Music has always played an important role in Funeral services. Browse our sheet music and scores, and let Stretta help you find the right music today.
Since the 13th century, clergymen have gathered in calendar brotherhoods on the calends, the first days of each month, to remember their deceased brothers. As at the funerals themselves, there was extensive singing. Later, choirs emerged from this ritual, to perform motets at funerals, in church or at the grave.
In addition to settings of Requiems, the Dutch composers of the 15th and 16th centuries wrote funeral motets to commemorate princes and rulers, which continued to spread across Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, with settings such as Handel’s Funeral Music for Queen Caroline, Musical Exequies by Heinrich Schütz and Purcells’s Funeral Music for Queen Mary. This began to expand into the secular world with works like Monteverdi’s Lamento d‘Arianna.
In France, the Sarabande was the most popular lament before the funeral march developed in the late 18th century. In the last century, new works such as dirges and epitaphs have entered the repertoire as expressions of mourning and grief.
Nowadays, pop or rock songs are often played at funerals. Here is a list of popular modern songs for funeral ceremonies:
from 'Scenes of Childhood'
for: Alto saxophone, piano
Music score
Item no.: 752833
for: Oboe [2 Oboi] [Corno Inglese] E Pf.
Score
Item no.: 388641
for: Trompete und Klavier oder Orgel
Book
Item no.: 300231
for: 1–2 accordions
Music score
Item no.: 603240
Arranged for piano by Lawrence Rosen
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 185528
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 768076
for: 2 flutes (duet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 159013
for: KLAR (A-SAX)
Item no.: 285905
for: Flute, piano
Item no.: 298745
for: Organ
Score
Item no.: 622371
for: Viola
Stimme, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 406828
for: Soloists, mixed choir (SSATTB), basso continuo
Choir part Alto
Item no.: 693436
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116503
for: Alto saxophone, piano
Item no.: 580056
for: Violin, piano
Item no.: 292314
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Score
Item no.: 625016
for: Guitar
Single edition
Item no.: 583315
Easily manageable and popular organ music pieces from the baroque, classical and romanticism periods
for: Organ
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 293394
for: Gesang, Gemischter Chor, Orchester
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 231680
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 244190
for: Violin, piano
Item no.: 477903
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 246053
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score (with critical report)
Item no.: 746298
for: Guitar
Item no.: 108017
for: Oboe [violin/cello], organ
Score
Item no.: 621443
for: Piano
Item no.: 159889
Cycle of Songs
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 229274
String Quartet No. 4
in memoriam Franz Kafka
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Score
Item no.: 367887
for: Voice (tenor), piano
Book
Item no.: 330293
for: Piano
Item no.: 159668
for: Piano
Item no.: 266311
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 419518
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Piano reduction
Item no.: 1687767
Fassung IV
Passio secundum Joannem
Postcard
Item no.: 1684651
for: STREICH- UND ZUPFINSTRUMENTE VIOLINE VIOLINE UND KLAVIER
Item no.: 429326
for: 4 trumpets, horn, 4 trombones, tuba
Score (C), Parts
Item no.: 1590911
Schütz-Gesamteinspielung, Band 13
Audio-CD
Item no.: 677165
38 Sätze zum Kirchenjahr und für die Trauerfeier
for: 2–4 melodic instruments
Item no.: 279167
for: 3 trombones (C)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1559174
op. posth.
Bearbeitung für Soli, Chor und Orgel
for: Soloists, mixed choir (SATB), organ
Organ score
Item no.: 605254
Vortrags- und Fantasiestücke für Harmonium Band 3
for: Harmonium
Music score
Item no.: 660444
for: 4 brass instruments
Score, set of parts (anthology)
Item no.: 633221
Solo für Posaune in C / B & Klavierbegleitung
Trauermusik für Bläser
for: Trombone, piano
Piano score, solo part (anthology)
Item no.: 1560270
Choir part Soprano
Item no.: 1655640
WAB 47,1/48
– Staffelpreis auf Anfrage –
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1670392
Schütz-Gesamteinspielung, Band 6
Audio-CD
Item no.: 677180
Music Makes The World Go Round
for: BASS (E-BASS/KB)
Item no.: 479557
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 235639