Summary
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the untimely loss of several friends and relatives forced me to confront my own mortality. To prepare, I hastily planned my own funeral — but with a twist. While it will include standard Roman Catholic rites, I also want a festive atmosphere, complete with a live musical band. Having survived the pandemic, I look back on that period in this nine-part blog series. These posts serve as both a personal retrospection and a practical guide for my eventual passing. In this first installment of the blog series, I provide context for my funeral plans and an overview of the 44 iconic songs I have chosen for the band to perform.
Table of Contents
- The Pandemic Deaths That Made Me Write My Funeral Plans Down
- Death Acceptance Before the Ink Runs Dry
- How I Chose 44 Songs for My Own Farewell
- From the First Hymn to the Final Lowering: My Playlist Parts 1 to 8
- Post-Funeral Events: My Playlist, the last part. Or is it?
1. The Pandemic Deaths That Made Me Write My Funeral Plans Down
To set the stage for this blog, I want to start with a reflection from the Colombian Nobel laureate, Gabriel García Márquez.
Most of us are familiar with his 1985 masterpiece, Love in the Time of Cholera. Although written over 40 years ago, the novel remains deeply relevant today. It is a profound exploration of unrequited romance, aging, the passage of time, eternal love, and death — the last of which is the central theme of this blog.
A central character of the novel’s love triangle is Dr. Juvenal Urbino, a wealthy and prestigious physician dedicated to eradicating cholera. During this era, the story’s Caribbean port city setting was being ravaged by the disease — an acute, life-threatening intestinal infection caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria, which spreads rapidly through contaminated food and water.
Similarly, our contemporary world is all too familiar with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Sparked by the SARS-CoV-2 virus in early 2020, the pandemic resulted in a truly staggering loss of life, regardless of which statistics you consult.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) dashboard, the pandemic has claimed over 7.1 million confirmed, laboratory-tested lives globally. Understandably, the WHO’s total death statistics are an understatement. The actual toll is likely much higher due to underreporting, limited testing capacity in many regions, and the fact that many fatalities occurred outside of clinical settings.
As friends and relatives began dying unexpectedly from COVID-19, I realized I could easily become the next statistic. My fear deepened when my entire immediate family members — my wife, daughter, and two sons — contracted the virus. Fearing the worst, I hastily planned my own funeral, operating under the assumption that I would pass away right there in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan Province, Philippines.
Because this journey spans a significant timeline and covers so much ground, I have broken the full story of my funeral plans into a nine-part blog series. This opening installment is featured under “Theme 3: Culture, Customs & Traditions” on my blogging website “Huescribbler.com” after the later one, which was Kaleidoscope Views of the World.
The purposes of this Part 1 in the nine-blog series are threefold. First, I establish
the context for such a funeral, which combines traditional Roman Catholic funeral rites with a live musical band performance.
Second, I provide an overview of the eight upcoming blogs in this first installment. Having survived the pandemic, I wrote this series to serve both as a personal retrospection and as a practical reference guide to help my family navigate my inevitable passing.
Third, I share a glimpse of the 44 favorite songs I have chosen for the live band to perform. I truly believe that traditional Roman Catholic funeral rituals can be transformed into something lively and uplifting when paired with a full band featuring guitars, keyboards, and drums. This concept isn’t entirely without precedent; in the United States — particularly in New Orleans — jazz funerals are a celebrated tradition, utilizing a brass band and a community procession to both mourn and celebrate the deceased.
2. Death Acceptance Before the Ink Runs Dry.
Chronologically speaking, at 64, the reality of death is beginning to feel much closer. Yet, my desire to live remains strong; I’m certainly not ready to leave just yet.
As an itinerant scribbler, I still have a long list of ideas I want to turn into literary pieces and scientific journal articles. There are even a few new paths I want to explore, like vlogging and content creation. At the same time, however, I have accepted that death is an inevitable certainty in this later chapter of my life.
“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.”
Source: Quote by Steve Jobs about death from his 2005 Stanford Commencement address
Having been baptized a Christian, I intend to retain traditional Roman Catholic funeral rites. These rituals are beautifully structured to celebrate the life of the deceased, pray for the repose of the soul, and offer comfort to those who grieve. Accordingly, my service will follow the three formal stages typical of Catholic tradition: the Vigil (Wake), the Funeral Liturgy, and the Rite of Committal.
3. How I Chose 44 Songs for My Own Farewell
The major addition to these traditional Catholic rites, however, will be the performance by a live band. I want to shift away from the somber mood typically expected at a funeral; instead, I want the atmosphere to be festive. While death is understandably a time of grief, it can also be transformed into a joyful celebration of a life well-lived.
If either or both are willing, I would love for my former college roommate, Engr. Rodolfo “Budi” Fernandez, or another close friend, Filomeno “Bimbo” Fernandez, to co-lead the live band. Both are versatile guitarists and captivating singers whose music I have always loved listening to.
Engr. Rodolfo ‘Budi’ Fernandez (plays guitar) with Dr. Ed Mangaoang (center) and Engr. Elmer Santos at Room 1208, Men’s Dorm, University of the Philippines at Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines. (Photo credited to Engr. Fernandez was taken in either the late 1970s or early 1980s)
Backed by an entourage of talented local musicians — including a drummer, a keyboardist, a lead guitarist, a bassist, and a horn section — they will perform a total of 44 songs. This musical tribute will span from the final night of my wake to the first anniversary of my passing.
Yes, I deliberately settled on 44 songs for two specific reasons. First, it’s a highly practical number for a live band to perform. Averaging 3 minutes per song, it translates to roughly 132 minutes — giving my guests about two and a half hours of fantastic live music.
