About music at Catholic funerals
Some parishes require that all funerals use the traditional chants associated with each part of the Mass - and they usually have a music director, organist, choir or cantor who can play and sing these for you. They may allow one or two favourite hymns to be included at certain times. Other priests or parishes are happy to have alternative settings of the official texts, or alternative hymns instead. You need to ask the priest who will be celebrating a funeral what is available, and what is allowed.If you are free to use alternative hymns, then the actual hymns which can be used vary widely - depending on what is known in the area. The following suggestions aim to include hymns that are commonly known and used, and which reflect Christian hope - but this doesn't guarantee that they will be known in your area. Ideally, ask the priest or parish music director for advice.
Note that this is simply a list of hymns - it does not include the other parts of a Catholic Mass which may be sung. The Catholic funeral Mass planning template lists these. You should always ask your priest or musician about these, and choose Mass settings that are known locally.
Opening Hymn
This hymn unites the people who are present, and reminds them that they have come together to pray for the deceased. If the congregation is expected to sing, then the opening hymn that is chosen should be one that they can and will sing well - because it sets the expectation for the rest of the service.The traditional chant is Requiem æternam / Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Free-use hymns which may be used here include
- Abide with Me
- Amazing Grace
- Be Thou my Vision
- Day is Done but Love Unfailing
- Faith of Our Fathers
- Great is Thy Faithfulness
- Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty
- I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
- I Know that my Redeemer Lives
- It is Well With my Soul
- Lift High the Cross
- O God, Our Help In Ages Past
- Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
- O God Beyond all Praising
- O Paradise O Paradise
- Nearer my God to Thee
- Sing with All the Saints in Glory
- Be Not Afraid - Dufford
- Christ be Beside Me - Quinn
- Here I Am Lord - Schutte
- Lord of all Hopefulness - Struther
Psalm
In between the first reading and the gospel reading, a psalm is read or sung. The Catholic funeral readings suggest a number of psalms - choose one of them, and one of the musical settings of it.
Psalm 23 - The Lord is my Shepherd
Free-use settings:
- The Lord's my Shepherd - CRIMMOND (traditional Scottish tune)
- The King of Love my Shepherd Is
- My Shepherd will Supply my Need
Settings which may still be copyright:
- My Shepherd is the Lord – Gelineaur
- The Lord will be my Shepherd - Egan
- Shepherd me O God - Haugen
Psalm 24 (25 in the USA) - To You O Lord I Lift up my Soul / Remember your mercy Lord
Free-use settings:- To thee I lift my soul, O Lord - Scottish Psalter
- Lord I Lift my Soul to Thee -
Settings which may still be copyright:
- I Lift Up My Soul - Manion
- To You, O Lord - Alstott
- To You O Lord I Lift up my Soul - Haugen
- To you, O Lord, I lift up my Soul - Scott Soper
Psalm 26 (27 in the USA) - The Lord is my light and my help
Free-use settings:
- TBA
Settings which may still be copyright:
- The Lord is my Light - Haas
- The Lord is my Light and my Help - Inwood
- The Lord is my Light and my Salvation - DeBruyn
Psalm 62 (63 in the USA) - My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God / O God, you are my God, for you I long
Free-use settings:- TBA
Settings which may still be copyright:
- My Soul Thirsts for You Lord – Hurd
- As Morning Breaks - Joncas
- My Soul is Thirsting - Wilcox
- Your Love Is Finer Than Life - Haugen
Psalm 102 (103 in the USA) - The Lord is Compassion and Love
Free-use settings:
- TBA
Settings which may still be copyright:
- Setting by Bear Music
- The Lord is Kind and Merciful (Psalm 103) - settings by Haugen, Cotter, Willcock
- CJM Music setting (ref)
Psalm 121 (122 in the USA) - I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord
Free-to-use settings:
- TBA
Settings which may still be copyright:
- I Rejoiced when I |Heard them Say - Farrell
- I Rejoiced - Boyce (ref)
- Let Us Go Rejoicing - Wilcox
Other Psalms
There are certain other Psalms are not inlcuded in the readings list, but which are popular for funerals. They include:- Psalm 50 (51) - To You O Lord
- Yes Lord I Will Arise - Deiss
Offertory and Communion
The offertory hymn is sung comes as gifts are gathered. It is optional, and may not be needed if this part of the ceremony is very simple. The traditional offertory chant for funerals is Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriæ / Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory (or some sources say it is Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem, requiem sempiternam / Merciful Lord Jesus, grant them rest, rest everlasting.)The communion hymn offers time for reflection after Communion has been received. It is sometimes replaced with an instrumental piece of music. The traditional communion chant for funerals is Lux æterna luceat eis, Domine / May light eternal shine upon them, O Lord,
Free use hymn suggestions for Offertory and Communion include:
- All Ye who Seek a Comfort Sure
- God be in my Head
- Goin' Home
- Hearken, Shepherd of the sheep - a translation of the traditional De Profindis
- Jesus Lead the Way
- Lead Kindly Light
- Lord Jesus Think on Me (not verse 3)
- My God Accept my Heart This Day
- O Master Let me Walk with Thee
- Out of the Depths
- Steal Away
- Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus
- We Walk by Faith (the words are free-use, although the most commonly used tune is not)
- We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace
- Yes Heaven is the Prize
- Be Still my Soul - Dudley-Smith
- Close to You (I watch the sunrise) - Glynn - if you have time to do all the verses
- Do Not be Afraid - Markland
- Eye Has Not Seen - Haugen
- Father I have Sinned -
- God of Day and God of Darkness - Haugen
- Hear O Lord - Repp Some verses appear to be based on the funeral psalms - probably not enough for it to be used instead of the psalm.
