What to Sing on Easter: My Top Picks for Every Church Style
- Jered Mckenna
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
First of all, feel free to grab my free hymnal I made. Hope it serves you well!
Okay, so Easter’s coming up, and I want to share what I’ve learned about what to sing on Easter Sunday. This isn’t just for contemporary guys with guitars—it’s for everyone, from bands with drums to choirs with pipe organs and pianos. These songs work across the board, whether you’re in a modern church downtown or a small country chapel.
Let’s get into it.
1. Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
If you’re from a traditional church, this one’s a no-brainer. But don’t overlook it if you’re a contemporary band—it still works beautifully. It’s got those long, soaring “Alleluia” lines, which are a rare treat for modern worship teams. Just embrace it!
Yes, it’s on the nose: “Christ the Lord is risen today.” Perfect. Straightforward. Biblical.
Celebratory. You can go full Celtic Mumford-style or hit it big with orchestration. Either way, it’s epic.
💡 Key tip: Try it in the key of E—it’s high, but it brings energy. Drop it lower if needed.
Honestly, this might be the only truly great classical Easter hymn out there. (Yeah, I said it.) Except maybe...
2. Crown Him with Many Crowns
This one’s another strong option—especially if you use a version with solid resurrection verses. One of my favorite lines: “Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed o’er the grave.”
I’ve pulled together a set of lyrics from various old hymn versions to build the best possible resurrection flow.
It’s a generational bridge too—grandparents and grandkids can all belt this out together.
💡 Key tip: Try it in C major. That range seems to work well for most congregations.
3. In Christ Alone
4. Before the Throne of God Above
These are modern hymns—but feel ancient in the best way. Don’t overuse them throughout the year. Save them for moments like Easter when you want to hit the full weight of the Gospel.
Both songs walk you through the whole narrative:
In Christ Alone takes you from incarnation to resurrection:“There in the ground His body lay… then bursting forth in glorious day…”
Before the Throne leans into the book of Hebrews and presents a beautiful, theological arc:“The great High Priest whose name is love…”
These are musical sermons. They preach.
💡 Key tip: Start in D major. Adjust up or down depending on your vocalists.
5. Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
This one’s not as globally popular, but it’s excellent. Written by some friends in the reformed worship space (Matt Papa and Matt Boswell), it’s a four-verse hymn packed with theology. The resurrection verse is especially powerful.
💡 Pro tip: If you haven’t heard it, go check it out. Great for churches wanting something modern yet deeply rooted.
6. Arise, Shine (Original)
This is one I wrote, based on Isaiah 60:“Arise, shine, for your light has come. The glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
What I love about this one is how present it is. It’s not saying, “Hold on for the light someday.” It’s saying the light of God is here—now.
This prophetic song calls us to live into that reality today. God’s redemption plan isn’t just a future hope. It’s a current invitation to walk in peace, joy, forgiveness, and love.
7. Darkness into Light (Original)
This one’s from my upcoming worship album. I borrowed a few lines from an old 1800s hymn and reworked them into something new. It celebrates how God turns darkness into light—how resurrection is not just something that happened, but something we live into every day.
🎧 Stick around after the video to hear a clip of it. Full version coming soon.
Thanks for watching!
If you enjoyed this, subscribe on YouTube or join my email list through my website—it's where I share all the best free content, song resources, and ideas I’ve collected over the years.
Let’s keep writing, singing, and celebrating resurrection together.
Commentaires