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CHRISTIAN FUNERAL / WAKE MUSIC LIST

Date:

23 September 2007

About:

This is a list of suggestions for Christian Funeral/Wake Music.

The following list is sorted by Title. (The numbers in the “Who” column refer to the contributors, who are listed at the end of the list).

Pertinent comments from the contributor upon submitting can also be found at bottom of the list. Not all contributors necessarily have a comment by them.

Key:

A + in the left margin indicates a new entry since the last
published list.
A | is a changed detail since the last list.

List:

	Title	(Artist)	(Who)
	A Briefing for the Ascent	(Terry Scott Taylor)	(6)
	All I ask	(Marilla Ness / the St Louis Jesuites)	(36)
	All My Tears	(Julie Miller or Emmylou Harris)	(20)
	Angel	(Sarah McLachlan)	(24)
	Back in His Arms Again	(Mark Schultz)	(25)
	Be Not Afraid	(Bob Dufford)	(15)
	Blest are They	(David Haas)	(15)
	Bullet the Blue Sky	(U2)	(8)
	Celtic Sonata	(Moody Blues)	(28)
	Come To Me	(from Les Mis)	(32)
	Crying	(Allies)	(14)
+	Dancing with the Angels	(Monk & Neagle)	(37)
	Dante’s Prayer	(Loreena McKennitt)	(28)
	Dust in the wind	(Kansas)	(5)
	Easter Parade	(The Blue Nile)	(8)
	Emily	(Randy Stonehill)	(17)
	Face to Face	(King James)	(19)
	Festival of Friends	(Bruce Cockburn)	(1)
	Friends	(Michael W Smith)	(4)
	Funeral	(Breakfast With Amy)	(3)
	Go Light Your World	(Kathy Troccoli)	(15)
	Go Rest High On That Mountain	Vince Gill (with Patty Loveless & Ricky Skaggs)	(24)
	Going Home	(2nd Chapter of Acts)	(17)
	Goodbye	(Bloodgood)	(14)
	Goodbye	(Kathy Troccoli)	(33)
	Graduating Class	(Crumbacher)	(2)
	Grandfather’s Song	(Randy Stonehill)	(17)
	Heaven is a Long Hello	(Billy Sprague)	(7)
	Heaven	(Hayley WestenraBilly)	(28)
	History of Us	(Indigo Girls)	(22)
	Home Free	(Wayne Watson title album)	(13)
	Home Where I Belong	(Pat Terry)	(17)
	How Can I Help You Say Goodbye	(Patty Loveless)	(24)
	I Believe	(Diamond Rio)	(32)
	I Can Only Imagine	(Mercy Me)	(27)
	I Hear Leesha	(Michael W. Smith)	(18)
	I Miss My Friend	(Darryl Worley)	(24)
	I will remember you	(Amy Grant)	(4)
	I’ll Lead You Home	(Michael W. Smith)	(29)
	If I had only known	(Reba McIntyre)	(33)
	In the Likeness of You	(Petra)	(11)
	Jesus Remember Me	(Taize, Jacques Berthier)	(15)
	Joy will find a way	(Bruce Cockburn)	(16)
	Just a Closer Walk with Thee	(Negro Spiritual)	(15)
	Long, Long, Long	(George Harrison)	(6)
	Look Sharp	(Joe Jackson)	(8)
	My New Life Has Begun	(Ralph Funaro)	(26)
	On Eagles Wing’s	(Michael Joncas)	(4)
	Only a Shadow	(Michael Joncas)	(15)
	Only in God	(John Michael Talbot)	(15)
	Passage	(Shannon Wilberg)	(31)
	Pledge my head to Heaven	(Keith Green)	(17)
	Pray for Me	(Michael W. Smith)	(11)
	Prayer	(Petra)	(15)
	Psalm 23	(Kathy Troccoli)	(15)
	Raging Sea	(Michael W. Smith)	(30)
	Safely Home	(Steve Green)	(23)
	Say Hello	(Billy Crockett)	(10)
	Say Once More	(Amy Grant)	(15)
	Send Me a Song	(Lisa Kelly of Celtic Woman)	(35)
	Servant Song	(Richard Gillard)	(15)
	Someday	(First Call)	(10)
	Sweet Chariot	(Traditional Spirtual)	(5)
	Tears in Heaven	(Eric Clapton)	(5)
	Thank You	(Ray Boltz)	(10)
	The Dance	(Garth Brooks)	(24)
	The Old Man	(Phil Coulter and Roma Downey)	(32)
	The Place I am Bound	(Bob Bennett)	(21)
	There Ain’t No Grave	(Russ Taff)	(9)
	There Shines the Sun	(Stephen Bell-Booth)	(16)
	Till Death Us Do Part	(Phil Coulter and Roma Downey)	(32)
	Travlin	(Loraine and Jonathan Washburn)	(34)
	Up from the Wasteland	(AD)	(12)
	Wayfaring Stranger	(Traditional American Hymn)	(5)
	When all is said and done	(Geoff Moore)	(33)
	When the Heavens Light Up	(Patty Larkin)	(20)
	When the roll is called up yonder	(Traditional Hymn)	(5)
	Wishing You were Somehow Here Again	(from Phantom of the Opera)	(32)
	With Hope	(Steven Curtis Chapman)	(20)
	You are Mine	(David Haas)	(15)

