Hymns for funerals: a guide for UK families

Choosing hymns for a funeral can feel like one more decision on an already overwhelming list. But it’s also one of the most meaningful choices you’ll make — a communal hymn is one of the few moments in a service when everyone in the room participates together, and the right one can carry the weight of grief in a way that words alone sometimes can’t.

This guide covers the most popular hymns at UK funerals, what each one offers emotionally and spiritually, practical guidance on copyright for orders of service, and how to approach hymn choice if the congregation won’t know the words — or if the service isn’t religious.

Quick guide: The most commonly chosen hymns at UK funerals are Abide with me, The Lord’s my shepherd (to the Crimond tune), How great thou art, Amazing grace, and Jerusalem. All work well as congregational hymns when accompanied by organ or piano.

Do funerals need hymns?

No. Hymns are traditional at Christian funerals, but there’s no rule that requires them. A humanist or civil ceremony typically won’t include hymns at all. Many families now choose a mix: one or two hymns alongside secular music, or no hymns at all if the person who died wasn’t religious.

That said, hymns serve a purpose beyond religion. They give people something to do — standing, breathing together, singing familiar words — at a moment when many people feel helpless. Even guests who don’t share the faith behind a hymn often find comfort in the communal act of singing.

If the person who died had a strong connection to a particular church or hymn, that’s usually the place to start.

The most popular funeral hymns in the UK

Hymn by hymn: what each one offers

Abide with me

Written by Henry Francis Lyte in 1847, reportedly as he was dying of tuberculosis, Abide with me is the most requested funeral hymn in the UK. Its opening line — Abide with me, fast falls the eventide — speaks directly to the fear of dying and asks for God’s presence through it. The tune Eventide, written by William Monk for this text, is instantly recognisable and singable for almost any congregation.

It works at both religious and more secular services because its central theme — the desire not to face darkness alone — resonates far beyond a specific theology.

The Lord’s my shepherd

A metrical version of Psalm 23, usually sung to the Crimond tune (composed by Jessie Irvine in 1872), this is the hymn most associated with comfort at a Christian funeral. The language of green pastures and still waters has carried millions of people through grief. It’s one of the few hymns that almost every British congregation over 50 will know without a sheet.

The 23rd Psalm can also be used as a spoken reading, or sung to the older tune Martyrdom — but Crimond is by far the most familiar setting.

Amazing grace

John Newton wrote Amazing Grace in 1779 and it has become one of the most widely known hymns in the English-speaking world. At funerals, it’s often chosen by families who want something that feels both spiritual and universal — a hymn that stands outside denomination. The progression from lost to found, blind to seeing, makes it a natural choice for a service celebrating a life transformed.

It’s well-suited to solo performance if your congregation isn’t likely to sing, as it carries emotional weight whether sung by one voice or a hundred.

Jerusalem

William Blake’s poem And did those feet in ancient time, set to music by Hubert Parry in 1916, is at once a hymn, a patriotic anthem, and a vision of spiritual renewal. At funerals, it tends to be chosen for people who loved England, who had strong associations with institutions (schools, the WI, the military), or who simply found it stirring.

It’s not a quiet, prayerful hymn — it’s rousing and communal. If the congregation is going to sing with any real force, Jerusalem is the one that tends to raise the roof.

How great thou art

The English words, translated and adapted by Stuart K. Hine in 1949 from a Swedish original, turn a sense of wonder at creation into an act of worship. It builds well, moving from contemplation of nature to the moment of Christ’s return, making it suited to services that want to end on a note of genuine uplift rather than quiet resignation.

Because the 1949 English translation is still in copyright, reproduction in an order of service requires a church or venue CCLI licence, or a fee paid directly to the Stuart Hine Trust. See the copyright section below.

All things bright and beautiful

Written by Cecil Frances Alexander in 1848, this is the hymn most often chosen for children’s funerals, or for services for people who loved the natural world. Its verses celebrate creation — birds, flowers, rivers, mountains — and its chorus is simple enough for children to join.

At adult funerals, it works well when the family wants something celebratory rather than mournful, particularly in summer or for someone who was happiest outdoors.

Make me a channel of your peace

Based on a prayer attributed to St Francis of Assisi, Sebastian Temple’s 1967 setting is gentle and meditative. It’s often chosen for people who were known for their quiet kindness or service to others, and its themes of bringing light to darkness, joy to sadness, and hope where there is despair resonate at funerals even for those without a strong faith.

Both words and music are in copyright with OCP Publications.

Morning has broken

Eleanor Farjeon wrote these words in 1931 to a traditional Gaelic tune, Bunessan. It’s a hymn of renewal and gratitude, and its association with Cat Stevens’s 1971 recording means many non-churchgoers recognise it as a pop song as much as a hymn. That crossover quality makes it a good choice when the congregation spans different generations and religious backgrounds.

The Gaelic tune is public domain, but Farjeon’s words remain in copyright (she died in 1965; UK copyright extends for 70 years after the author’s death, so the words are protected until approximately 2035).

Hymns for non-religious or humanist services

Humanist and civil funeral services don’t traditionally include hymns, but there’s no rule against it if the family wants one. The question is whether it would feel authentic to the person who died.

If someone wasn’t religious but loved music and had a deep connection to a particular hymn — perhaps Jerusalem at school assembly, or All things bright and beautiful sung to their children — including it can make complete sense. Most celebrants will work with your wishes.

