Sung for someone we love.
Funeral hymns: twenty traditional choices, and when each one fits
Choosing hymns is one of the first decisions after a death, and often it falls to someone who has not sung one in years. Here are twenty that people know, with a plain note on each. Every title links to the full words.
Updated 5 November 2026
The short answer
Most funerals have two hymns, one near the start and one near the end. Choose ones that people already know, because a small congregation will not carry an unfamiliar tune. The Lord’s my shepherd, Abide with me and Dear Lord and Father of mankind are three that nearly every British congregation can sing.
Set the hymns in your booklet
Choose your hymns and we will set the words in a finished booklet, ready to print.
Make a funeral order of serviceYou see the finished booklet first. It is £24 once, with no account.
For comfort
Psalm 23. The tune Crimond is the one nearly everyone knows.
Written near the end of its author’s life. Solemn, and very familiar.
Quiet and gentle, with a beautiful last verse.
Set to Finlandia. Strong, and very moving.
Simple and warm, for someone with a plain, steady faith.
Old-fashioned and tender, and not as widely known now.
For thanksgiving and hope
Known to nearly everyone, inside church and out.
Cwm Rhondda is a rousing tune, especially for a Welsh family.
Joyful, and it ends looking towards heaven.
A hymn of pure thanks, for a long life well lived.
Grand and grateful, and good with an organ.
Long, but a triumphant end to a service.
Gentle and well loved, and known to younger people too.
For a quiet ending
An evening hymn, gentle and peaceful.
A short, simple prayer for guidance.
Light and familiar. A good choice for a gardener, or at a child’s funeral.
For someone who served
The sailors’ hymn, also sung for those who served at sea.
Often chosen for those who served. Some churches prefer to avoid it, so ask first.
Sung at Remembrance, solemn and steady.
Rousing, and well known. Check with the minister, as some churches prefer not to use it in a service.
Favourites that are still in copyright
Some well-loved songs are still in copyright, so their words cannot simply be printed. You can sing them, but the words need your church’s licence or the rights holder’s permission. Our library does not hold their words, and you can keep the title on your booklet.
- How great thou art
- Make me a channel of your peace
- Lord of the dance
- In Christ alone
- Here I am, Lord
How to choose
- 1
Start with what they loved
A hymn from their wedding, their school or their old church is usually the right one.
- 2
Think about who is coming
A small gathering, or one with few churchgoers, needs tunes people know.
- 3
Ask about the organist
At a crematorium there may be recorded music. Ask what is possible.
- 4
Check the length
You can leave out verses, which helps at a crematorium, where time is short.
Once you have chosen, our funeral template shows where the hymns go in the service.
Set the hymns in your booklet
Choose your hymns and we will set the words in a finished booklet, ready to print.
Make a funeral order of serviceYou see the finished booklet first. It is £24 once, with no account.
Questions people ask
How many hymns should there be at a funeral?
Two is usual, and three is fine in a longer church service. Where time is short, one or two works better.
Can you have a funeral with no hymns?
Yes. Plenty of funerals have recorded music or none at all. If you are worried about thin singing, a soloist or a recording can help.
Can we print the words in the order of service?
Every hymn on this list is out of copyright, so you can print the words freely. Modern songs need a licence, or the rights holder’s permission.
What is the most popular funeral hymn?
There is no official count, but The Lord’s my shepherd and Abide with me are among the most familiar in Britain, and Amazing grace in America.