27 Traditional Funeral Songs
Contents
11. The Old Rugged Cross by Alan Jackson
Song Year: 2005
George Bennard wrote “The Old Rugged Cross” in 1912. Since then, its become one of the most traditional hymns for funerals.
It’s a potent reminder for many religious people that since God took our suffering on himself, their loved ones won’t experience it themselves.
It’s also cathartic in the best tradition of old hymns. The lyrics are emotive, and their themes of suffering and loss resonate with grieving people everywhere, even if they aren’t religious.
12. The Water Is Wide by James Taylor
Song Year: 2007
A less religious funeral song is “The Water is Wide.”
The song speaks about the inevitable separation we feel when we lose someone. We still love them and may even still feel their presence close. However hard we try, we can’t follow them.
The melody is melancholy, and the lyrics are poignant, making it perfect for a funeral service.
13. Go Rest High On That Mountain by Vince Gill
Song Year: 1994
Incredibly, Gill only wrote “Go Rest High On That Mountain” in 1994. But it quickly became a traditional funeral song.
It might be shy of 30 years old, but it feels like a much older hymn. Stylistically, there’s something in it for everyone, whether you want a country song or conventional hymn.
There are even instrumental versions available if you want this song’s evocative phrasing without its more overtly religious lyrics. Remember, there’s no wrong choice at a funeral, and all these options are lovely.
14. When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder by The Statler Brothers
Song Year: 1994
It’s difficult not to find this classic hymn tune uplifting. Its melody is positively jaunty, and there’s a raucousness to the way the Statler Brothers sing it. It sounds joyful, and that may seem odd for a funeral.
But sometimes, we need something to puncture the gloom that comes with grief, and this song is guaranteed to do that. It reminds us that eventually we will all be reunited with our lost loved ones, and when we are, the day will be a happy one.
15. Chopin’s Funeral March by The London Philharmonic Orchestra
Song Year: 1975
Classical music is rife with funeral songs. Chopin’s funeral march is an excellent example.
It’s solemn and stately, bringing gravitas to the funeral service you are planning. It’s ideal for an introit or voluntary piece because its long, lugubrious phrases lend themselves to the silent contemplation many people find helpful at the beginning or end of a funeral.
But it also works as an instrumental interlude in the middle. How you integrate Chopin’s moving and reflective composition into your service doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you allow yourself space to remember the person you lost, and this music is a beautiful way to do that.
16. Going Home by The BYU Choir
Song Year: 2011
The melody for this traditional funeral song is familiar to many as the “Largo” movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony. In 1922, his student set words to it, and that piece became “Going Home.”
It’s a gentle, moving meditation on death. Many people can find death daunting. That’s partly why we struggle when we lose someone. We have no idea what has happened to them, or how or if we will ever see them again.
The lyrics of “Going Home” reassure us that we don’t need to be afraid. Death can be as familiar and soothing as a long-awaited homecoming.
17. The Lark Ascending by The London Philharmonic Orchestra
Song Year: 2010
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending” must be one of the most English pieces of music there is.
The floating phrases used in the song are tender and evocative of a lark in flight. What has that to do with death? Birds have a long history of being associated with the soul. It’s easy to listen to this and hear the gentle drifting of a soul into whatever comes next.
And because the music has such a smooth tonality, it becomes possible to put aside the agony and loss of grief and briefly feel hope that the person we love is out there, following the lark higher and higher into the stratosphere.
18. Schubert’s Ave Maria by Luciano Pavarotti
Song Year: 1994
There are many different settings of the “Ave Maria.” But Schubert’s, with its romantic phrasing and sweeping sentimentality, is perhaps the most popular setting.
It’s a heartfelt and powerful reminder that there’s always someone watching over you and the people you have lost.
19. Pachelbel’s Canon by Kanon Orchestre de Chambre
Song Year: 2009
Usually, people associate Pachelbel’s “Canon” with weddings. But its soothing and repetitive bassline makes it ideal for funerals, too.
It’s also incredibly full of feeling. The sudden crescendos and decrescendos make moving meditations on death.
20. Air on a G String by HAUSER
Song Year: 2020
As discussed, Bach wrote a composition for every occasion. “Air on a G String” wasn’t written to become a traditional funeral song. But for many people, it’s a funeral classic.
The slow, melancholy melody is wonderfully atmospheric. It’s also deeply soothing. It’s a powerful reminder that you can always find beauty in the world, even when you feel bereft. “Air on a G String” is an example of that beauty.
