Cremation Songs
Cremation songs need to work within a shorter, more focused ceremony — typically 20-40 minutes with 3-4 musical moments. “Ave Maria” by Schubert, “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli, and “My Way” by Frank Sinatra are the most chosen. The committal song — played as the curtain closes — is the most important musical decision of the service.
Songs for Cremation Service
Songs for a cremation service should match the ceremony's intimate, concentrated format. Unlike longer funeral services, every song carries significant weight. These are the most chosen songs across all three ceremony moments — entrance, service, and committal.
“Ave Maria” — Schubert
The most performed cremation song across the UK and Europe. Its gradual build from gentle opening to soaring climax mirrors the emotional arc of the ceremony itself. Works for both religious and secular services.
“Time to Say Goodbye” — Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman
The title makes it a natural committal song. The operatic duet builds to a dramatic crescendo that coincides powerfully with the curtain closing. At 4:05, it fits the ceremony timing perfectly.
“My Way” — Frank Sinatra
A life retrospective in song form — "I did it my way" resonates as a final statement. Often chosen by the deceased themselves as part of their funeral plan. Works as either a service song or committal piece.
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” — Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
The gentle ukulele arrangement creates warmth without heaviness. At 3:28, it fits any ceremony position. The theme of a better place beyond resonates with the cremation moment.
“Nimrod (Enigma Variations)” — Edward Elgar
The most popular instrumental choice for cremation committals. Its emotional build from whisper to full orchestral swell creates a deeply moving backdrop as the curtain draws.
Music for Cremation Ceremony by Moment
A cremation ceremony has three distinct musical moments, each serving a different emotional purpose. Choosing songs that match each moment creates a coherent emotional journey for mourners.
Entrance
As mourners take their seats. Choose something gentle and welcoming — “Canon in D,” “Clair de Lune,” or “What a Wonderful World.” This sets the tone without overwhelming.
During Service
Played between readings or after the eulogy. This is the most personal slot — the deceased's favourite song, a meaningful hymn, or a song that captures who they were.
Committal
As the curtain closes. The most emotionally significant moment. Choose a song with a natural build — “Nimrod,” “Time to Say Goodbye,” or “Ave Maria.”
Cremation Committal Songs
The committal — when the curtain draws around the coffin — is unique to cremation services and carries the ceremony's deepest emotional weight. These songs are specifically chosen for that moment.
“Nimrod (Enigma Variations)” — Edward Elgar
Instrumental, so it doesn't compete with the visual gravity of the curtain closing. The slow build from pianissimo to full orchestra creates an overwhelming emotional swell.
“Pie Jesu” — Andrew Lloyd Webber (from Requiem)
A prayer for eternal rest set to achingly beautiful music. The simplicity of the boy soprano version makes it devastating at the committal moment.
“Abide with Me” — Hymn (Henry Francis Lyte)
A hymn about God's presence at the moment of death — "when other helpers fail and comforts flee." The familiarity allows mourners to sing along, creating communal comfort.
Top 10 Cremation Songs
The most chosen songs for cremation services, ranked by popularity across all ceremony moments.
Amazing Grace
Traditional
A timeless hymn of redemption and hope that has comforted mourners for centuries.
Why it's meaningful: This beloved hymn speaks of salvation and the journey from loss to grace, offering profound comfort to those grieving.
Best moment: Often played during the processional or as a closing hymn.
Taps
Traditional Military
The iconic bugle call played at military funerals, symbolizing final rest and peace.
Why it's meaningful: A deeply reverent tribute that honors military service and sacrifice.
Best moment: Traditionally played during the flag folding ceremony or final farewell.
Precious Lord, Take My Hand
Mahalia Jackson
Written by Thomas Dorsey after losing his wife and infant son, this deeply personal hymn has become the quintessential gospel funeral song.
Why it's meaningful: Its heartfelt plea for divine guidance through life's darkness resonates deeply with mourners.
Best moment: Perfect for processional or during reflection moments.
When the Saints Go Marching In
Louis Armstrong
The quintessential New Orleans jazz funeral song, starting somber then exploding into joyful celebration during the second line.
Why it's meaningful: Embodies New Orleans jazz funeral tradition - mourning the loss while celebrating the soul's journey to heaven.
Best moment: Recessional or second line celebration, especially for New Orleans funerals.
Danny Boy
Traditional Irish
Ireland's most beloved song—a parent's farewell to a child going away, perhaps forever.
Why it's meaningful: The ultimate Irish funeral song. The promise to sleep in peace until the loved one returns is deeply moving.
Best moment: During the service or graveside. No Irish funeral is complete without it.
Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen
A haunting meditation on love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.
Why it's meaningful: Cohen's masterpiece captures the bittersweet nature of life and love, resonating deeply at farewell moments.
Best moment: Perfect for reflection during the service or viewing.
