The most popular funeral songs
There is an important distinction between a funeral hymn and a funeral song. Hymns are the pieces the whole congregation sings together — shared, communal, carried by familiar melodies. Songs are different. They are the pieces the room listens to: a solo voice, an instrumental performance, or a recording played through the speakers. They tend to be deeply personal choices — music that meant something to the person who died, or that says something the family wants said. Choosing the right song is one of the most intimate decisions in planning a funeral, and it is one we help families with every week.
If you are looking for broader guidance on every aspect of funeral music — hymns, choral pieces, instrumental music, and the practicalities of organising it all — our complete guide to choosing funeral music covers everything in one place. What follows here is a closer look at the songs families ask for most, and how each one works in practice.
The songs families choose most
Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partirò)
Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman made this song famous, and it has become one of the most requested pieces at funerals across the country. The melody is soaring and operatic — it fills a room completely, even a large church. The Italian text gives it a grandeur that feels appropriate for the occasion, and the English title speaks for itself. It works beautifully performed live by a solo soprano or tenor, and a good singer can bring an intensity to it that stops the room. We perform this regularly, and it never fails to move people. You can hear the quality of our solo singers on our listening page.
Ave Maria (Schubert)
Perhaps the single most requested piece at funerals of any kind. Schubert’s setting is tender, warm, and deeply familiar — even people who do not know it by name recognise it the moment it begins. As a solo vocal piece it is stunning: the melody unfolds with a simplicity that lets the voice do all the work, and in a good acoustic it can be breathtaking. It suits both religious and non-religious services, and it sits naturally at the reflective heart of a funeral, often during or after the readings. A live performance of Ave Maria is one of the most powerful things you can include in a service.
My Way
Frank Sinatra’s version of this song has become inseparable from funerals. It is personal, defiant, and celebratory — a statement about a life lived on one’s own terms. For many families, it captures something essential about the person they have lost: independence, character, a refusal to conform. It is most often played as a recording, because Sinatra’s voice is so much a part of what makes the song work. That said, it can be performed live with great effect by the right singer, particularly at a celebration of life where the tone is warmer and less formal. Either way, it tends to bring a moment of recognition and even quiet smiles — which is no small thing at a funeral.
Wind Beneath My Wings
This is a song about someone who gave strength quietly, who lifted others up without seeking attention. It is a tribute, and it is direct about it. Families choose it when they want to say something specific about the person’s role in their lives — a parent, a partner, someone who held everything together. The emotion in this song is close to the surface, which means it needs to be handled with care. A live performance by a sensitive singer can be extraordinarily moving; a good recording works well too. It fits naturally in the middle of a service, after the tributes and readings have established the mood.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Hopeful and wistful in equal measure. The original Judy Garland version carries a particular poignancy, but it is the Israel Kamakawiwo’ole recording — the gentle ukulele version — that has become enormously popular at funerals in recent years. Its simplicity is its strength: it feels intimate, unhurried, and quietly optimistic. It works well played as a recording, often as people enter or leave the service. As a live piece, it suits a solo voice with light accompaniment and brings a warmth to the room that heavier arrangements cannot.
You Raise Me Up
A song of uplift and gratitude. The melody builds from a quiet opening to a full, powerful chorus, and it carries a message of being supported through difficulty that resonates deeply at a funeral. It works well both live and as a recording. Live, it gives a singer room to build the emotion gradually; recorded, the Josh Groban version is the one most families know. It suits services where the family wants something that acknowledges loss but ultimately looks upward.
Pie Jesu (Fauré)
From the Fauré Requiem, this is one of the few pieces on this list that comes from the classical sacred tradition. It is openly sorrowful — a direct prayer for rest and peace — and it makes no attempt to soften the reality of death. That honesty is exactly why it works. The melody is simple and heartbreakingly beautiful, and it is written for a solo treble or soprano voice, which gives it a purity that cuts through everything else. A live performance of Pie Jesu is one of the most affecting things we do. If you are drawn to sacred music, our guide to popular funeral hymns explores the congregational side of that tradition.
