Hymns are a beautiful accompaniment to any funeral. They can be uplifting, tearjerking or somewhere in the middle, but they always move you emotionally in a way few things can. Below we've collated the most beautiful funeral hymns for Mum, Dad or anybody at all.
Though hymns are traditionally sung at religious funerals, especially Catholic funerals, hymns are no longer exclusively religious and can be sung at any type of funeral service - apart from a direct cremation which is a cremation without a funeral service.
It doesn't matter whether it's a small, attended cremation, a simple funeral service or a non-religious burial. If you have the scope to personalise a funeral however you'd like, you can incorporate a hymn into the [uneral service.
If you'd like to know more about how to organise a personal funeral service, you can call our team on 01543 211997 or continue to read on for the funeral hymn examples.
At a Christian funeral service, there are usually at least two hymns sung. The funeral service usually opens with a hymn and closes with a hymn, and often there are hymns dotted throughout the service too.
At a non religious or non traditional funeral service, you can have as few or as many hymns as you like - the choice rests with you and your family. You will just have to consider the length of the service and the length of the hymn so you can schedule the funeral service appropriately.
Hymns are often passed down the family tree. Once a hymn is heard at a funeral of a loved one, that hymn often becomes very special to us and resonates with us on a very deep level, and therefore we often like to have hymns at our funeral that we hear at a loved one's.
For that reason, many of the most popular hymns in the UK today have been atop the list for decades. You'll likely recognise a few.
Site Manager at West Suffolk Cemetery & Crematorium
"Having worked at Cam Valley Crematorium and West Suffolk Crematorium for the past 13 years, the four most popular funeral hymns I've heard played at either a just cremation funeral service or attended funeral service are Amazing Grace, Jerusalem, Abide With Me and How Great Thou Art. That might not be too much of a surprise to many of you. Each of those hymns are so beautiful in their own way, and they'll likely remain the most popular hymns for many years to come too."
Of all the Christian denominations, Catholicism is the one most associated with hymns, as they are widely used for pilgrimages as well as a constant at mass.
How Great Thou Art, Abide With Me and Amazing Grace are common Catholic funeral hymns, but there are many more too.
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Get our guideHymns are very traditional pieces of music, but new hymns are still coming out every year. Indeed, some of the biggest musical hits in recent times have been adapted from modern hymns.
You may recognise a few of them below.
There are many funeral hymns for dad that can provide a meaningful and heartfelt tribute. For football fans and cricket fans, Abide with me and Jerusalem may be good options to pick.
Or, maybe one of the two examples below.
For many of us, our mothers and grandmothers would have been the ones to get us into hymns. Whether it was sitting beside them in church or whether it was them listening to Songs of Praise on TV, it's hard not to associate a hymn or two with your mum.
Here's a couple of hymns that might be appropriate for your mum's funeral.
Looking for more? Below are a few further articles that you may be interested in.
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Funeral poem ideasWe offer the highest level of support, but don't just take our word for it. Below are recent reviews from customers who bought a funeral with us.
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Westerleigh Group including Distinct Cremations carried out over 74,000 cremations in 2024.
