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Fellow musicians remembered hearing Wallace Henry Hartley say if he was ever on a sinking ship, he’d play “Nearer My God to Thee” or “Oh God Our Help in Ages Past.” When the Titanic sank, most people were too preoccupied to notice which tune Hartley’s band played last. Wallace’s body was one of 340 retrieved from the North Atlantic. Surprisingly, his violin was also recovered. Wallace’s body was laid to rest near the Lancashire Methodist church where his father had been choirmaster. “Nearer My God to Thee” was played at his service, and the hymn is inscribed on his headstone. The violin had been an engagement present from Wallace’s fiancée. The Titanic sank before the wedding could take place, but the violin was returned to her. It was rediscovered in an attic, cracked, water-damaged and unplayable. After years of forensic research to determine authenticity, Wallace’s violin sold at auction for £900,000 – to date the most expensive Titanic memorabilia.