Second, according to Chinese numerology, “doubled” numbers are considered quite lucky. As such, a total of 44 songs feels like the perfect lucky number for me. (Spoiler alert: I don’t actually expect — or even want — to be resurrected when I pass away!)
My provisional list of 44 songs is ready, and my selection process relied on only two simple criteria. First, I excluded all songs about romantic love. Throughout my life, I have either loved or silently adored the women who captivated my heart. For those relationships that never quite blossomed or were left unrequited, I figure I can just meet them in the afterlife’s cyberspace.
Third, each selection must have a combination of lyrics and melody that personally resonates with me. So, if you came here expecting a playlist of iconic love songs, I am truly sorry to disappoint — this particular blog may not be for you.
But please keep reading and don’t despair! I can assure you that you will still appreciate, and perhaps even personally relate to, most of the songs on this list.
The majority of these songs feature English lyrics. Hence, most were composed by musicians from English-speaking countries such as Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US.
4. From the First Hymn to the Final Lowering: A Playlist Parts 1 to 8.
Don’t worry, I won’t reveal all the details of the 44 songs just yet — not in this first blog installment. I wouldn’t want to spoil the excitement or ruin the anticipation of the incredible setlist my live band will be performing. In case you’re excited.
Rest assured, I will provide a clickable link for each song in its respective blog article down the road. That way, you can listen to — and hopefully enjoy — each track in your own sweet time.
And please don’t be alarmed that I have allocated six songs to most stages of the funeral rites. I promise it has absolutely nothing to do with “666” or the mark of the Anti-Christ! Rather, it is simply a practical arrangement, though I will share a few specific musical details for the descriptions on the final night of the wake and the rite of committal.
Because I have a fully paid St. Peter Life Plan, my pre-need funeral and memorial service package is completely taken care of. As a result, I expect my wake to be held at the service provider’s chapel for at least three days. I actually opted for the top-of-the-line casket (St. Andrews) for one specific reason: so that my only grandson, Marcus Chase (an enterprising three-year-old Filipino-American), can proudly brag that his grandpa is laid in an expensive glass-covered coffin!
In Part 2, I will cover the final night of the wake at the St. Peter Memorial Chapel, where the band will perform six songs. Five of these are tracks from the vibrant world of Original Pilipino Music (the so-called OPM), paired with a single Spanish classic. Here is a clue for that last track: it famously secured second place in the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest.
At around 0900, my funeral entourage will depart from St. Peter for the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Parish. The take-off track for the procession will be Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, the British band fronted by the iconic Freddie Mercury. Because the procession will move slowly, this short journey will take about 30 minutes to complete. The full narrative of this leg of the funeral journey will form Part 3 of this blog series. Hence, 12 songs will have been performed for the combined Part 2 and Part 3.
In Part 4, I will cover the sacred rituals inside the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Parish. The service will feature a one-hour mass, accompanied by a few eulogies and personal reflections from those in attendance. Hopefully, any friends in politics will take the hint and keep their speeches from running miles long!
While the service takes place, the live band will set up outside the church to play another six songs. One of the featured tracks will be A Horse with No Name by America, the famous musical trio of Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek.
After the mass concludes, the procession will move on to Loyola Memorial Park and Garden, which constitutes Part 5. The live band has another six songs ready for this transition, including Highway to Hell by the popular Australian rock band AC/DC. This 1979 classic was famously fronted by lead singer Bon Scott shortly before his tragic passing in London in February 1980. The running total is 24 songs up to Part 5.
Part 6 will cover the remaining funeral chores. The venue for this final farewell is a pre-arranged plot in this scenic seaside cemetery.
We will spend about an hour on the final funeral formalities, including the last verbal tributes from family and friends. To accompany these farewells, the band will perform another six songs, featuring the 1977 number-one US Billboard Hot 100 titled Hotel California by another legendary American band, the Eagles.
The final Roman Catholic ritual, the Rite of Committal, will bring the blog series to a close in Part 7 as my casket is lowered to its final resting place. During this final farewell, the live band will play a sequence of just three songs (running total of 33 songs): Dust in the Wind by the American progressive rock band Kansas; Stairway to Heaven by the iconic British rock legends Led Zeppelin; and finally, The Prayer, performed as a duet by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Canadian female icon Celine Dion. The outcome is the coffin being finally laid to rest.
For Part 8, the focus shifts to a casual gathering, where guests will be treated to a modest lunch right at the venue. (Agree, I will concede: no pork will be served!) The live band will provide the soundtrack with six more songs, featuring the anchor track We May Never Pass This Way Again by Seals & Crofts, an American duo. This addition brings the concert’s running tally to 39 songs performed since the start of the final wake night.
5. Post Funeral Events: My Playlist, the last part. Or is it?
In Part 9, the narrative shifts to the first anniversary of my funeral. The live band will gather at my graveside once more to play a set of five favorite songs. The featured track for this memorial setlist is the classic Reminiscing by the Little River Band from Australia.
This final set brings the total to exactly 44 songs performed. Once again, I find myself returning to the significance of lucky double numbers in Chinese numerology.
If my family members are still up for it, they can re-hire the live band to perform from the second anniversary onward. Playing an additional 11 songs would bring the grand total to 55 — continuing that lucky double-number tradition. But that Part 10 of the whole Funeral plan, if it happens at all, is a story for another time.
I hope you stay with this and see you in Part 2!
***** END OF BLOG *****
REFLECTION FOR READERS
Dear Readers,
Have you ever thought about your own death? Or have you given it any serious thought?
Have you ever attended a funeral service that featured live singers or musicians?
I would love to know your take on my plan to blend traditional Roman Catholic rites with a live band performance to lift the atmosphere and make it a bit more celebratory.
Please let me know your thoughts!