Said:

Pertinent comments from contributors. By contributor number.

---

(1) Need to watch circumstance for choice.
(2) “Graduating Class” could shock some.
(3) Don’t play MWSmith’s “Friends” at my funeral
BWA-”Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt”
(4) “On Eagle’s wings” - from Glory & Praise “Wonderful songs”book.
“I will remember you” - from Heart in Motion album.
(5) Curious topic once you start thinking about it
“maybe I should
record Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd and have my wife play it”
(7) Album “Torn Between Two Worlds” by
Billy Sprague one of most
touching I’ve heard
(9) The long version of TANG from “Under Their
Influence vol. 1″
(10) “Thank You” - can modify the words to
reflect some of the
special things done while here. “Say Hello”
- a song of reflection
and mourning.
(11) In the Likeness of You (from “Unseen Power”, I think) Pray for
Me (from “I 2 (EYE)”)
(14) “Goodbye” (about a man’s wife dying) is a metal ballad. “Crying”
(about someone’s mother dying) is mellow.
(15) “Prayer” (Beyond Belief Album) - very
inspirational song.
“Only a Shadow” - Another slow moving, very
easygoing song
(16) “There Shines the Sun” (Undivided CD)
- Written at request of
friend of Stephen Bell-Booth after death of their
friends child.
(17) Randy told me he never actually had a sister die,
that “Emily”
is a sort of composite person, but the song still
makes me cry,
maybe because *I* lost a sister.
I think B.J. Thomas did “Home Where I belong”
too, but Terry’s
version is infinitely better.
“Pledge my Head to Heaven” is what I’d like
sung at *my*
funeral, anyway…
(19) “Written for my friend Debi Christmas.”
- Rex Carroll
(Album: King James)
(20) “With Hope” was written for the
students who died in the Paducah, KY school shooting.
It’s perfect for a funeral for a young person. I
recently sang it at a 16-year-old’s funeral, and it
was very moving… Although I could barely get
through it. God is good, though, and He really has
used it to touch people and bring comfort.)
(21) Words & Music by Bob Bennett
© 1991 Bright Avenue Songs (ASCAP) From the album
(1991 / Songs From Bright Avenue / Urgent Records).
See Jay Rinkel’s Bob Bennett Web Page:
http://home.hiwaay.net/~jrinkel/bob
(22) “History of Us” from the Indigo Girls
self-titled debut album. Very moving in the case of
a spouse’s death.
(24) “Angel” - Sarah McLachlan [Another one we played at my mother’s funeral. It fit the situation very well].
“Another Soldier’s Coming Home” - Janet Paschal
[Probably the best Christian funeral song I’ve ever heard].
“Go Rest High On That Mountain” - Vince Gill (with Patty Loveless & Ricky
Skaggs) [I can’t listen to it too much because it still makes me cry].
“How Can I Help You Say Goodbye” - Patty Loveless [It’s a song about a mother who is dying and asks her daughter how could she help her say goodbye. Many tears were shed when we played this at my mother’s funeral].
“I Miss My Friend” - Darryl Worley [More appropriate for a spouse. This one came out in 2002, just a few months after we lost my mother. I can listen to the song, but have a difficult time watching the video.]
“The Dance” - Garth Brooks [The best secular funeral song, in my opinion.](26)http://funaromusic.home.comcast.net/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html(27)[At] two recent funerals this song was song by a soloist. It is absolutely beautiful, about “I can only imagine what heaven will be like.” Hope you get a chance to hear it.(30) Raging Sea, from (CD: The Second Decade, 1993-2003)
It is a powerful song and the congregation really took to it.
Our singers got choked up singing it and had to start over.
Thanks again for providing this invaluable resource.(31) The funeral song, “Passage,” composed by John Monson (a Lutheran pastor) and sung by Shannon Wilberg expresses both the pain of loss and the gain of crossing over. It is available on the cd “Songs For Seasons” from monsonmusic.com or by email monsong@uslink.net.(32) “I Believe”, sung by Diamond Rio, about the loss of a spouse, but could be applied to any one.(33) We used “Friends” which is already on your list but additionally the songs “Goodbye For Now” by Kathy Troccoli and “When All is Said and Done” by Geoff Moore. The last one, in particular, would be very appropriate for the final procession of loved ones by the casket before leaving for the cemetery.
There is also a very beautiful secular song by Reba McIntyre titled “If I had only known” which is most appropriately used for the passing of one’s spouse but could be used for any close loved o
ne.
Your list and site are wonderful.(34) This is an original song recently recorded, already been played at a few funerals, the Song is called Travlin’ written by Tim Hicks performed By Loraine Washburn http://www.soundclick.com/pro/default.cfm?bandid=189833&songid=2786036&content=song
(35) “Send Me a Song” sung by Lisa Kelly of Celtic Woman. I’m playing it at my mother’s funeral Monday. It is BEAUTIFUL. Look up the lyrics!(37) Beautiful Song.

