Here’s a downer question. I was wondering if there was a “standard” tune or tunes one might hear from a piper at a funeral or wake? I’m not asking what you think an appropriate tune might be for a funeral, but if there are any tunes which are "traditional’ or very commonly heard at funerals.
I remember reading an article in “An Piobaire” about a famous pipers funeral an they mentioned what tune was played at the graveside. Any references or recollections like this would be interesting too.
Oh and to beat you to the punch, I already know about “I buried my wife and danced on top of her.”
James
bloody good question …I was wondering the same…it’s only a matter of time before someone asks me to play at a funeral. Can anyone suggest a tune or two for a wedding I have to play at next year?
Danny Boy will almost always be a standard appreciated at funerals. We may hear it more often than we like, but remember, the people at a funeral don’t always hear pipes that often and most will want a tune they connect with. Play it to the best of your abilities and don’t slouch it just because it’s old hat. Same goes for Amazing Grace. “Do not wake me. I am asleep” is a great tune and plays well at funerals. “I will go home to Kintail” & “Leaving ST. Kilda” are Scottish tunes that translate well to U.P. Some of the aires in the O’Neill book are appropriate too. Borrow a church hymnal and see what you can addapt to pipes also. Good luck.
Marc
It depends, if the deceased is a musician you may want to play tunes associated with him/her or his/her favourite tunes. We played the Morning Star/Steampacket/Rakish Paddy/My Love is in America at the end of Martin Rochford’s funeral mass as well as some slower tunes [Liam O’ Flynn played a solo of An Buachail Caol Dubh whcih was one of Martin’s favourite airs].
I have heard A Stor Mo Chroi a good few times, which is appropriate enough.
I also heard the Wild Geese a few times [a stunning fiddle quartet at Junior Crehan’s funeral]. As long as it fits it is appropriate I think.
Mick Flynn sings a great one on ‘The Lambs on the Green Hills’, Iarla O Lionard sings one on the Noel Hill/Tony McMahon CD and Liam Flynn plays a decent version on Bringing it all Back Home and again on the Fine Art of Piping.
I usually use
amazing grace
danny boy
the minstrel boy
the parting glass (the air)
boolavogue
mo ghíle mear
psalm 42 / as the deer longs / when love is found
Amazing Grace
Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide
The Parting Glass
Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part
My sister has requested that I play Eammon An Chnoic (Ned of the Hills) at her funeral.
Please Lord, let me go first as I don’t think I can do it, but I promised…
prices for weddings and funerals the same
in county - $125
out of county - +$50
graveside as well - +$25
charge for purchasing/arranging special requests I don’t already have + $25
Funerals near me: One stop(church, funeral home, or cemetery) $150
Two stops $175
Farther away goes up $25. Five gigs so far this month, and six last month. Keeps me in the three T’s: tea tools and tobacco. I had a 106 mile round trip yesterday out into the country. Nice drive, but I hate driving past pig farms. At least with uillean pipes, you can opt out of really nasty weather for playing. With ghp, they want you to play anywhere you can stand. Seroiusly though, I’d rather do funerals than weddings. At a funeral I feel like I’m actually doing something good. At a wedding I’m just a noisy decoration dealing with smartasses. You also don’t have to deal with the mother of the bride or bridezilla at a funeral.
Marc
But you get to make more mistakes at wedding receptions!
I would leave some printed/recored stuff at local funeral homes, buy an ad on the local radio funeral announcements for those homes, perhaps replace that sucky organ music they play locally with some nice flat pipe music playing hymns and slow airs.
Get yourself some business cards made. Go to the funeral homes in the area and “audition” as it were. If there is a local folk society or coffee house in your area, don’t hesitate to play there once in a while. On nice days where you can play outside, go practice in a park. Some passersby will have enough interest to ask for a card. If you attend a church, do a service for them. A few fellow parishoners might ask for cards. Spread the gospel of uilleann pipes! Remember, one good gig creates others over time. You don’t have to be Paddy to do a good job,but a good job keeps people asking you for more. Most of my gigs are for highland pipes, but I get more and more requests to bring the uilleann pipes. Also, don’t do it just for free. Your time and the investment of money and practice you’ve put into your piping is valuable. If you do things for nothing, that’s what people will think they are worth.
Marc
i’ve got the business cards, the page ( http://members.aol.com/pipesofireland ) from which i’ve gotten a few calls…the funeral homes all told me they don’t handle bagpipes and it seems that when a FH or a church has to make a suggestion they have a thing worked out with the police pipe band.
i was thinking maybe some fliers on the community boards at some local churches…
Sometimes an enterprising young entrepreneur finds he has to “create” his own market. One way you could do this is to bump people off, and then drop your card off at the home of the grieving family the day after. Use the phonebook to pick off all the surnames that begin with “Mc”. This way you cut out the FH. By the time you run out of "Mc"s and "O’ "s you should have gained enough of a local reputation to pick up on the natural market.
At least with uillean pipes, you can opt out of really nasty weather for playing. With ghp, they want you to play anywhere you can stand. Seroiusly though, I’d rather do funerals than weddings. At a funeral I feel like I’m actually doing something good. At a wedding I’m just a noisy decoration dealing with smartasses. You also don’t have to deal with the mother of the bride or bridezilla at a funeral.
