A service of songs programme sets out an evening of hymns, prayer and remembrance held before the burial. In Nigeria the evening is also called a wake keep or Christian wake. In Ghana and other places a similar gathering is called a wake keeping or a vigil. This guide explains what happens, and gives you sample programmes to copy: a full order with times, a short one for the home, and a night of tributes.
What a service of songs is
It is usually held on the evening before the funeral service, at the family home, a church or a hall. It is shorter and less formal than the funeral itself. People sing, listen to Scripture, hear about the life of the person, and comfort the family.
Customs differ by church, town and family.
- Timing. Most are held in the evening and last about two hours. All-night wakes were once common. Many churches now ask families to keep the evening short.
- Place. The family compound, the church, or a rented hall. Abroad, it is often a church hall or community centre.
- Who leads. A minister from the family's church, with the choir or a praise team.
- Other names. Wake keep, Christian wake, night of tributes, evening of hymns, vigil.
Ask your minister what your church allows before you plan anything. Some churches set the order, the length and the kind of music.
A sample service of songs programme
This is a starting point. Your minister has the final say on the order.
- Arrival of family and guests
- Opening hymn
- Opening prayer
- Praise and worship
- First Bible reading
- Hymn
- Biography of the deceased, read by a family member
- Tributes from the children, the church, friends and societies
- Special number by the choir or a soloist
- Second Bible reading
- Hymn
- Exhortation or short sermon
- Prayers for the family
- Offering, where the church takes one
- Announcements and vote of thanks
- Closing hymn
- Closing prayer and benediction
For a two-hour evening, allow about ten minutes for the opening, twenty for praise and worship, thirty for the biography and tributes, twenty for the exhortation, and the rest for hymns and prayers.
Service of songs programme with times
Here is the same order set out for an evening that starts at five and ends at seven. Change the times to suit your own.
SERVICE OF SONGS
in honour of the late (TITLE AND FULL NAME)
(Day, date), at (place)4.30 pm: Arrival of family and guests
5.00 pm: Opening hymn and opening prayer
5.10 pm: Praise and worship
5.30 pm: First Bible reading, then hymn
5.40 pm: Biography and tributes
6.10 pm: Special number, then second Bible reading
6.20 pm: Hymn
6.25 pm: Exhortation
6.45 pm: Prayers for the family, and offering
6.55 pm: Announcements and vote of thanks
7.00 pm: Closing hymn, closing prayer and benedictionOfficiating: (minister's title and name)
Wake keeping programme for a small gathering
For a wake at home with family and neighbours, this is enough.
- Opening hymn
- Prayer
- Bible reading
- Hymn
- Sharing of memories
- Short exhortation
- Prayer for the family
- Closing hymn and benediction
A short wake keeping programme to print
WAKE KEEPING
in loving memory of (TITLE AND FULL NAME)
(Day, date), (time), at the family home, (address)Opening hymn: (title)
Prayer: (name)
Bible reading: (passage), read by (name)
Hymn: (title)
Sharing of memories: family, friends and neighbours
Short exhortation: (minister's title and name)
Prayer for the family
Closing hymn and benediction
Night of tributes programme
Some families call the evening a night of tributes, and give most of the time to people who knew the person. There is less preaching and more speaking. It is often held in a hall, and some families hold it on a different evening from the church's service of songs. Ask your minister whether the church expects to lead it.
A sample night of tributes
NIGHT OF TRIBUTES
for (TITLE AND FULL NAME)
(Day, date), (time), at (place)Arrival of guests
Opening prayer
Welcome by the master of ceremonies
Hymn or song
The life story, read by (name)
Tributes from the family: (widow or widower, children, grandchildren)
Musical item
Tributes from (church, workplace, old students, societies, friends)
Photographs or a short film of (his, her) life
A word of comfort: (minister's title and name)
Vote of thanks
Closing prayer
Refreshments
A service of songs abroad
Where the family lives abroad, the evening is often held in a church hall or community centre, and the hall may be booked for a fixed time. Start promptly, keep the order short, and share an online link for relatives at home.
A sample for a church hall
SERVICE OF SONGS
in loving memory of (TITLE AND FULL NAME)
(Day, date), (start time) to (end time)
(Hall, with address and postcode)Welcome and opening prayer
Hymn
Bible reading
The life story
Tributes (four speakers, three minutes each)
Hymn
Exhortation
Prayers for the family here and at home
Announcements: the funeral or the journey home
Closing hymn and benediction
Light refreshmentsTo join online: (link)
Wording you can copy
For the cover or first page
Service of Songs
in honour of our beloved (mother, father)
(TITLE AND FULL NAME)
(year of birth) to (year of death)(Day, date), at (time)
(Place, with address)Officiating ministers: (titles and names)
An invitation to send on WhatsApp
The (surname) family invites you to a service of songs in honour of our late (father, mother), (title and full name).
