One of my mother’s favorite songs was “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” words by Julia Ward Howe, sung to the tune of a camp-meeting song called “John Brown’s Body.” It arose and became quite popular during the American Civil War.
I mentioned in a previous post (“Quite an undertaking,” October 26, 2011) that my mother had pre-arranged her funeral, which actually consisted of a single night of what they now call “visitation” or (worse) “viewing,” but which we used to call a wake. On the instruction sheet for the arrangements, she had marked that organ music was acceptable but added a note in the margin that said, "Do not play 'In the Garden,' or I will get up and walk out.”
She included, among the few hymns and songs she wanted to be played, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” but when the time came, I asked the organist to omit it. I was afraid that thereafter I would always associate that song with my mother's death.
“The Battle Hymn of the Republic” came up as a correct response on “Jeopardy!” recently, and it immediately reminded me that my mother wanted that song played at her funeral service.
I might as well have let the organist play it.
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