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Places
for music, in the wedding ceremony
.....** at least wherever is marked with **
.....++ optional, where marked with ++
.....**
Entrance
.....++ Lighting the side-Candles
....** Psalm
.....++ Lighting the Wedding Candle
....** Offertory
.....++ Our Father
.....++ Sign of Peace
.....**
Communion
.....** Signing of the Register
.....** Recessional
Entrance
Maybe an organ anthem (eg the Wedding March, from Mendelsohn,
Midsummer-Night's Dream) or one of the following:
Clarke
- Trumpet Voluntary
Elgar
- Salut d'Amour
Grieg - Morning (Pier Gynt)
Handel - Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Vivaldi
- Spring (4 Seasons)
Wagner - Bridal Chorus
Lighting the side-Candles
Bride and Groom each light a candle, to symbolise their intent
to marry. There are two ways that this is handled:
(1) Immediately the bride arrives at the altar: just
continue the Entrance Hymn until the candles are lit. or
(2) After the celebrant greets the congregation: In this
case, it can be accompanied by something short and simple. Whatever
is chosen can be echoed later, when the centre candle
is lit after the marriage vows.
Gentle Instrumental of an evocative
air (e.g. Wherever
You Go; May
the Road Rise, etc)
Psalm
Psalms were written to be sung – and there is a wealth of psalms
and other suitable hymns to choose from for this point in the
service.
Alternatively, you may like to have the Psalm simply read
at the service.
Like
a Shepherd
'Sé an Tiarna
M'Aoire
On Eagle’s
Wings
Song of
Service
Wherever
You Go
Lighting
the Wedding Candle (after
the wedding-vows)
Bride and Groom jointly light the candle of union, while an
instrumental is played: Continue the motif from the
first part (e.g. additional bar from Wherever You Go;
May the Road Rise, etc)
Offertory
Be aware that the length of time taken to bring up the gifts
is short, so pick something of an appropriate length – a long
solo here can cause an uncomfortable delay.
Ag
Críost an Síol
Ave Maria
Ave Verum
Lord of
All Hopefulness
I Will Be The
Vine
Our Father
The Lord's prayer may be sung in English or Irish, preferably
in a well-known melody that the congregation may join in.
Ár n'Athair
Sign of Peace
The Bride & Groom usually leave the altar to exchange the
Sign of Peace with their family & friends – and this can
take a while! The best option is something with short verses,
so that the singer or instrumentalists can keep going for as
long as is needed.
Make me a channel of Your Peace
Bind us Together
Peace,
Perfect Peace
Peace
I leave with you
Communion
The best place in the service for longer hymns. You may actually
need two hymns here, depending on the size of the wedding. Or
you might have a hymn, followed by an instrumental:
Panis Angelicus
Ave Maria
(Schubert)
The Cloud’s
Veil (Lawton)
Laudate Dominum
(Mozart)
Jesu, Joy
of Man’s Desiring
Wherever
you go
Signing the Register
This is the point when the service is over, and songs of more
secular nature can be introduced – although you should still
check with the celebrant to ensure that the chosen songs are
acceptable. There can be a lot of time to be filled in here,
during the signing of the register and the taking of any photographs.
However, it can also be a noisy time, and quite often the music
won’t be heard over the congregation, especially if amplification
is not being used for the musicians.
One
Hand, One Heart
The Wedding
Song
Perhaps
Love
The Rose
She
Moved through the Fair
Others on
the Togetherness CD
Recessional
This can be an organ anthem or a musical piece by soloist or
group.
Indoor
Photographic Session
If it's raining outside at the end of the ceremony, a photo
session is often organised inside the church. In such an event,
music can continue to be played maintaining an atmosphere of
celebration until the guests have left the church. Any of the
airs from Disks 5 or 6 would be suitable
for this purpose.
Practicalities:
-
Check your music choices
with your celebrant, as some parishes are stricter than
others in interpreting the guideline, that the
music at weddings must be "suited to the dignity of the
occasion." Frivolous pop-songs are best left
until the reception, although a light, romantic air could
be acceptable, during the Signing of the Register, after
the service.
- Consult with your singer(s)
whether they wish to wish to sing from the sanctuary, the
organ gallery or elsewhere. We recommend that, where possible,
your musicians should be visible to the congregation, to emphasise
that the music is "live".
- Once you've selected what
is to be sung, you might provide some of the lyrics
within your wedding booklet, so that the congregation may
join in if they so wish. (For lots of relevant wedding lyrics click here)
- If the Responsorial Psalm
is being sung, be sure that your first Reader knows
this, and does not jump ahead into reading the Psalm, before
your singer is ready to start!
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