✩⡱ music & rituals

 For this week's discussion on music and rituals, I've chosen to discuss Vietnamese funerals, and what music is played (usually). Of course, not all Vietnamese funerals are the same - so, I'll be talking about traditional Vietnamese-Catholic funerals from personal experience.

Last spring, around this time in March, my grandma passed away. I flew to California for two weeks to attend her funeral, as the whole process of a Vietnamese funeral is traditionally longer than the usual American funeral. Songs that are played during a funeral are usually all picked by the grieving family. In my experience, the songs are sung at the wake/viewing, at Mass (Catholic church service), and at the burial. Music is a huge part of Vietnamese and Catholic culture, so the songs can either by hymns or songs that were special to the deceased person.

One of the songs that are commonly played in funerals is called, "Đi Về Nhà Chúa".

The literal translation of "Đi Về Nhà Chúa" means "go back home to God's Home". From the title itself, it is a song of departure and almost closure - it is form of comfort, saying a deceased one is going back home to God.

To talk about the layers of the music, in Vietnamese music, especially Christian songs, the choir sings together and has many different voice pitches. Because this song is usually sang in church, the piano is also a prominent instrument, with added voices that sound more lament-ful.

-----

Another song that is oftentimes played at funerals is "Ngày Về".

The translation for this is "day [of] returning back home". This song is more happy, which can be heard from the more-expressive and louder piano. Compared to "Đi Về Nhà Chúa", there's also a more prominent melody with the vocals as well. This song is also a religious song that is traditionally sang at Vietnamese-Catholic funerals.

In the video is how a traditional choir is like in a Catholic church in the Vietnamese community. Men and women's voices intertwine in pitch to make songs as special as they are - emotion is conveyed by the choir vocals and piano.

You can also see people passing by in white headbands in the video - these white headbands are significant of immediate family members of the deceased person. These headbands are not only worn in Vietnamese-Catholic funerals, but all funerals in Vietnamese culture.

Both of these songs were played at my grandma's (Bà Nội) funeral in March. At the end of this month, I'm going to attend her one-year memorial, where I will sing and mourn and celebrate, all at the same time, my grandmother's life, with the rest of my family. The music that plays in church is always a special thing.

Without music, Vietnamese funeral-culture would not be the same.

Culture is music, music is culture.