The Lord Is My Shepherd (Howard Goodall)
This is the version familiar from the television programme The Vicar of Dibley — not the traditional hymn tune Crimond, but Howard Goodall’s gentle, contemplative setting. It has a stillness to it that the hymn version does not, and it works as a piece to listen to rather than sing along with. It suits services where the family wants something recognisable and comforting but not overtly congregational. It is lovely as a live solo and also works well as a recording. Families sometimes pair it with the traditional hymn version of Psalm 23 elsewhere in the service, which creates a quiet echo between the two.
Nimrod (Elgar)
The ninth of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, and perhaps the most deeply moving piece of instrumental music in the English repertoire. It builds from a whispered opening to a full, noble climax before retreating again, and it says more without words than most songs manage with them. It is quintessentially English, and it is associated with remembrance, dignity, and quiet courage. It works beautifully performed by a string quartet — the intimacy of live strings in a church is hard to describe until you have heard it — and also works well played as an orchestral recording. It is often chosen for the entry or exit of the coffin, where its slow, stately pace feels exactly right. Our services page has more on the instrumental ensembles we offer.
Candle in the Wind
Elton John’s song became indelibly associated with grief after its performance at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. That association has lasted, and families still choose it when they want something that speaks of a life cut short or a light that burned brightly. It is a personal tribute in musical form, and it carries a directness that more formal pieces sometimes lack. It is most commonly played as a recording, though it can be performed live by a singer and pianist to powerful effect. It suits services where the family wants the music to feel honest and unguarded rather than composed and liturgical.
You can hear our musicians performing a range of funeral music on our listening page, and our pricing page sets out clearly what each option costs.
Live music or a recording?
This is one of the first practical questions families face, and there is no single right answer. Some songs are so closely tied to a particular artist’s voice that a recording feels like the only honest choice. My Way with Sinatra, Somewhere Over the Rainbow with Kamakawiwo’ole, Candle in the Wind with Elton John — these recordings carry a weight of association that a live performance, however good, does not attempt to replicate. Playing the original is not a lesser choice; it is simply a different one, and sometimes it is exactly right.
Other songs are transformed by a live performance. Ave Maria, Pie Jesu, and Time to Say Goodbye all belong in this category. When a singer stands in the same room as the congregation and performs one of these pieces, something happens that a speaker system cannot produce. The sound is alive; it fills the space naturally; it responds to the room and the moment. A live Ave Maria in a church with good acoustics is an experience people remember for years.
Many families choose a combination, and this often works best of all. A live soprano for Ave Maria during the service, and a Sinatra recording of My Way as people leave — that gives you the intimacy of live performance where it matters most and the authenticity of the original where it counts. If you are unsure what would work for your service, we are always happy to talk it through. We do this every week, and we can suggest what tends to work well in different venues and at different points in a service. Our guide to choosing funeral music goes into more detail on how to structure the music across the whole service.
Combining songs with hymns
Most funeral services include both hymns and songs, and they serve different purposes. Hymns are the moments where the congregation participates — everyone stands, everyone sings, and the room is briefly united in something shared. Songs are the moments where people listen, reflect, and feel. The two work together naturally: a strong opening hymn to draw everyone in, a solo song after the readings to let the emotion land, a closing hymn to send people out with something to hold on to.
If you are choosing hymns as well, our guide to the most popular funeral hymns covers the ones that work best and why. And for services that lean more towards personal reflection — celebrations of life, non-religious ceremonies, or less formal gatherings — our guide to music for a celebration of life explores the wider range of options available. The complete funeral music guide brings all of this together in one place.
We can help you choose
Choosing the right songs for a funeral is a deeply personal decision, and it can feel overwhelming when you are grieving. We help families with this every week, and we understand that what you need most is a calm, knowledgeable voice at the other end of the phone. We can talk you through the options, suggest what works well in your venue, and help you shape the music so it feels right for the person and the occasion. There is no obligation and no pressure — just a straightforward conversation about what might work.
Speak to us about funeral songs
Or call us on 07356 042468. We’re glad to help at any stage.