know when I find and listen to it. I think they worked it in with the Lux Eterna (Eternal Light) funeral scene. Does anyone have the sheet music or the name of the naked motorbike set?
Marc

brianc · Post by **brianc** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 3:01 pm

Thanks, Marc -
Will look forward to learning that tune name from you.

Best regards,

BrianC

glands · Post by **glands** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 3:12 pm

Well, since we do not know the specifics, and only that the service is in April, and thus someone presumably already dead, one cannot really leave a reccomendation.

However, Farewell to Nigg is an excellent slow and sad march. You can hear it on one of the Cran albums. Easy enough to learn and works well on the pipes but you gotta have the rhythm down. I played it at my wife's mothers funeral in June, along with her personal favorite that translates to "I am sleeping."

But ,how do we know that "I buried my wife and danced on top of her" is not an appropriate tune for the particular service?

brianc · Post by **brianc** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 3:38 pm

Doc,

True enough - who knows - playing "I Buried My Wife..." might be completely appropriate for a divorced-but-now-widower who now no longer owes alimony!

Uilliam · Post by **Uilliam** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 12:55 am

Keith wrote:I wonder where your neice gets it from, Liam?

Hello Keith, Well of course she gets the "lovely and redhead "from me!! :roll:
hows the London Pipers Club getting along,I hear Dickie Deegan is living in the Smoke!!ye should try and get him along to Hammersmith.
Best wishes to ye all and my cousin Ron.
Slan go foill
Liam

Keith · Post by **Keith** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 8:09 am

And to you.

London Pipers is going strong. Think it kicks off again in the autumn. Hope to see you back again some night,

Cheers, Keith