My best friend from college is getting married and asked me to pick out music that I thought she would like. I used to play a lot of weddings when I was a young violinist, so I have a lot of ideas for prelude/processional music. However, I’m realizing that all the weddings I played at must have used the Mendelssohn wedding march for the recessional, and I’d like to give her more choices than that. So I turn to the classically-minded Dopers!
She used to play violin, though not super seriously, and has sung for many years in choir (singing mostly Renaissance choral works but also non-Renaissance classical pieces), well; she has a very good ear and a fair amount of music training. She is an atheist but has sung very many religious works so would probably be okay with works originally meant as religious as long as they can at least make a pass at sounding secular (e.g., I imagine a “Dona nobis pacem” would probably be okay, but an “Agnus Dei” would not be okay for sure).
I already know about the ones that you’d find through googling a top 10 wedding list, like “Ode to Joy” and “Trumpet Voluntary.” I’m thinking though that there must be other good classical music out there that doesn’t often get used.
The strictures:
-Mostly classical and instrumental is what I’m looking for, although if you have something Broadway-ish or pop-ish that would be perfect, feel free to rec that as well… she’s said that she might be okay with that for a recessional.
-It’s going to be piped-in music, so any combo of instruments is fine. Choral is probably okay but the words have to be at least somewhat appropriate and not overly religious (my somewhat arbitrary cut on this is that songs that mention God are not fine, but songs that reference scriptures but do not contain explicit references to “Dominus” or “Maria gratia plena” etc. are fine). I thought for a while about the wedding march from Nozze di Figaro but the words are kind of… um. But surely there are other wedding marches besides Mendelssohn’s?
-Youtube links would be appreciated so she and I could listen to a clip, but then again I’m fine with scouring youtube on my own
-I have a LOT of prelude/processional music, so I don’t need help with that… just the recessional.
Bach that fits the requirements is more than welcome (I have already told her that my recommendations will be heavy on the Bach). I think the Brandenburg concertos might fit… any other thoughts? (What do you think of the Dona nobis pacem from the Bach B Minor Mass? It just starts so quietly that I’m not sure it would make a good recessional, which really ought to start with a bang.)
For our wedding we had the Widor Toccata for the recessional. Boy howdy, if you want to get people out of the church quickly this is the way to go. But we had a mad organist and a church with a spectacular organ. The choir then followed this with a quick a cappella rendition of “Happy Trails” but I don’t recommend that, given the reaction of the pastor.
I know we’re not talking processionals here but wouldn’t it be awesome to have the first 1:45 of thisas a processional, with the bride coming in the door at the 1:00 mark? That’d be a wedding to remember…
If you’re ok with something that “sounds” classical without actually being classical, check out Vitamin String Quartet. We used their covers of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” and Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” and they sounded exactly like wedding music if you didn’t know what they were, and a bit of a kick for anybody who did.
My rabbi said, “no church music,” and we used “Music for the Royal Fireworks” by Handel and selections from the Brandenburg Concerto. I also considered portions from “The Planets” suite by Gustav Holst (especially from “Juptier”).
Our musicians tried in vain to obtain “You’re So Cool” and instrumental by Hans Zimmer, but it was not to be.
I picked the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah,” instrumental on pipe organ, as our recessional. I chose it because I was so looking forward to the whole thing being over.
(And to be picky, I think it’s technically Baroque.)
Gyrate and fachver, I like the Widor toccata! Hmm, Valkyries… I get the sense my friend would go for that but her mom might not… Whoa. That processional would definitely be one to remember! (She has sung the Verdi Requiem, too! although I… don’t think she’s quite the type for that one…)
K364, thanks for reccing that Brandenburg! I have to confess I can’t really ever remember which is which, so this was really helpful to get one that was nicely majestic-sounding.
sciurophobic, OMG this is SO COOL. I will be shocked if my friend doesn’t use some of this for her reception even if it doesn’t make it into the ceremony. This is so great! …I might also have to see if some of the PDQ Bach I have might fit in…
perfectparanoia, Hello Again, and Ferret Herder, those sounds like fun too. My sister walked to the Hallelujah Chorus, which I’d forgotten until you mentioned it, for the same reason
Oh, I forgot to mention, Jupiter! That never occurred to me – nice.
rowrrbazzle, I really like that Bach cantata. (Then again, I’m a Bach fan in general!) I like the other things you posted too. I’ll definitely be passing those on!
Used the Wendy Carlos version for the recessional.
I wish I could find the name of the music I used for the processional-it was for trumpet, brass choir and percussion- when we played it for the guy who was managing the music he said “Man, that is intense!”
Dendarii Dame, I love that one! (It’s too bad I’m not planning my own wedding!) That particular one is a little too religious-y for her, I think, but you have reminded me that I should definitely check out some Haydn.
We used Throne Room/Finale from Star Wars. It sounds practically Wagnerian to start, so it was fun to watch people twig to what it was as it continued!
