Choral Wedding Repertoire suggestions
  • AdteBeateJoseph3
    Posts: 26
    Pax!

    Do the members of the forum have any wedding choral repertoire that you sing that isn’t Duruflé’s Ubi Caritas? It is a lovely piece, but the schola needs to change things up a bit! Rise Up my love by Healey Willan is one piece that is quite beautiful. Your help is much appreciated!
    God Bless
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,333
    How about the Biebl Ave Maria? Crowd pleaser if ever I heard one
    Thanked by 2AdteBeateJoseph3 CHGiffen
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,789
    We have sung this a few times, https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Cum_esset_desponsata_(Heinrich_Isaac)

    The text is used for the feast of the Espousals...
    Thanked by 2AdteBeateJoseph3 CHGiffen
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 328
    If you're thinking somewhat modern, here is Clausen's Set Me As A Seal Upon Your Heart https://www.jwpepper.com/Set-Me-As-a-Seal/1735687.item

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mVWmIj_O3E
    Thanked by 5AdteBeateJoseph3 CHGiffen cmb LauraKaz Heath
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    Assuming a context where non-Latin texts are permitted, and setting myriad Magnificats and Marian Aves & antiphons to one side....

    Exsultate Deo - Palestrina // Sing Joyfully Unto God - Byrd [same ultimate source text]

    Exultate Justi - Viadana

    Rejoice in The Lord Alway - anon. 16th century

    Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern - myriad settings to choose from, but the original text regards a mystical wedding

    in a similar vein, an indelible adaptation from the Song of Songs: I Am The Rose of Sharon - Billings (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWMPPdzErsk )

    Beati Quorum Via - Stanford

    Notre Père - Durufle

    Sing My Soul - Rorem (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2aAs08NzV8 )
    Thanked by 3AdteBeateJoseph3 CHGiffen rich_enough
  • AdteBeateJoseph3
    Posts: 26
    Thanks all for the suggestions so far! I am able to use non-Latin texts for the liturgy.
  • emac3183
    Posts: 59
    Another somewhat modern take on the Song of Songs:
    I Am the Rose of Sharon (Ivo Antognini): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnkZivbkh0g

    Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is always nice, and I would love to hear a choir do it justice.

    One communion chant option is Beati Mundo Corde (also the communion for All Saints), which has plenty of settings of CPDL (Byrd, Anonymous, and more).
    Thanked by 3AdteBeateJoseph3 CHGiffen Caleferink
  • CGM
    Posts: 705
    I've been commissioned to write music for a couple choral weddings. Here are some Communion motets:

    1. Blessed are the clean of heart, a8 SSAATTBB
    2. Ecce sic benedicetur, a6 SSATTB

    DM me over the forum if you're interested in the scores, which I sell for a nominal fee.
    Thanked by 2AdteBeateJoseph3 CHGiffen
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 417
    There’s the Gjeilo Ubi Caritas that we sang at TLM nuptial Masses

    Had a bride request Adoramus te Christe sung in SATB
    Lasso’s In te speravi Domine
    Numerous Ave Maria’s
    Palestrina’s Sicut Cervus
    Numerous polyphonic Mass settings
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,025
    My dear friend and fellow forum member Jacob Flaherty wrote this for a mutual friend's wedding... he might be willing to provide the score:

    Arise, My Love, My Fair One
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Heath
  • vansensei
    Posts: 222
    Caroline Shaw -- and the swallow
    Ivo Antognini -- Surge, Amica Mea

    The Shaw is very contemporary but it's incredible. One of my favorite choral pieces of all time.
    Thanked by 2Chrism CHGiffen
  • PhilipPowell
    Posts: 117
    I’ve done Tallis’ “If Ye Love Me” a number of times. It’s been done at quite a few of the recent English royal weddings.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Chant_Supremacist Caleferink
  • RoborgelmeisterRoborgelmeister
    Posts: 177
    Wedding Cantata (1956)
    IV. Epilogue: Set Me as a Seal
    Daniel Pinkham (1923-2006)
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Nathan_the_Organist
    Posts: 440
    I know there are a bunch of different Ave Maria's, but the one by Jacques Arcadelt would be quite good for a wedding.
  • Chaswjd
    Posts: 271
    If you can do five voice, Palestrina set much of the Song of Songs. Although it’s a bit off topic, I have always liked the Monteverdi, Ego flos campi for alto solo and continuo.
  • PolyfolliaPolyfollia
    Posts: 16
    Or, even six voices: Nuptiæ factæ sunt by Orlando di Lasso...