(Day, date), at (time)
(Place, with address)The funeral service follows on (day, date) at (time), at (church). For enquiries, call (name) on (number).
Opening words for the master of ceremonies
Good evening, and welcome. We are here to thank God for the life of (title and full name), and to comfort (his, her) family.
The programme is in your hands, and the words of each hymn are printed in it. Please put your phones on silent. We will begin with the opening hymn. Shall we rise.
Calling the tributes
We will now hear tributes. To keep to time, each speaker has three minutes. The full tributes are printed in the funeral programme. I call on (name), who will speak for (the children, the church, the society).
For the rest of the evening's words, see the funeral MC script.
Choosing the hymns
Four to six hymns are usual. Choose ones the gathering can sing without practice. Include one that the person loved.
Mix the mood. Begin with a hymn of comfort, and end with a hymn of hope. In many Nigerian churches the evening includes hymns in Yoruba, Igbo or another home language. Print the words of each hymn in the programme, so that guests from other churches can join in.
These hymns are often chosen, and the words of each are on this site.
- Abide with Me, to open
- What a Friend We Have in Jesus
- It Is Well with My Soul
- Blessed Assurance
- Rock of Ages
- God Be with You Till We Meet Again, to close
Our funeral hymns pages list more well-known hymns with their words. See also the guide to funeral hymns.
Choosing the readings
Two short readings are enough. Passages often read at a wake include Psalm 23, Psalm 90, John 14 verses 1 to 6, 1 Thessalonians 4 verses 13 to 18, and Revelation 21 verses 1 to 7. Ask the minister to choose or approve them, and name the reader in the programme. For the words, see Bible verses for funerals.
Handling the tributes
The tributes are the heart of the evening, and they are also where time is lost.
- Agree the number of speakers before the day.
- Give each one a limit. Two to three minutes is fair.
- Ask for written tributes, and have a family member ready to read for anyone who cannot.
- Put the full tributes in the burial programme. At the service of songs, people may read a shorter version.
- Ask the master of ceremonies to keep time kindly but firmly.
See how to write a tribute for a simple structure.
One booklet or two
Some families print a separate small programme for the service of songs. Others put both evenings in one booklet: the service of songs first, then the funeral service, then the biography and tributes.
One booklet costs less and is easier to manage. If you choose one, mark each part clearly with its day, time and place.
What to put on the cover or first page
- "Service of songs" or "Wake keeping", and "in honour of" or "in loving memory of"
- The full name, with titles
- A photo
- The dates of birth and death, or the age
- The day, date, time and place of the evening
- The names of the officiating ministers
Practical points
- Power and sound. Arrange a generator and a working microphone. Test both before guests arrive.
- Light. An evening event needs enough light to read the programme.
- Seating. Keep the front rows for the family and the elders.
- Finish on time. Guests have to travel home, and the family needs rest before the burial.
- Streaming. If relatives abroad will watch online, put the link on the announcement and test it early.
Check before printing
- The minister has approved the order, the hymns and the readings.
- Every name and title is spelt as the person uses it.
- The date, time and place match the announcement.
- The hymn words are complete and in the right order.
For the announcement itself, see funeral announcement wording. For the full booklet, see what goes in a funeral programme.
Questions people ask
What is a service of songs?
It is an evening of hymns, prayer and remembrance held before the burial, usually on the evening before the funeral service. People sing, listen to Scripture, hear about the life of the person, and comfort the family.
What is the order of a service of songs programme?
A common order is an opening hymn and prayer, praise and worship, a Bible reading, the biography, tributes, a special number, a second reading, an exhortation, prayers for the family, the vote of thanks, and a closing hymn and benediction. Your minister has the final say.
How long does a service of songs last?
Most last about two hours. Many churches now ask families to keep the evening short, so that guests can travel home and the family can rest before the burial.
What is the difference between a service of songs and a wake keeping?
They are names for the same kind of evening. Service of songs, wake keep and Christian wake are common in Nigeria. Wake keeping and vigil are used in Ghana and other places. What happens depends on the church and the family.
What is a night of tributes?
It is an evening before the burial where most of the time is given to tributes from family, friends, the church and colleagues. Some families use the name for the service of songs itself, and some hold it as a separate event.
How many hymns are sung at a service of songs?
Four to six hymns are usual. Choose hymns the gathering can sing without practice, include one that the person loved, and print the words in the programme.
Make the programme with Homegoing
Homegoing lets you add the service of songs to the burial arrangements, builds the order of service for your church, and prints the hymn words in full. It also writes the biography from what the family tells it. Start a programme