Time to Say Goodbye
Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman
A powerful duet about parting that combines classical grandeur with emotional depth.
Why it's meaningful: The soaring vocals and orchestral arrangement create a moment of beautiful farewell.
Best moment: Often chosen for the final farewell or committal.
How Great Thou Art
Traditional Hymn
A majestic hymn praising God
Why it's meaningful: Offers hope of reunion in heaven and celebrates faith
Best moment: Powerful as a congregational hymn or solo performance.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
A gentle ukulele version that transforms the classic into a peaceful farewell.
Why it's meaningful: The Hawaiian rendition brings a sense of peace and the promise of a better place.
Best moment: Creates a serene atmosphere during reflection or exit.
Requiem
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart's unfinished masterpiece, a hauntingly beautiful mass for the dead composed in his final days.
Why it's meaningful: Combines the majesty of classical music with the solemnity of the Catholic mass for the dead.
Best moment: Appropriate for formal Catholic services or classical music lovers.
All Cremation Songs
Adagio for Strings
Samuel Barber
One of the most emotionally powerful pieces in classical music.
Why it's meaningful: Expresses grief with such depth that it has become synonymous with mourning and remembrance.
Best moment: Creates a profound atmosphere during the most solemn moments of the service.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon and Garfunkel
A promise of support and comfort through life's troubled waters.
Why it's meaningful: Celebrates those who were sources of strength and refuge for others.
Best moment: Perfect for honoring someone who was always there for others.
The Prayer
Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli
A beautiful duet prayer for guidance and protection in multiple languages.
Why it's meaningful: Combines English and Italian to create a universal prayer for peace and guidance.
Best moment: Creates a transcendent moment during the service.
Going Up Yonder
Walter Hawkins
This uplifting anthem celebrates the promise of heaven and eternal life, transforming grief into hope.
Why it's meaningful: A staple in Black Protestant funeral traditions, it focuses on the glorious reunion awaiting believers in heaven during homegoing services.
Best moment: Powerful as a recessional or celebration of life moment.
Soon and Very Soon
Andraé Crouch
This triumphant song anticipates the joy of seeing Jesus and being reunited with loved ones in heaven.
Why it's meaningful: Based on Revelation 21:3-4, it speaks of no more crying or dying. Performed at Michael Jackson's memorial service.
Best moment: Celebratory recessional or closing hymn.
I'll Fly Away
Albert Brumley
This song uses the metaphor of a bird freed from prison to describe the soul's joyous release into heaven.
Why it's meaningful: The most recorded gospel song of all time with over 1,000 versions, celebrating joyous liberation death brings to believers.
Best moment: Perfect for New Orleans jazz funerals and celebration of life services.
It Is Well With My Soul
Horatio Spafford
Written as Spafford sailed over the spot where his four daughters drowned, this hymn of faith emerged from unimaginable grief.
Why it's meaningful: Despite devastating loss, Spafford declared 'it is well' - a profound statement of faith that inspires mourners.
Best moment: Powerful testimony of faith during the darkest moments.
One Sweet Day
Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
A powerful duet about missing someone and looking forward to reunion, expressing all the things left unsaid.
Why it's meaningful: The soaring harmonies and emotional vocals create a cathartic release while offering hope of eventual reunion and expressing unspoken love.
Best moment: Emotional peak moment during service, allows congregants to fully feel their grief.
It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men's acapella ballad about parting ways, made iconic by the movie Cooley High.
Why it's meaningful: The harmony-driven vocals capture the collective grief of saying goodbye, making it perfect for young people or tight-knit groups.
Best moment: Powerful for younger generations or honoring friendships and brotherhood.
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan's folk-rock classic about preparing for death, originally written for the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
Why it's meaningful: The tired resignation in the lyrics honors those ready to rest after life's long journey.
Best moment: For honoring lives of struggle or those ready to lay down burdens.
A Change Is Gonna Come
Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke's civil rights anthem about hope and perseverance through struggle.
Why it's meaningful: Written shortly before Cooke's death, it carries prophetic weight about change and justice.
Best moment: Powerful for activists, civil rights advocates, or those who persevered through injustice.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
The Carter Family
Classic American folk hymn about family reunion in heaven, with the Carter Family's iconic harmonies.
Why it's meaningful: The promise of reuniting in an unbroken circle offers hope that families separated by death will be together again.
Best moment: Perfect for family patriarchs/matriarchs or emphasizing heavenly reunion.
Georgia on My Mind
Ray Charles
Ray Charles' iconic soul interpretation of the Hoagy Carmichael classic, full of longing for home.
Why it's meaningful: The longing for Georgia represents nostalgia for home and better times, honoring those who cherished their roots.
Best moment: Perfect for Georgia natives or honoring homesick souls.
End of the Road
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men's emotional R&B ballad about reaching the painful end of a relationship.
