Friday, April 17, 2009

Death and the Pop Culture

The Psalmists are losing out to Frank Sinatra at funeral services, new research from one of Britain’s leading funeral directors has revealed.

The most popular funeral anthem continues to be Frank Sinatra’s hit ‘My Way’, but the research from the Co-operative Funeralcare survey also revealed that TV themes are becoming even more popular. Hymns are declining in popularity, although they still appeal to Scottish mourners. Despite a fall of six per cent in popularity, they are still the most popular choice north of the border.

Popular hymns include ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’, while others like Elgar’s Nimrod also retain a following. However, it was the inclusion of themes from TV comedy shows and soap operas that surprised many.

“A lot of people are still choosing non-religious funerals, so they incline towards contemporary songs with which they closely identify.

“Today’s tear-jerking chart topper is unlikely to be tomorrow’s funeral classic but it’s quite possible it will figure highly in the months or even years to come,” said Lorinda Sheasby of Co-operative Funeralcare, which surveyed music arranged for more than 30,000 funerals across the UK between February 2008 and February 2009.

The favourite hymns had not changed significantly, with Abide With Me in second place and All Things Bright and Beautiful third. The Top Ten Funeral Songs:

1 My Way - Frank Sinatra/Shirley Bassey
2 Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler/Celine Dion
3 Time To Say Goodbye - Sarah Brightman/Andrea Bocelli
4 Angels - Robbie Williams
5 Over The Rainbow - Eva Cassidy
6 You Raise Me Up - Westlife/Boyzone/Josh Grobin
7 My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
8 I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
9 You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry and the Pacemakers
10 Unforgettable - Nat King Cole

Source: Religious Intelligence News

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