Funeral Procession Songs

The Two Most Important Music Moments in a Service

The processional (when the casket or urn enters) and the recessional (when it exits) bookend the entire funeral. They set the emotional tone and close it. Everything between those two songs is shaped by them.

Most families spend their energy choosing songs for the slideshow or the reflection moment and treat the processional and recessional as afterthoughts. That is backwards. These are the songs the room will remember.

Processional Songs (Entry)

The processional grounds the room. People are settling into seats, finding family members, shifting from conversation to grief. The music needs to be solemn enough to signal that the service is beginning without being so heavy that it overwhelms the room before anything has started.

Sacred and classical:

• "Ave Maria" — Schubert or Bach/Gounod
• "Nimrod" from Enigma Variations — Elgar
• "Air on the G String" — Bach
• "Abide with Me"
• "The Lord Is My Shepherd" (Crimond setting)
• "Be Not Afraid"
• "Canon in D" — Pachelbel

Secular and reflective:

• "To Build a Home" — The Cinematic Orchestra
• "Adagio for Strings" — Samuel Barber
• "Danny Boy" — traditional Irish
• "Going Home" — Dvořák
• "Saturn" — Sleeping at Last
• "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" — Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

Recessional Songs (Exit)

The recessional is where you can shift tone. After the weight of the service — the readings, the eulogy, the tears — the closing song can offer hope, release, or even a smile. This is the last piece of music people hear in the room, and it travels with them.

Hopeful and uplifting:

• "Here Comes the Sun" — The Beatles
• "What a Wonderful World" — Louis Armstrong
• "I'll Fly Away"
• "For All the Saints"
• "Spirit in the Sky" — Norman Greenbaum
• "My Way" — Frank Sinatra
• "See You Again" — Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
• "Fix You" — Coldplay

Solemn and closing:

• "Time to Say Goodbye" — Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
• "The Dance" — Garth Brooks
• "Wish You Were Here" — Pink Floyd
• "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer"
• "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"

Denominational Considerations

Catholic: The processional is typically an approved hymn ("On Eagle's Wings," "Be Not Afraid") or organ music. Secular songs are not permitted at any point during the Mass. The recessional follows the same rule.

Episcopal/Anglican: The Book of Common Prayer service uses three to five hymns from The Hymnal 1982. The processional sets a solemn tone, and the recessional often emphasizes resurrection and triumph — "For All the Saints" (Hymn 287) is a common choice.

Eastern Orthodox: The entire service is a cappella Byzantine chant. Families do not choose processional or recessional music — the liturgical order is fixed.

Secular/humanist: No faith-based repertoire restrictions. Check venue policy and music licensing for the processional and recessional.

Bagpipes and Live Musicians

Bagpipes are most associated with the processional at military, police, and firefighter funerals, as well as Scottish and Irish services. "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes is one of the most requested funeral performances.

If you are booking a live bagpiper or musician for an outdoor committal or graveside service, confirm with the cemetery first. Many traditional cemeteries prohibit amplified sound and some require permits for live acoustic performances to prevent sound overlap with neighboring services.

Bagpiper fees typically run $200–$350, which covers the performance plus travel. Book at least a week ahead — bagpipers are in high demand for funerals.

Timing and Technical Details

The processional typically runs two to four minutes — long enough for the casket to be brought in and the family to be seated. The recessional is shorter, usually one to two minutes as people stand and begin to exit.

Ask the funeral director or crematorium for its submission deadline and accepted playback formats, then provide your choices by that deadline. Some UK crematoriums use systems such as Obitus or Wesley Media to queue songs to ceremony timing; confirm your venue's system and requirements.

Choosing With Confidence

The Funeral Music Selection Guide includes a service music worksheet that maps each ceremony slot — processional, reflection, congregational, recessional — to specific songs, so you know exactly what plays when.