Alternatives for services that want a communal musical moment without hymns:

• A folk song or traditional song everyone knows — Danny Boy, Jerusalem (which many people don’t realise is technically a hymn), You’ll Never Walk Alone
• A minute’s silence before a piece of music played by a soloist or recording
• A guided moment of reflection during an instrumental piece

How many hymns should a funeral service include?

Most UK funeral services include one or two hymns. Three is common at longer church services; more than three is unusual. A standard crematorium service of 45 minutes to an hour has time for two hymns comfortably — one at or near the opening, one before the committal or at the close.

If your service is shorter (some crematoria offer 30-minute slots), one hymn is plenty. Don’t try to squeeze in two if it means rushing everything else.

Placement: The opening hymn, after the minister’s welcome, helps settle the congregation and gives people a collective action at the start. The closing hymn, just before or after the committal, provides a moment of uplift before people file out.

What if people won’t know the words?

This is a common concern, especially at services where the congregation is mixed in age, background, or religious affiliation. A few practical options:

Include the full words in the order of service. This is standard practice and removes any barrier to participation. Even guests who don’t feel confident singing can follow the words. See our guide to creating a funeral order of service for how to lay this out.

Have a soloist or choir lead. If you’re worried about an uncertain congregation, a single confident voice — a friend who sings, a church choir member, or a professional singer — makes the difference. People will join in when they have something to follow.

Choose the familiar over the obscure. A congregation that knows Abide with me or Amazing Grace from school assemblies, weddings, and rugby internationals will sing. A less familiar hymn, however beautiful, will leave people mouthing along silently. This isn’t the moment to introduce something new.

Consider a recording. If no live musician is available, a recorded version through the venue’s sound system is perfectly acceptable. The congregation can sing along or listen — either is fine.

Copyright and orders of service

This is the area families most often get wrong. Here’s the practical position:

Singing a hymn at a private funeral service — in a church, crematorium, or any venue — requires no copyright clearance. Performing a copyrighted work at a private ceremony is legally permitted.

Printing lyrics in an order of service is different. Reproducing copyrighted words in a printed document technically requires a licence. In practice, for a one-off private funeral, enforcement is essentially non-existent — but the legal position matters if you want to be clear.

CCLI licence: The Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) Church Copyright Licence is held by around 26,000 UK churches and covers reproduction of hymn lyrics in service sheets, including funerals. If the funeral is held in a licensed church, the church’s CCLI licence covers your order of service. If the venue doesn’t hold a CCLI licence (a crematorium, for example), an annual CCLI licence is available to funeral directors and crematoria for approximately £78. Your funeral director will know whether the venue is covered.

Public domain hymns: For hymns where both words and music are in the public domain (see the table above), no licence is needed. Abide with me, The Lord’s my shepherd, Amazing grace, and Jerusalem are all fully public domain and can be reproduced freely.

In-copyright hymns: How great thou art (Stuart Hine’s English translation), Make me a channel of your peace, and Morning has broken (Farjeon’s words) all require a licence for reproduction. A CCLI-licensed venue covers this automatically; otherwise, a nominal permission fee can usually be obtained from the relevant publisher.

If in doubt, choose a public domain hymn, or ask your funeral director or minister to check.

Asking the minister or celebrant

Your officiant — whether a Church of England minister, Catholic priest, non-conformist minister, or humanist celebrant — will have arranged dozens or hundreds of funerals. They will have strong instincts about which hymns work in their space, with their congregation, and with the style of service you’re planning. It’s worth asking them directly: what have people chosen recently that worked really well?

Organists, too, are worth consulting if there is one. Not every organist knows every hymn, and a familiar hymn played well by a confident organist beats an unfamiliar hymn played hesitantly.

What to avoid

• Choosing a hymn nobody knows without thinking through how it will sound. A room of people not singing, or mumbling, during a hymn can feel more uncomfortable than no hymn at all.
• Forgetting to confirm with the organist or musician. Check that they know the hymn, have the music, and are comfortable with it. Give them as much notice as possible.
• Choosing based on what you think sounds right without checking the words. Some hymns have verses that sit awkwardly in a secular context, or references that conflict with the beliefs of the family. Read through all the verses, not just the first one.
• Leaving the order of service to the last minute. If you’re printing lyrics, copyright or no copyright, you need time to design and print. See our order of service guide for timing.

Summary

• The most popular funeral hymns in the UK are Abide with me, The Lord’s my shepherd, Amazing grace, Jerusalem, and How great thou art.
• Hymns are traditional at Christian funerals but optional — what matters is whether they reflect the person who died.
• Singing at a private funeral requires no licence; printing lyrics in an order of service may require a CCLI licence depending on the hymn and venue.
• Fully public domain hymns (Abide with me, Amazing grace, The Lord’s my shepherd, Jerusalem) can be freely reproduced.
• One or two hymns is the norm for most UK funeral services.
• Including full words in the order of service is the single biggest thing you can do to help people sing.

Hymns at their best do something words alone can’t: they bring a room together and give people a shared act of remembrance. Getting the choice right — something the person who died would have recognised, something the congregation can carry — is worth a little thought.

Part of our funeral planning guide. See also our guide to the most popular hymns for UK funerals (with mood and congregational notes for each), our guides on choosing funeral poems and readings, creating an order of service, funeral flowers and arrangements, and what a funeral costs.