Who:

The following people have contributed to this list:

---

(1) ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman)
(2) anderson@cs.rose-hulman.edu (Claude W. Anderson)
(3) jsteiner@anwsun.phya.utoledo.edu (jason ‘Think!’ steiner)
(4) ee2g @andrew.cmu.edu (Eleen N. Kamas)
(5) snorthc@relay.nswc.navy.mil (Stephen Northcutt - K31)
(6) burtp@aix.rpi.edu (Philip Nason Burt)
(7) y00025@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU (Kristy Olson)
(8) SOULES@ecs.umass.edu
(9) pdt@mundil.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Peter David THOMPSON)
(10) crai0010@student.tc.umn.edu (Elizabeth A Craig-2)
(11) jreid@sal.cs.uiuc.edu (Jonathan Reid)
(12) mhembruc@tse.com (Mattias Hembruch)
(13) Watterson@stsci.edu (Mike Watterson)
(14) hill@spot.Colorado.EDU (Michael Hill)
|(15) petrohd@ameritech.net (Michael J. Pietrusinski)
(16) dnw@dircsa.org.au (David N Wallace)
(17) gslade@cyberstore.ca (Greg Slade)
(18) fitzgeraldr@kenyon.edu (Rachel Fitzgerald RCTF)
(19) af883@freenet.carleton.ca (Andrew D. Taylor)
(20) malujoja@aol.com (Matt Nightingale)
(21) brightav@ix.netcom.com (Bob Bennett)
(22) grinchers@wsprime.com (Cindy)
(23) gsbc@bignet.net (Daniel T. Stewart)
(24) kcbill3@yahoo.com (Bill K.)
(25) Scarteraj@aol.com
(26) funarocalianno@comcast.net (Ralph Funaro)
(27) Watty15@aol.com (Liz Watson)
(28) BenBock@aol.com
(29) Lilmegg716@aol.com
(30) cbeeson@nevers.com(Chuck Beeson)
(31) monsong@uslink.net(John Monson)
(32) harmony895@rcn.com(Evelyn Michaels)
(33) ritacourtney@att.net(Rita Courtney)
(34) LWashburn70@comcast.net(Loraine Washburn)
(35) pronurse97@cox.net(Sheryl Smith)
(36) jhogan6@STNY.RR.COM (John)

(37) see_ya@hotmail.com(Sarah Collins)

Where:

Read it:

>http://dnwallace.com/blog/christian-funeral-music-list/

To have your suggestions included in this list email to the keeper of the list at the address below.

Keeper of the list:

mail to: dnwallace at gmail.com (David N Wallace)

>Somebody touched me, making everything new — [Bruce Cockburn]

© Copyright 1993 David N. Wallace. All rights reserved.

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—————————–

IMPORTANT NOTE : A new forum has been set up for discussion around this list. As such comments here have now been closed.Please leave any comments, queries and discussion at the new location:
funeralmusiclist.com

See you there!