Hymns for funerals are less common now that so few people attend church and may not know religious tunes but for some, a hymn is still an important element in the ceremony or service.
There’s something special about raising our voices together – however croaky, weak, wobbly or off-tune. It’s an action of mutual support and a way of celebrating the life of the person who’s died.
Top 10 Hymns for Funerals
Even those who haven’t sung a hymn since school may be surprisingly familiar with some of these old favourites:
- The Lord is my shepherd
- Amazing Grace
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- Morning has broken
- Abide with me
- Lord of All Hopefulness
- The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended
- Breathe on Me, Breath of God
- Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
- For the Beauty of the Earth
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Hymns for Humanist funerals
If the person who died was not religious and you opt for a Humanist or celebrant to lead the service, most will be OK with you featuring a hymn – either to listen to or sing along to. Beware though that Humanist services are not faith services and some celebrants would not be prepared to feature a prayer or hymn, so it’s worth checking this out.
Download a list of all our Top 10s for funeral music here – handy to have if you’re looking at all the options: classical, popular, hymns, gospel.