What strikes some as "inappropriate" is often the best fit for the people (deceased, friends and family) directly concerned, as most of the above thread demonstrates.

When my father's best friend died, his son had a couple of specific requests for tunes to be played at the beginning and end of the funeral service. Both were initially rejected as unsuitable for the venue (his local Church in Stirling) by both the minister and the organist, a well-known anthem because it wasn't Scottish and a ragtime tune because it was secular (or possibly even "profane").

However, the family's insistence prevailed. As we gathered in the church "The Entertainer" brought a vision of my dad's friend bashing away at the piano (and a smile to all who had heard him play in life), and "Jerusalem" rang out as we followed the coffin out.

Ross