Military funerals

At most funerals they sing two hymns - The Lords Prayer and Abide With Me - now known as The Dynamic Duo by many vicars.

The difference with a military funeral is they sing I Vow To Thee My Country.

The first verse is particularly relevant to somebody who gives their life in service:

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.


The second verse is usually ommitted as considered "not suitable for modern use." But we rather like it:

I heard my country calling, away across the sea,
Across the waste of waters she calls and calls to me.
Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head,
And round her feet are lying the dying and the dead.
I hear the noise of battle, the thunder of her guns,
I haste to thee my mother, a son among thy sons.


The third verse is, of course, religious:

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

In 2004, the Rt Revd Stephen Lowe, Bishop of Hulme, called for it not to be used in Church of England services, calling it "totally heretical".

Diana requested it played at her wedding. It was also played at her funeral.