Guide to Planning Catholic Funeral Music [2024]

Funeral Music

Catholic Church Funeral

There are some “rules” when choosing music for a catholic church funeral in Ireland. Appropriate religious music needs to be selected. If there is a special request then you can discuss this with the musician and priest. Otherwise the following is a suggested playlist.


The programme of music for a funeral needs to include one piece for each of the sections of the ceremony.

Entrance Hymns

• Be Still My Soul
• How Great Thou Art
• The Lord’s My Shepherd
• Be Not Afraid
• Sweet Heart of Jesus

Be Still My Soul

Psalms

• On Eagles Wings
• Be Not Afraid
• Here I Am Lord
• Sé An Tiarna M’Aoire
• Mo Grá Thú

On Eagles Wings

Offertory

• Ave Maria (Schubert)
• Ag Criost An Siol
• The Prayer
• As I Kneel Before You
• Pie Jesu

Ave Maria (Schubert)

Sign Of Peace

• Make Me A Channel of Your Peace
• Tabhair dom do Lámh
• Gabriel’s Oboe
• Shalom
• Dona Nobis Pacem

Make Me A Channel of Your Peace

Communion

• Amazing Grace
• Pie Jesu
• Panis Angelicus
• I Watch the Sunrise
• The Cloud’s Veil

Amazing Grace

End of Mass

• How Great Thou Art
• Be Not Afraid
• You Raise Me Up
• Amazing Grace
• Somewhere over the Rainbow

You Raise Me Up