Wedding music suggestions?
  • unfatmatt
    Posts: 29
    My sister is getting married in April, and asked that my brother and I would provide the music. Of course there will be an organist, but we have free reign for picking the music. Neither of us majored in voice, but sang in a sacred polyphony choir and GC schola together in college as well as now at our parish of St. John Berchman's Cathedral in Shreveport.

    I am asking for suggestions for traditional hymns for a wedding which would not be too taxing on non-classically trained singers.

    Thanks in advance.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Have you considered using the Simple propers for a nuptial Mass, or must it be hymns?

    Nuptial Mass SEP

    nottofatben
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Yikes! This probably means JMO was right about the crystal clarity needed when "defining the word 'hymn.'"


    unfatmatt,
    Did you mean "traditional hymn" in the sense of strophic (syllable count-based) poetic text wed to hymntune? Or "concertato" versions of such hymns, where they're dressed up a bit more? Or did you mean something more along the lines of choral motets or anthems?
    Then we can probably help you with more coherence.
    veryfatchazinca
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    Tips:

    Instead of a conventional bridal procession, have the couple enter together in procession with the priest. They enter last, emphasizing their role as the persons who perform the sacrament.

    During the entrance procession, have the congregation sing "O God, Beyond All Praising" (tune: Thaxted). If you have a choir, use the "hymn concertato" arrangement by Proulx (published by GIA).

    If you want to include the wedding propers in Latin or English, you can sing the introit once before the hymn.

    A suggestion for the recessional: Bach: Pièce d'orgue (Fantasia), for organ in G major, BWV 572
    Thanked by 1PolskaPiano
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    I second the recommendation for Prolux's arrangement of O God, Beyond All Praising. Click below for a recording of the whole piece. The recording is from an ordination, and there was a brass quintet, but the organ part is nearly identical to the condensed brass score, so you won't be missing out on anything.

    O God, Beyond All Praising, Prolux Arrangement

    It's not the most amazing recording (I did it myself), nor did the church have the best acoustics, but it gives you a good idea of the piece. This is edition # G-3190 from GIA.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,481
    Oh goodness I love Thaxted. What a tune.
    Thanked by 1Andrew Motyka
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,232
    IF you wish to look at a soloist-and-organ piece, look at Flor Peeters' "Whither Thou Goest". It's not difficult--but will require practice--and is perfectly apropos.
  • Patricia Cecilia
    Posts: 400
    I thought I was the only person who remembered and loved the Peeters!

    Two years ago my schola sang for the OF nuptuals of one of our members, and I transcribed the responsorial psalm (Bless the Lord, O my soul) into the Tschaikovsky setting of the same. The Tschaikovsky is in the public domain, but I could not get my hands on it via ILL, so I bought real copies from a Russian publisher (which only have the Russian :-) and wrote to the publisher asking for permission to do it in English, but never heard back, and since it's in the public domain we went ahead and did the English version. It was splendid. That wedding totally flabbergasted the (large, important) church's wedding coordinators, who had never heard chant at any wedding, as well as making an incredible impression on the 98% Protestant families--and the Te Deum chanted with intermittent bells as the recessional just bowled everyone over.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    For more modern offerings, If you have SATB capabilities, even one to a part, but confident and competent, I don't see a problem with using:
    SET ME LIKE A SEAL Rene Clausen (scriptural)
    ALMA DE MI ALMA Z. Randall Stroope (preludial)
    CARITAS ET AMOR Z. Randall Stroope
    ARISE, MY FAIR ONE, MY LOVE Z. Randall Stroope (preludial)
    A GAELIC BLESSING Z. Randall Stroope
    FIVE HEBREW LOVE SONGS Eric Whitacre (preludial)

    I've conducted these when a HS choral teacher, all excellent works, not seriously difficult.
  • Patricia Cecilia
    Posts: 400
    Charles--I'm laughing because of your list--we also sang the Clausen at that wedding, as part of the prelude, as well as the Durufle Ubi caritas. (I also like Randall Stroope's music and have done quite a bit of it with HS and college students; I particularly like Isaiah 43 and Lux Aeterna in addition to the more well-known things.)

    A long time ago I conducted and sang in the Pinkham Wedding Cantata for a wedding. Also not a bad choice but it does shade over into 'concertizing'.

    I am waiting for someone to suggest the Bach TB duet, "May God smile on you" (...you, and all your children)--we are Catholics, after all!
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    You just did, PC, that was so cool.
    "Euch und ihre Kinder" absolutely. You know that works as 2pt S/T just as well. It's a little gem, and I also have used it at a few weddings.
  • Patricia Cecilia
    Posts: 400
    I first sang the Bach at a Catholic wedding in the 80's--my conducting teacher (and wonderful Catholic and Catholic musician) suggested it and that couple really liked it. Then the organist and I thought it so pretty that we ended up using it as a flute-and-organ duet during preludes of a whole bunch of weddings where the 'all your children' aspect wouldn't have been welcome :-) Sort of like when your mother/aunts/siblings pray something for you and you're unaware of it...
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 783
    um...can there be a "flag" button on here or something?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    (marajoy is referring to a spam comment)
    It's OK; I usually spot these things and remove them.
    Thanked by 1marajoy
  • R J StoveR J Stove
    Posts: 302
    O Perfect Love, All Human Thought Transcending is an oldie but a goodie when weddings are concerned. (The tune, composed by one Joseph Barnby in the 19th century, is listed in hymnals under "Sandringham".) It seems to have been largely forgotten in my experience; it turned up again and again at weddings during my childhood (including Nuptial Masses) but I haven't heard it for ages. Worth reviving, though. Here are the words, for anyone unfamiliar with them:

    http://www.scriptureandmusic.com/Music/Text_Files/O_Perfect_Love.html

    And here is a rather ugly, computerized-sounding MIDI version of the music (I couldn't find a better version online, whether at the YouTube site or anywhere else):

    http://www.scriptureandmusic.com/Music/MIDI/O_Perfect_Love.mid
    Thanked by 2Gavin Mark P.
  • AngelaRAngelaR
    Posts: 319
    How about The Call by Vaughan Williams?
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