Sun 6 May 2007
On this website, I also cover music for your recessional and your processional. This article focuses on the music that you will choose for the rest of your wedding.
As in the recessional and processional, music for the rest of your marriage ceremony can be largely determined based on personal taste as well as by the type of service and instrumentation available.
Ave Maria
If you are having a Roman Catholic service (or even if you are not), a special setting of the Ave Maria is often desirable, especially if you have a singer on your “roster”. Over the years, hundreds of composers have written settings of the mass, so your choices are nearly unlimited.
Schubert’s Ave Maria (Ellens Gesang III, D.839)
This is the setting most often heard and it is a lovely piece of music. It exists in two versions: German (the original) and Latin. Schubert is remembered (and revered) as a genius of setting text effectively to music: for that reason many singers (and many listeners) prefer the German version. However, if you are having a religious ceremony, you should probably clear the choice of any text (whatever the language) with the church minister or music director.
Bach-Gounod Ave Maria
This setting of the Ave Maria by Charles Gounod (the composer of such operas as Faust) uses the first prelude of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier and combines it with a melody of his own. The result demands a singer with a specific wide range, so if you wish to use this piece you should ensure that it works for the singer in your ceremony.
Other Choices
The signing of the register and other portions of your ceremony may also warrant the use of special music. While there are choices that are often used, with hundreds of years of musical history you can choose something unusual. Here are two occasionally quoted “wedding classics”:
Massenet: “Meditation” from Thais
Sound sample
Mascagni: “Intermezzo” from Cavalleria Rusticana
Sound sample
(look under “C”)
If you are new to classical music, the biggest obstacle to choosing your own music is being unsure of yourself. Consider this a chance to learn about a new type of music and refuse to let yourself become overwhelmed.