| Church of St. Anselm Music Ministry |
| Funeral/Memorial Mass Music |
Planning a funeral or memorial mass in celebration of the life of a loved one may seem very
difficult. A member of the parish bereavement team will assist you in the planning of the
service. Music is a way of expressing our faith during this difficult time. There are a variety
of appropriate music selections that may be used at a funeral liturgy. You may select from a
list the songs that you wish us to use at the mass. However, if you prefer, we will select
appropriate music for you. If you have any questions please contact Michael Zorner, the
parish music director, by calling the parish office at 732-493-4411 ext. 303 or by e-mailing
mzorner[at]stanselmmusic.com. (Please note: email is the preferred method of
communication and will often get a faster response.)
Below are listed the parish guidelines for funeral/memorial mass music at St. Anselm.
1. Sacred music is an expression of the assembly's prayer and praise to God for memory of
your loved one. For this reason, the music used in church will be sacred in nature and
liturgically appropriate.
2. The fee for musicians and cantors is $100 per person. This is typically paid through the
funeral home. Please advise the funeral director that payment is required before the mass.
There will be one cantor and one accompanist present at the mass for a total of $200.
3. A typical funeral mass lasts one hour. In the event that the service runs significantly
longer the musicians may request an additional $25-$50 depending on the time the service
ends. Also, in the event that the funeral home does not have payment on the day of the
funeral, an additional fee of $25 will be added for each musician. Any additional fees will
be paid for by the funeral home. Please keep in mind that at times our musicians provide
music for funerals at other parishes and may have to leave before the end of the service if it
is running significantly late.
4. Parish musicians and cantors are used for the Liturgy. Our parish musicians and cantors
are trained to lead music at Catholic Masses, including funerals. In the event that a family
member or friend wishes to sing at the funeral service you must contact the music director as
soon as possible. Once approved, the family member or friend may sing one song during
the funeral mass, typically during the presentation of the gifts. The song must be approved
by the director of music and must be liturgically appropriate. Rehearsal for the song will
take place 30 minutes prior to the mass. If a separate rehearsal time is needed it can be
arranged through the director of music for a fee of $50 per hour. Family members, friends
and other musicians are not permitted to lead music for the entire mass. A parish cantor
and musician must be present.
Please note: Due to the fact that funerals are scheduled a day or two in advance and that
many of our cantors and musicians work full time jobs, it is often difficult to honor requests
for specific cantors. While we will do our best to honor your requests, please understand
that cantor you request many not be available.
difficult. A member of the parish bereavement team will assist you in the planning of the
service. Music is a way of expressing our faith during this difficult time. There are a variety
of appropriate music selections that may be used at a funeral liturgy. You may select from a
list the songs that you wish us to use at the mass. However, if you prefer, we will select
appropriate music for you. If you have any questions please contact Michael Zorner, the
parish music director, by calling the parish office at 732-493-4411 ext. 303 or by e-mailing
mzorner[at]stanselmmusic.com. (Please note: email is the preferred method of
communication and will often get a faster response.)
Below are listed the parish guidelines for funeral/memorial mass music at St. Anselm.
1. Sacred music is an expression of the assembly's prayer and praise to God for memory of
your loved one. For this reason, the music used in church will be sacred in nature and
liturgically appropriate.
2. The fee for musicians and cantors is $100 per person. This is typically paid through the
funeral home. Please advise the funeral director that payment is required before the mass.
There will be one cantor and one accompanist present at the mass for a total of $200.
3. A typical funeral mass lasts one hour. In the event that the service runs significantly
longer the musicians may request an additional $25-$50 depending on the time the service
ends. Also, in the event that the funeral home does not have payment on the day of the
funeral, an additional fee of $25 will be added for each musician. Any additional fees will
be paid for by the funeral home. Please keep in mind that at times our musicians provide
music for funerals at other parishes and may have to leave before the end of the service if it
is running significantly late.
4. Parish musicians and cantors are used for the Liturgy. Our parish musicians and cantors
are trained to lead music at Catholic Masses, including funerals. In the event that a family
member or friend wishes to sing at the funeral service you must contact the music director as
soon as possible. Once approved, the family member or friend may sing one song during
the funeral mass, typically during the presentation of the gifts. The song must be approved
by the director of music and must be liturgically appropriate. Rehearsal for the song will
take place 30 minutes prior to the mass. If a separate rehearsal time is needed it can be
arranged through the director of music for a fee of $50 per hour. Family members, friends
and other musicians are not permitted to lead music for the entire mass. A parish cantor
and musician must be present.
Please note: Due to the fact that funerals are scheduled a day or two in advance and that
many of our cantors and musicians work full time jobs, it is often difficult to honor requests
for specific cantors. While we will do our best to honor your requests, please understand
that cantor you request many not be available.