Queen Elizabeth II's funeral is taking place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September, with music set to play a big role in the proceedings.
MORE: Who will attend the Queen's funeral - see names
Her late Majesty was known to have a love of music, and that will be reflected in the ceremony, which will feature performances from The Choir of Westminster Abbey. Get all the details on who the choir and performers are at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral below…
WATCH: What to expect from the Queen's funeral
Who is the choir performing at the Queen's funeral?
The Choir of Westminster Abbey, led by musical director, James O’Donnell, will sing during the service. The choir will be joined by The Choir of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, which is based at St James' Palace.
The Choir of Westminster Abbey is renowned worldwide and comprises of up to thirty boys and twelve professional adult singers, known as Lay Vicars. Meanwhile, The Choir of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal can trace its history to the fifteenth century.
MORE: How Queen Elizabeth's funeral will break decades of royal tradition
WATCH: Princess Charlotte tells Prince George to bow to the Queen's coffin
Who else will perform at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral?
The organ will be played by Peter Holder, Sub-Organist, Westminster Abbey, while Trumpet Major Julian Sandford will lead The State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry.
Meanwhile, The Fanfare Team of the Household Division Bands will be conducted by Lieutenant Colonel David Barringer MBE, Commanding Officer, Household Division Bands.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Choir of His Majesty's Chapel Royal, St James's Palace performed at Westminster Hall
What songs will be played at the Queen's funeral?
The Choir of Westminster Abbey will sing various meaningful hymns during the historic ceremony, including The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want, which was sung at the Queen's wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. The same hymn was also included at the funeral of the Queen’s father George VI in 1952, but with slightly different wording.
Other hymns which will be sung during the funeral service include The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended; and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. The latter song has featured in several royal weddings over the years, including that of Prince William and Princess Kate, Charles and Camilla and Princess Eugenie.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Graham Jones, former senior director of music for the Household Division, told the PA news agency that funeral marches by classical composers Beethoven, Chopin and Mendelssohn will be played, as they were during the funeral procession for Queen Victoria in 1901.
He suggested the funeral service inside Westminster Abbey could reflect the Queen's personal taste in music, which was said to include musicals such as Oklahoma! and show tunes such as Cheek To Cheek performed by Fred Astaire.
Lt Col Jones said: "That's a matter between church and monarch, to decide the service and service content, and I know there has been quite a little bit of rumblings in the media about Her Majesty’s top 10 favourite tunes and will any of those feature in the service.
"I never had any responsibility for that because, as I said, it's between church and the monarchy to decide the content and structure of the funeral service."
Which choir performed at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral?
© Photo: Getty ImagesStrict social distancing measures were in place at Prince Philip's funeral
Only four singers were allowed to perform at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in April 2021, due to government guidelines on social distancing that were in place at the time.
The choir that had originally been planned was unable to perform; instead, the choir consisted of Miriam Allen, Tom Liliburn, Nick Madden and Simon Whiteley who are all Lay Clerks of St. George's Chapel Choir. They were conducted by James Vivian and the organ was played by Luke Bond.
Music performed during the service included the Royal Navy hymn, Eternal Father, Strong to Save as well as Britten’s Jubilate in C which Prince Philip commissioned specifically for St. George’s Chapel Choir, and the ceremony ended with the National Anthem.
What music was played at St George's Chapel Windsor?
During the committal service for Queen Elizabeth II, the Choir of St George's Chapel was conducted by James Vivian, Director of Music. The organ was be played by Luke Bond, Assistant Director of Music.
SEE: The Queen's funeral: Prince George & Princess Charlotte's bravery & most moving royal moments
The ceremony was led by The Right Reverend David Conner, KC VO, Dean of Windsor and the blessing was pronounced by The Most Reverend and The Right Honourable Justin Welby, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan.
Sir William Henry Harris, who was the Organist of St George's Chapel from 1933 to 1961, composed some of the music in the Committal Service. In a fitting tribute, he is believed to have taught the then Princess Elizabeth piano as a child.
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity and royal news delivered directly to your inbox.