    https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Nuptiae_factae_sunt_(Orlando_di_Lasso)

    (as long as there is wine... or shortage...)
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 248
    Faure's Cantique de Jean Racine?
  • Clara Chung
    Posts: 22
    This is a spreadsheet with a list of suggestions I've provided for weddings in the past in my contracting work. I've mostly done Latin Mass weddings with a pick-up group of pros, so that's what this is focused towards, but hopefully this is helpful.

    I'm also going to look through the suggestions from other posters and possibly add some of them as well, so thanks for this thread!
    Thanked by 5CHGiffen m_r_taylor CGM rich_enough Chant_Supremacist
  • CGM
    Posts: 705
    Clara,
    This is an excellent list. Two small notes:
    1. The Clemens Ego flos campi is in seven voices (not six): SSATTBB.
    2. Clemens also wrote a longer Ego flos campi for three voices, which can be sung SMezA or TBarB.
    Thanked by 1Clara Chung
  • PolyfolliaPolyfollia
    Posts: 16
    Hi, Jacobus Vaet wrote an outstanding parody mass à 6v on Clemens' "Ego flos campi".

    https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Missa_Ego_flos_campi_(Jacobus_Vaet)

    And Guerrero's "Ego flos campi" à 8 is also beautyful...

    https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Ego_flos_campi_a_8_(Francisco_Guerrero)
    Thanked by 1rich_enough
  • AdteBeateJoseph3
    Posts: 26
    Thanks all for the suggestions! I hope the contributions keep coming for others to draw from!
  • Clara Chung
    Posts: 22
    CGM: Thank you for the notes! I didn't realize I had made a typo there, I've corrected that now and have also added the 3v version.
  • Caleferink
    Posts: 435
    Hal Hopson's take on O Waly Waly, "The Gift of Love" - I've done this as a solo, SAB, and SATB

    Kaye Saunders Where True Charity and Love Dwell (another take on Ubi caritas, but in English) is on SJMP. SATB, short but gorgeous
  • Quaerens
    Posts: 4
    Josquin's Ave maria, virgo serena... or if you have the resources, Victoria's Ave Maria for double choir is exquisite...
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 328
    I would also recommend Richard Rice's gorgeous SATB propers for the Nuptial Mass https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/comment/146808#Comment_146808
  • PolyfolliaPolyfollia
    Posts: 16
    And a refreshing "Ego flos campi" à 3 (SSA) by Clemens non Papa:

    https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Ego_flos_campi_a_3_(Jacobus_Clemens_non_Papa)
  • CharlesSA
    Posts: 165
    Aside from choosing music that is either directly or a paraphrase of a proper or part of a proper, it seems to me that there really is so much to choose from for a wedding Mass. Put another way, outside the Propers, one could choose just about anything at a Nuptial Mass, as long as it is not contrary to some aspect or angle of a wedding Mass or the conjugal life.

    Our Nuptial Mass (TLM) was on September 3rd, a Saturday that year, the Feast of St. Pius X in the old calendar. We chose Mass XII to be sung, which is one of the Masses prescribed (or rather, I suppose merely recommended) by the Liber for that class of feast. Outside of the Propers, we had Cantate Domino (Hassler) sung after the Offertory chant, and Caro mea (A. Gabrieli) after the Communion chant (which was repeated in between a few Psalm verses). We also had the (monastic) Solemn tone Salve Regina chanted while we made a visit to a Marian statue at a side altar at the end of the Mass.

    We didn't have much of a reason for either of the choral pieces we chose, other than the Cantate Domino sounded both textually and musically joyful, appropriate for the occasion; and Caro mea obviously for it's text and solemn beauty, appropriate for Communion. And overall we just really liked those two pieces!
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