Why it's meaningful: The raw emotion in accepting that we've reached the end captures the finality of loss.
Best moment: Emotional choice for 90s music lovers or expressing the finality of loss.
We'll Meet Again
Vera Lynn
Iconic WWII-era song promising reunion, embodying hope during separation and loss.
Why it's meaningful: Offers comfort through the belief that loved ones will be reunited beyond this life.
Best moment: Perfect for honoring the Greatest Generation or those who lived through WWII.
You'll Never Walk Alone
From Carousel (1945)
Powerful anthem of hope and companionship through life's darkest storms.
Why it's meaningful: Reassures mourners they are not alone in their grief journey.
Best moment: Inspiring as a closing hymn or recessional.
Even Though I'm Leaving
Luke Combs
A modern masterpiece of storytelling — child afraid of monsters, son leaving for the army, father dying. Three verses spanning a lifetime.
Why it's meaningful: Emphasizes the continuity of a father's protection even after death. The narrative arc mirrors the mourner's own life with their dad.
Best moment: Tribute moment for fathers, especially from the perspective of a son.
I Will Always Love You
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton's original — a graceful farewell that acknowledges the bittersweet nature of parting while affirming eternal love.
Why it's meaningful: Themes of eternal love make it a funeral staple. The country original is more intimate than the Whitney Houston version.
Best moment: Spouse's funeral or mother's farewell. The stripped-back arrangement lets the words carry the weight.
Spirit in the Sky
Norman Greenbaum
Psychedelic rock-gospel fusion with a gritty fuzz guitar riff. The most direct funeral instruction in rock history.
Why it's meaningful: Reframes death as preparation for the 'place that's the best.' The stomping beat forces a march-like exit, turning the recessional into a parade.
Best moment: Recessional. The definitive choice for the 'cool dad' or rock-and-roll enthusiast.
Here Comes the Sun
The Beatles
George Harrison's gentle acoustic anthem about darkness giving way to light. One of the most hopeful songs ever written.
Why it's meaningful: Frames grief as a long winter that will eventually end. The simple melody and warm acoustic guitar provide genuine comfort.
Best moment: Recessional or end of service. Universally appropriate and deeply comforting.
Common Questions
What songs are played at a cremation service?
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The most popular songs played at cremation services are "Ave Maria" by Schubert, "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman, "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, and "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler. Cremation services typically include 3-4 songs: one for the entrance, one during the service, and one as the curtain closes or coffin is committed. The final song — played as the curtain draws — carries the most emotional weight and is often the most carefully chosen.
How many songs are played at a cremation?
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A standard cremation service includes 3-4 songs across a 20-40 minute ceremony. The typical structure is: one song as mourners enter (2-4 minutes), one reflective piece during the service (3-5 minutes), and one final song as the curtain closes or the coffin is committed (3-5 minutes). Some services add a fourth song during a reading or eulogy. Crematorium time slots are usually 30-45 minutes, so keep your total music time under 15 minutes to allow for readings, eulogies, and moments of silence.
What song is played when the curtain closes at a cremation?
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The most popular songs for the curtain closing (committal) moment at a cremation are "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman, "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, "Ave Maria" by Schubert, "Nimrod" from Enigma Variations by Elgar, and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. This is the most emotionally significant musical moment of a cremation service. Many families choose a song with a natural build to a climax that coincides with the curtain drawing. Instrumental pieces like "Nimrod" or "Canon in D" work well because they let mourners focus on the visual moment.
Can you play any music at a crematorium?
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Most modern crematoria can play virtually any music — they have digital music systems with databases of thousands of songs, plus the ability to play CDs, USB drives, or streaming services. Some crematoria charge a small fee for sourcing specific tracks. Very few songs are restricted, though the crematorium may advise against extremely long tracks (over 6 minutes) due to time constraints. Religious crematoria may have guidelines about secular music. Always confirm your song choices with the crematorium or funeral director at least a week before the service.
What is the difference between cremation and funeral music?
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Cremation services are typically shorter (20-40 minutes vs. 45-90 minutes for traditional funerals), so music choices need to be more concise and impactful. Cremation services usually have 3-4 songs versus 5-7 for a full funeral. The key difference is the committal moment — when the curtain closes around the coffin — which has no equivalent in a burial service and requires a carefully chosen final song. Cremation services also tend to be more flexible with music genres since many are held in non-denominational crematoria rather than churches.
Should cremation music be sad or uplifting?
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The best cremation music blends both. A common approach is: gentle and reflective for the entrance, meaningful and personal during the service, and either deeply emotional or surprisingly uplifting for the committal. Many families choose an emotional piece for the curtain closing ("Ave Maria," "Nimrod") while others prefer something hopeful ("Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "What a Wonderful World"). There is no right answer — it depends on the deceased's wishes, the family's preferences, and the overall tone of the service. The trend is toward more personalised, uplifting choices.