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:
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 367920
Item no.: 163199
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 461770
for: Voice, piano [organ]
Item no.: 607355
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 257997
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 389067
for: Brass ensemble (5 parts)
Score (C), Parts
Item no.: 597175
for: Flute, string orchestra
Sheet music
Item no.: 596904
for: Flute, string orchestra
Sheet music
Item no.: 596903
for: Bass trombone, piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 596406
for: Trombone, piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 596405
for: Horn (F), piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 596403
for: Euphonium, strings
Sheet music
Item no.: 591341
for: Mixed choir (SATB), brass band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 672018
for: Voice [cornet, horn, trombone, euphonium], brass band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 671768
for: Tenor saxophone (B-flat), piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 590155
for: Bassoon, piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 590152
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 488146
for: Women's choir (SSA), organ
Score
Item no.: 273017
for: Voice, piano [organ]
Item no.: 479212
for: Piano; voice ad lib.
Single edition
Item no.: 578208
for: Piano
Item no.: 356403
for: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 bassoons (winds octet)
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 642202
for: Mixed choir, piano [organ]
Choir score
Item no.: 493052
Stimmensatz Streicher
Set of parts
Item no.: 610404
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Item no.: 363843
for: Tenor saxophone [soprano saxophone], piano [organ]
Item no.: 225797
for: Mixed choir (SSAATTBB) a cappella
Item no.: 1677833
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Item no.: 471083
for: Descant recorder
Item no.: 148351
for: Singstimme (mittel), Orgel (Frauenchor ad libitum)
Score
Item no.: 375889
for: Voice, piano
Item no.: 302322
for: Voice, Organ Accompaniment
Score
Item no.: 329475
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 193965
Edition Schott
for: Voice, piano [organ]
Music score
Item no.: 756362
for: Piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 2361
for: Oboe, piano
Piano score, solo part, audio file
Item no.: 1238
for: Voice (medium), organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 2412
for: Trumpet, organ
Item no.: 371282
for: Voice (medium), piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 2221
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 194484
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 257521
from Walter Scott's "Fräulein vom See"
for: Voice (high), piano
Music score
Item no.: 748991
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Music score
Item no.: 730725
for: Women's choir (SSAA), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 315862
for: Singstimme (S/T) und Klavier
Music score
Item no.: 747728
for: Voice (high), piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 2325
for: Choir (2 voices), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 558731