by Alec
Updated August 2026
Choosing music is often one of the most personal parts of planning a funeral. If you are arranging a service for an older relative, the right songs can bring comfort, recognition and shared memories to everyone present.
Add your chosen songs to a beautiful order of service
Choose a template and personalise the wording, photographs, hymns and music online.
Music may be played as people arrive, during a time of reflection and as guests leave. Song titles, performers and hymn words can also be included in the printed funeral order of service, helping everyone follow the ceremony and creating a keepsake of the day.
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Popular funeral songs for the older generation: families often choose traditional hymns, wartime favourites and familiar songs by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Vera Lynn, Louis Armstrong, Doris Day and Elvis Presley. The most meaningful choice, however, is usually one connected with the person themselves.
Funeral songs can reflect a person's character, beliefs, relationships and the era in which they grew up. You do not have to choose music simply because it is traditionally associated with funerals. A song that they played at home, danced to with their partner or sang with friends may feel far more fitting.
The suggestions below bring together traditional hymns, classic popular songs and music associated with the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. They are a starting point rather than a set of rules: the best funeral music is music that feels recognisable and true to the person you are remembering.
Traditional hymns can be especially meaningful where faith was important to the person or family.
Wartime music may resonate with someone who served in the Armed Forces, lived through the war years or simply loved the music of that period.
Our templates can be personalised with the running order, song titles, hymn words, readings and photographs. You can change the wording and layout in the online editor before ordering.
Oak Leaf
A classic botanical design
Golden Garden
A warm floral design
Butterfly Blossom
A light floral design
Many funeral services include three or four pieces of music, although there is no fixed number. A typical structure might include:
A church, crematorium or funeral director may have practical guidance about timings and how music is supplied, so it is worth checking before finalising the order of service.
The printed order of service should make the ceremony easy to follow without feeling overcrowded. You might include:
Confirm the final music and running order with the funeral director, celebrant or minister before sending the booklet to print. Song versions can differ in length, and small changes to the ceremony may affect pagination.
Song lyrics and some hymn words are protected by copyright. Permission may be needed to reproduce them in a printed order of service, even where the music can be played during the ceremony. The church, venue or funeral director may already have suitable licensing arrangements and can tell you what wording and copyright acknowledgement should be included.
If the service is being recorded or livestreamed, separate permissions may also apply. Check this before printing or sharing the service online. CCLI provides further UK guidance on copyright for weddings and funerals.
There is no requirement for every choice to be solemn. Many families combine a traditional hymn with one or two highly personal songs. The contrast can make the service feel more like the person being remembered.
Common choices include Amazing Grace, My Way by Frank Sinatra, What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong and wartime songs such as We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn. Music from their teenage and early adult years may be particularly evocative, but their own tastes matter more than their date of birth.
It can be either, or a mixture of both. Base the choice on the person's beliefs and the type of ceremony being held. A minister, celebrant or funeral director can advise if the venue has any particular requirements.
Yes. An upbeat favourite can be a lovely and honest reflection of someone's personality, particularly as exit music. Listen to the complete lyrics first and consider how the song will feel to the closest family members.
No. You can show only the music that forms part of the ceremony, or include a separate list of favourite songs if that feels meaningful. For recorded music, the song title and performer are usually enough.
Choose a design, open it in our online editor and replace the sample text with your own running order, song titles and hymn words. You can also upload photographs and adjust the layout before ordering. Browse the funeral order of service templates to get started.
Music's role in the art of dying well is profound and far-reaching. Maggie Doherty, Director of the Centre for the Art of Dying Well, explains:
“When words aren't enough, God gave us music – a means to share truth, beauty, and emotion in a way that touches the depths of the soul and gives us a glimpse of eternity.”
Maggie Doherty, Director of the Centre for the Art of Dying Well
The music chosen for a funeral can bring back a voice, a place or a moment more immediately than words alone. Including those choices in the funeral order of service records an important part of the person's story and gives family and friends something meaningful to keep.
You can choose and personalise an order of service template online, or, if you have already created the finished artwork, use our PDF printing service.
Choose a professionally designed template and add your own photographs, wording, songs, hymns and readings online.
Maggie Doherty is Director of the Centre for the Art of Dying Well at St Mary's University, London. She is a recognised voice in conversations about living and dying well and the role of digital health in end-of-life and bereavement care. Learn more in Maggie Doherty's profile at St Mary's University.
With over 30 years in funeral stationery, Alec Sharples brings practical experience to the sensitive task of creating funeral orders of service and accompanying stationery. The family business began offline, moved online in 2010 and now helps customers personalise and order their stationery through an online editor, while retaining an offline service for anyone who would prefer guided support.
Over the years, Alec has worked with hundreds of families, listening to their stories and helping them create stationery that reflects the person being remembered.
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