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:
Passio secundum Joannem BWV 245 - Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
Fassung II (1725)
for: 5 soloists (SATBB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 627393
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 2
Item no.: 674154
Instrumentalsätze aus den Trauermusiken für die Hamburger Bürgermeister Gerhard Schröder (1723) und Daniel Stockfleth (1739)
for: Symphonic orchestra
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234683
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
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234626
Musikalische Exequien III SWV 281
for: 2 favorit choirs (SATB, SATB), basso continuo; 8 instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Instrumental part 3 (Choir 1)
Item no.: 1160515
Musikalische Exequien III SWV 281
for: 2 favorit choirs (SATB, SATB), basso continuo; 8 instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Instrumental part 3 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1160513
Musikalische Exequien III SWV 281
for: 2 favorit choirs (SATB, SATB), basso continuo; 8 instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Instrumental part 2 (Choir 1)
Item no.: 1160509
HWV 54
for: 6 soloists (SSATBB), 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB), orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 601970
Cantata for funeral service / Purification of Mary.
Reconstruction Klaus Hofmann
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 2 soloists (TB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Viola d'amore (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233918
for: Organ
Single part Organ
Item no.: 261893
Arrangement for strings, harp and organ
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), string orchestra, harp, organ
Single part Organ
Item no.: 771669
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Cello (orchestral part)
Item no.: 771657
for: Viola [violin/cello], string orchestra
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 580172
for: Symphonic orchestra
Cello (orchestral part)
Item no.: 384703
Music of Mourning
for: Viola (Violine, Violoncello) und Streichorchester
Single part Violin 1
Item no.: 748076
Musikalische Exequien II
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte), basso continuo ad lib.
Instrumental part 3 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1121072
Instrumentalsätze aus den Trauermusiken für die Hamburger Bürgermeister Gerhard Schröder (1723) und Daniel Stockfleth (1739)
for: Symphonic orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234680
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 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234623
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 771656
Music of Mourning
for: Viola (Violine, Violoncello) und Streichorchester
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 748077
Single part Violin 3
Item no.: 269165
HWV 54
for: 6 soloists (SSATBB), 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB), orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 601971
HWV 54
for: 6 soloists (SSATBB), 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB), orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 601969
Musikalische Exequien II
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte), basso continuo ad lib.
Instrumental part 1 (Choir 1)
Item no.: 1121070
Musikalische Exequien II
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte), basso continuo ad lib.
Instrumental part 2 (Choir 1)
Item no.: 1121069
for: Voice (soprano), 2 violins, basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 1161096
for: Flexible wind band
Single part tenor horn 3
Item no.: 371122
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 2
Item no.: 674995
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 230673
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 384704
Music of Mourning
for: Viola (Violine, Violoncello) und Streichorchester
Single part Cello
Item no.: 748079
Music of Mourning
for: Viola (Violine, Violoncello) und Streichorchester
Single part Viola
Item no.: 748078
for: Flexible wind band
Clarinet 1 in B flat (orchestral part)
Item no.: 371121
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB), Orchester (2 Violinen, Viola, Violone, Orgel)
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424116
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 4 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234625
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 4
Item no.: 674997
Early version
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SSAATTBB), orchestra
Violin 2b (orchestral part)
Item no.: 459768
Single part Piano
Item no.: 384701
Funeral Cantata TWV 4:17
for: 2 soloists (SB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Single part Organ
Item no.: 430528
for: 3 violins, basso continuo
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 752097
Single part Alto saxophone 1
Item no.: 372091
Musikalische Exequien II
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte), basso continuo ad lib.
Instrumental part 4 (Choir 1)
Item no.: 1121074
Musikalische Exequien II
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte), basso continuo ad lib.
Instrumental part 3 (Choir 1)
Item no.: 1121067
Musikalische Exequien III SWV 281
for: 2 favorit choirs (SATB, SATB), basso continuo; 8 instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Single part
Item no.: 1160514
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 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234622
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 4
Item no.: 674156
for: Voice (medium), piano
Music score
Item no.: 336425
for: Cello [bassoon], piano
Score, part (pdf download)
Item no.: 1852
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