Music for Good Friday

One of my responsibilities at church is to help plan music for “special” services (Good Friday/Easter and Christmas Eve/Christmas). The congregation at LHBC isn’t huge, but we’re blessed with a number of trained musicians who offer their talents for these services.

Of all these services, I find Good Friday the most difficult to plan. It’s the most somber day in the church calendar, and we desire to properly reflect the sorrow of the crucifixion. Yet we still want to acknowledge that Christ’s death is not the end of the story. Sustaining that tension both lyrically and musically with familiar congregational songs is challenging. Lord willing, we improve a little every year!

Here are some of the songs we’ve used for Good Friday services, followed by some helpful planning resources:

Traditional

• Amazing Grace (we often use this as a closing hymn)
• Man of Sorrows – Hallelujah, What a Savior
• O Sacred Head, Now Wounded (video)
• O, the Deep Deep Love (video)
• There is a Fountain (video)
• Were You There (video)
• What Wondrous Love is This (video)
• When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Contemporary

• Forever (The Nails in Your Hands) (video)
• Gethsemane (video)
• Here I am to Worship (video)
• How Deep the Father’s Love
• The Look
• Once Again (video)

Helpful Resources

• Cardiphonia – Resources for Holy Week
• Cardiphonia – Good Friday Liturgy and Songs
• Worship Matters – Good Friday/Easter Song Recommendations
• Sojourn Music – Good Friday suggestions
• New York Hymns – free music for the Lenten season based on the stations of the cross

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