Remember Me

Beautiful, expressive music, originally intended for funerals, from the 15th century to the present day for voices and instruments.

“May flight of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

In the 15th century, nearing the end of his life, a composer writes a hymn to the Virgin Mary and inserts his own name in the text calling that the gates of heaven be opened to him. He asks that the piece be sung as he dies.

A renaissance composer writes a lament over the death of his former teacher, which calls for all musicians to mourn and weep.

A 17th-century German nobleman has his favorite scripture passages carved into his stone casket and commissions his court composer to write music for the same texts to be sung at his funeral.

A 20th-century composer, attending the funeral of a young friend, is moved to write a piece in her memory, combining texts from her two great loves: the Orthodox Church and William Shakespeare. The piece is later sung at the funeral of Princess Diana.