- I am the Bread of Life - Toolan
- In You my God - Leftley
- Jealous of the Angels -
- Make me a Channel of Your Peace - Temple
- Merciful Saviour Hear our Humble Prayer - Farrell
- My Forever Friend
- On Eagles Wings (You who dwell) - Joncas
- Peace - I'll be with You - Watcyn-Jones
- The Cloud's Veil - Lawton
- Unless a Grain of Wheat Shall Fall - Farrell
- Walk with me o my Lord - White
- We Shall Rise Again - Young (ref)
- Wherever You Go - Norbet / Weston Priory
- You are Mine - Haas
For Communion only
- Gift of Finest Wheat / You Satisfy the Hungry Heart - Westendorf
- Also, many general hymns about the Eucharist can be used at Communion.
Final Commendation
The traditional chant is Subvenite Sancti Dei / Saints of God, come to his (her) aid, come to meet him (her), angels of the Lord.This is expressed as a spoken prayer, or sung. A call / response setting of the prayer is shown in the Prayer of Farewell.
Free use hymn suggestions include:
- Now Thank We All Our God
- Blessing and Sprinkling - Haugen
- Come to His [Her] Aid oh Saints of God
- Evening Hymn (Greek) - Storey
- Faithful Vigil Ended - Dudley Smith (ref)
- Go, Silent Friend - Bell
- How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place - Joncas
- I Know That My Redeemer Lives - Soper
- May Flights Of Angels - Quinn
- May God Bless and Keep You - Walker
- May Saints and Angels Lead You - ICEL
- My God, My Father, Make Me Strong - Mann
- O Come To Meet Him / Her Saints of God - Dufner
- Out Of Darkness - Walker
- Saints of God - Haas
- Song of Farewell - Smolarski
- Receive His/Her Soul - Fitzpatrick (ref)
Recessional hymn
This hymn occurs when the people present gather around the person who has passed away, and accompany them and their family from the church building. If the people present are expected to sing, then it needs to be simple enough for them to sing while walking.The traditional chant is In paradisum / May the angels lead you into paradise.
A free-use setting of this text is May Holy Angels Lead You
Other free-use hymns suitable here include:
- Help, Lord the Souls that Thou Hast Made
- Jerusalem my Happy Home
- Sing with All the Saints in Glory
- Celtic Song of Farewell
- Go in Peace - Hart / Liles (ref)
- How Great Thou Art - Hine
- May the Angels be your Guide - MacAller; Kathleen McGrath (ref)
- May Songs of the Angels Welcome You - Dufford
- Song of Farewell - Sands
- Take my Hand Precious Lord
- The Hand of God Shall Hold You - Haugen
- The Strife Is O’er
- There Is A Place - Bell
- We Who Once Were Dead - Ingham-Smith
- Wake O Wake and Sleep No Longer - Nicoli / Idle
- We Walk by Faith
- When Human Voices Cannot Sing - Murray
- Yes, I Shall Arise - Deiss
- You Know Me Lord - Walsh
How to include non-religious songs in church-funerals
Sometimes, songs that are not religious, or not appropriate for Mass, are requested for funerals. May priests are not be comfortable including them in a church service because they don't reflect hope in the resurrection.One approach is to use this music at home, at the funeral parlour, at the graveside (or during the journey there, or at some other time during the day. Alternatively, it may be possible to play an instrumental version - this requires carefully thinking about whether the non-religious associations of the lyrics overwhelms the tune.