 Wedding Music Suggestions
PRELUDES
Preludes are pieces of music played while guests enter the church. As
such, they help create a mood but, in general, are not really attended to
by the wedding guests. Generally, fifteen - twenty minutes of preludes are
sufficient. The flow and selection of preludes are usually best left to
the discretion and experience of the accompanist.
PROCESSIONALS AND RECESSIONALS
The processional is music that accompanies the entrance of the ministers
and wedding party into the church. While it is most often instrumental,
there may be occasions when you would want to have a congregational hymn
as the processional. The recessional is music that accompanies the leaving
of the ministers and wedding party.
-Trumpet Tune [Clarke]
-Rigandon [Campra]
-Prince of Denmark [Clarke]
-Ode To Joy [Beethoven]
-Rondeau [Mouret]
-Let The Heavens Declare
-Hornpipe [Handel]
-Pachelbel Canon
PROCESSIONALS [VOCAL] / GATHERING SONGS
The Gathering Song is an optional element that helps join the congregation
in sung prayer at the very outset of the service. After the ministers and
wedding party have processed in and taken their places, the priest then
greets the congregation and invites everyone to join in a hymn of praise.
Ritually, a Gathering Song helps unite everyone and draws the congregation
more quickly into the flow and meaning of the celebration. It is especially
helpful when one of the families is from a Protestant background since most
Protestant churches have a strong and identifiable tradition of community
singing. It is helpful for the song to be recognizable or, at least, easily
learned.
-We Gather Together
-Morning Has Broken
-This Is The Day [Joncas]
-Festival Canticle [Hillert]
-Praise The Lord, Ye Heavens
-All Creatures Of Our God and King
-Morning Has Broken
RESPONSORIAL PSALMS
The Responsorial Psalm, which is always sung, follows the first reading
which is usually drawn from the Hebrew Scriptures [Old Testament]. While
there are 150 psalms in the Bible we recommend a few which are very appropriate
to the wedding liturgy. The psalm antiphon [a short sung text] is intoned
by the song leader with the congregation repeating the refrain. The verses
are usually sung by the song leader interspersed with the refrain which
is sung by all in the church.
-Psalm 139 [Meltz]
-Psalm 128 [Meltz]
-On Eagle's Wings [Joncas]
- Isaiah 12 [Meltz]
-Taste And See [Moore]
-Psalm 23, [Gelineau]
-Psalm 34 [Meltz]
-Shepherd Me, O God [Haugen]
-I Have Loved You [Joncas]
ALLELUIA
The Alleluia, a Hebrew verb which means "Praise God," is sung
by all after the second reading which is usually drawn from one of the New
Testament letters. The song leader intones the Alleluia. It is then repeated
by all. Normally, a verse is sung and then the Alleluia is repeated.
-Victory
-Celtic
-Gregorian
PRESENTATION OF GIFTS
If you are celebrating marriage within the mass we proceed to the Presentation
of Gifts [the bread and wine]. This is a rather modest and brief interlude
in the wedding service so it is often best served by a short instrumental
piece. If vocal music is desired, a brief solo piece or congregational refrain
is also appropriate. If you are having a ceremony [not a Mass] a brief instrumental
or vocal interlude may be helpful right after the exchange of vows and rings.
For a ceremony, the next musical consideration is the recessional.
-The Gift of Love, Hopson
-You Are Mine [Haas]
-Fran's Song [Meltz]
-Wherever You Go [Norbet]
-We Have Been Told [Haas]
-The Lord Is My Light [Bouknight]
-Ubi Caritas [Taiz]
-This Is The Day [Haugen]
SANCTUS / MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION / AMEN
-Mass of Creation [Haugen ]
-Vermulst / Danish / Danish
-Community Mass [Proulx ]
In the Catholic Mass there are three acclamations which are always sung
by all during the Eucharistic Prayer. These are the Holy, the Memorial Acclamation
and the Great Amen. We include the "Community Mass" by Richard
Proulx on the next pages as well as Marty Haugen's "Mass of Creation."
These two Masses are probably the best known in the Catholic community.
Their use helps insure good community participation in the music.
LAMB OF GOD
The Lamb of God is an ancient Litany which accompanies the Breaking of
the Bread in the Roman Rite. We highly suggest one of the two listed below
since they are very well known and very singable.
-Lamb of God [Isele]
-Lamb of God [Deiss]
COMMUNION
During communion, which is offered under the forms of both bread and
wine at Saint Malachy Church, the congregation sings a psalm or hymn while
going to communion. This is one of the most ancient times for congregational
singing in the Church and one of the most important. Experience has shown
that hymns with singable, short textual refrains are particularly well suited
to the ritual action at this point.
-You Are Mine [Haas]
-Eat This Bread [Taiz]
-Taste And See [Moore]
-In The Breaking Of The Bread [Hurd]
-Table Of Plenty [Schutte]
-Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace
-We Are Many Parts [Haugen]
-I Am The Living Bread [Haas]
-Gift Of Finest Wheat [Kreutz]
-I Received The Living God
-Taste And See [Moore]
RECESSIONAL [VOCAL]
Many of the instrumental processionals [see above] can also function
as recessionals as noted above. Sometimes, a good, rousing hymn sung by
all as the wedding party leaves the church can give a wedding celebration
a very upbeat conclusion. We include two for your consideration.
-Now Thank We All Our God
-Joyful, Joyful
-Sing A New Song [Schutte]
-Alleluia, Sing To Jesus
-Festival Canticle [Hillert]
-Praise God From Whom All Blessings
-Sing, O Sing [Schutte]
-Sing To The Lord [Alstott]
Greetings
We are happy that you have decided to celebrate your marriage
at Saint Malachy church. We provide this small brochure of suggestions for
wedding music to help you prepare your wedding ritual of which liturgcal
music is such an important part. The parish is blessed with a large number
of accompanists and cantors ["soloists" are not appropriate to
a sacramental celebration] who are available to you. These parish musicians
normally assist at weddings as they are trained in both the proper music
and liturgy of the wedding ritual. Additional instrumentalists [trumpet,
flute, guitar, etc.] are available. The fees for these musicians can be
discussed with the Pastoral Associate when selections and arrangements are
made.
Those getting married here at Saint Malachy Church should
make an appointment to meet with Ken Meltz about three months prior to the
wedding date to discuss the liturgy and, in particular, to choose the readings
and the music for the wedding celebration. In the meantime, we extend to
you our prayers and support as you continue to prepare for the Sacrament
of Matrimony in the Church.
Sincerely,
Leonard O'Malley
Pastor
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