At Singers for Funerals, we often sing for Catholic funerals, including both simple and full mass services. Indeed, soprano Toni is the soloist of choice for several Catholic churches in Hampshire, and in particular the Southampton/Portsmouth areas.
Toni has an extensive knowledge of Catholic hymns including modern favourites such as “On Eagle’s Wings”, "This is my body" and "I will be with you" and has a deep appreciation and understanding of the elements of the mass.
However, the one thing she and the rest of us here don’t do is sing the responses, for one simple reason; they are never the same from one church to the next.
Every single church uses a different set, and changes them regularly according to the Church calendar. To learn every set of responses would take us literally months, and to be honest, we just haven’t the time nor the access to the sheet music.
So, instead, we let the priest and congregation lead on these, and if we do know them, we will of course join in.
Sometimes these take us by surprise; mezzo Kirsty was singing at a RC funeral in Woking, which included as a response the Song of Farewell “May the choirs of angels”. Toni had been learning it in the office previously to sing as a solo, and it had obviously sunk into Kirsty’s brain too, so she was able to join in almost without realising it!
If you require a soloist for any style of Catholic funeral service, either in church or at a crematorium, do call us. We can discuss suitable funeral music including solos and hymns, and add in your choices and requests. Do bear in mind that your funeral priest will need to approve all music choices in advance, so do ensure you allow time for this to happen.
However, the one thing she and the rest of us here don’t do is sing the responses, for one simple reason; they are never the same from one church to the next.
Every single church uses a different set, and changes them regularly according to the Church calendar. To learn every set of responses would take us literally months, and to be honest, we just haven’t the time nor the access to the sheet music.
So, instead, we let the priest and congregation lead on these, and if we do know them, we will of course join in.
Sometimes these take us by surprise; mezzo Kirsty was singing at a RC funeral in Woking, which included as a response the Song of Farewell “May the choirs of angels”. Toni had been learning it in the office previously to sing as a solo, and it had obviously sunk into Kirsty’s brain too, so she was able to join in almost without realising it!
If you require a soloist for any style of Catholic funeral service, either in church or at a crematorium, do call us. We can discuss suitable funeral music including solos and hymns, and add in your choices and requests. Do bear in mind that your funeral priest will need to approve all music choices in advance, so do ensure you allow time for this to happen.
This blog originally appeared on Singers for Funerals November 2018
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