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:
Funeral motet
for: Mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 373121
Passio secundum Joannem BWV 245 - Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
Fassung II (1725)
for: 5 soloists (SATBB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Single part Organ
Item no.: 627246
Musikalische Exequien III SWV 281
for: 2 favorit choirs (SATB, SATB), basso continuo; 8 instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Instrumental part 2 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1160516
Musikalische Exequien III SWV 281
for: 2 favorit choirs (SATB, SATB), basso continuo; 8 instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Instrumental part 1 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1160510
Musikalische Exequien II
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte), basso continuo ad lib.
Instrumental part 4 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1121071
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 269164
Instrumentalsätze aus den Trauermusiken für die Hamburger Bürgermeister Gerhard Schröder (1723) und Daniel Stockfleth (1739)
for: Symphonic orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234681
Über die Nicht- und Flüchtigkeit des menschlichen Lebens.
Kantate zum 24. Sonntag nach Trinitatis
Urtext Telemann-Archiv – Stuttgarter Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (SAB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Viola da gamba 3 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234624
HWV 54
for: 6 soloists (SSATBB), 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB), orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 601975
HWV 54
for: 6 soloists (SSATBB), 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB), orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 601974
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Single part Organ
Item no.: 230676
Entstand während Campras Zeit als Kapellmeister an der Pariser Kathedrale als Auftragswerk für einen Gottesdienst im Andenken an den verstorbenen Erzbischof von Paris.
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Viola 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424924
Early version
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SSAATTBB), orchestra
Violin 2a (orchestral part)
Item no.: 444389
for: 3 violins, basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 737643
for: 3 violins, basso continuo
Single part Violin 1
Item no.: 724929
for: Viola [violin/cello], string orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 580170
Single part Guitar 1
Item no.: 610353
Musikalische Exequien II
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte), basso continuo ad lib.
Instrumental part 2 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1121068
Über die Nicht- und Flüchtigkeit des menschlichen Lebens.
Kantate zum 24. Sonntag nach Trinitatis
for: 3 soloists (SAB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Recorder 3
Item no.: 674996
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 771655
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 771654
for: Symphonic orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 384702
Solo-Time Band 88a
for: Melody instrument (C), piano [organ]
Single part Trumpet (B-flat)
Item no.: 1566605
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 230671
BWV 244
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach Ausgaben
for: Solo voices, mixed choir (SSAATTBB), orchestra
Single part Organ
Item no.: 671874
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 771658
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 384705
Funeral Cantata TWV 4:17
for: 2 soloists (SB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Single part Violin
Item no.: 430522
Music of Mourning
for: Viola (Violine, Violoncello) und Streichorchester
Single part Double bass
Item no.: 748080
Begräbnismusik in drei Teilen für Singstimmen und Basso continuo
Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe Urtext
for: 8 voices (SSAATTBB), organ, bass; mixed choir (SSATTB), 6 melody instruments colla parte ad lib.
Single part 3
Item no.: 674155
Funeral Anthem HWV 54
for: 6 soloists (SSATBB), 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB), orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 601976
Early version
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SSAATTBB), orchestra
Violin 1b (orchestral part)
Item no.: 459767
Trauerode für Solostimmen (SATB), gemischten Chor (SATB), Kammerorchester
Orgel
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), chamber orchestra
Single part Organ
Item no.: 681148
Über die Nicht- und Flüchtigkeit des menschlichen Lebens.
Kantate zum 24. Sonntag nach Trinitatis
for: 3 soloists (SAB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Recorder 1
Item no.: 674994
for: Basso continuo
Single part(n)
Item no.: 457318
Musikalische Exequien III SWV 281
for: 2 favorit choirs (SATB, SATB), basso continuo; 8 instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Instrumental part 4 (Choir 1)
Item no.: 1160511
Cantata for funeral service / Purification of Mary.
Reconstruction Klaus Hofmann
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 2 soloists (TB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Cello (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233919
Begräbnismusik in drei Teilen für Singstimmen und Basso continuo
Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe Urtext
for: 8 voices (SSAATTBB), organ, bass; mixed choir (SSATTB), 6 melody instruments colla parte ad lib.
Part 1
Item no.: 674158
Fassung II
for: Organ
Single part Organ
Item no.: 640919
Begräbnismusik in drei Teilen für Singstimmen und Basso continuo
Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe Urtext
for: 8 voices (SSAATTBB), organ, bass; mixed choir (SSATTB), 6 melody instruments colla parte ad lib.
Single part 5
Item no.: 674157
Single part Guitar 2
Item no.: 610354
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 230672
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 230670
Single part Violin 3
Item no.: 384706
Musikalische Exequien II
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte), basso continuo ad lib.
Instrumental part 1 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1121066
Single part Alto saxophone 2
Item no.: 372092
Trauermusik
for: 2 soloists (SB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Viola 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 661366
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