Songs for during the ceremony

AoifeCork

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Apart from 2, I can assure you these would be vetoed in our local large very popular Cathedral.

I'm sorry but I cannot agree with you and you are plainly NOT being helpful on this thread. You are also 100% incorrect. I have played every single song that helpful user posted in the smallest chapels, the grandest Cathedrals and everywhere in between.

If your main concern here is to put people off asking for romantic, inoffensive songs to be included in their ceremony music program, please refrain. It's not helpful.

lazygal

AoifeCork wrote: »

I'm sorry but I cannot agree with you and you are plainly NOT being helpful on this thread. You are also 100% incorrect. I have played every single song that helpful user posted in the smallest chapels, the grandest Cathedrals and everywhere in between.

If your main concern here is to put people off asking for romantic, inoffensive songs to be included in their ceremony music program, please refrain. It's not helpful.

I find it hard to believe that every priest officiating at every wedding has given latitude for non religious music. Almost all my friends have had religious ceremonies and almost all have said the priest didn't allow secular songs during the service proper. I've also known people ignore the priest on the day with instrumental versions of totally inappropriate rock songs.

emzolita

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

There's no way some of those would be allowed in my church. Obviously they are all fine for entrance/signing of register or recessional but no way could you put songbird at offertory or feels like home at communion?


To be honest there is gorgeous church music out there of all styles, some of the music from the last thirty years is very popular in style so in my opinion if you are picking a church ceremony you should be choosing appropriate music. If you don't want to, then perhaps you shouldn't be having a church ceremony.


Here's some more modern pieces I like for example
In the Calm
Only in God
Set your hearts
Sing of a Lady

I sing those songs every week in different churches. very rarely have a problem with the priests. The OP asked for non religious, that's why I picked them off the top of my head.

mrsbyrne

AoifeCork wrote: »

I'm sorry but I cannot agree with you and you are plainly NOT being helpful on this thread. You are also 100% incorrect. I have played every single song that helpful user posted in the smallest chapels, the grandest Cathedrals and everywhere in between.

If your main concern here is to put people off asking for romantic, inoffensive songs to be included in their ceremony music program, please refrain. It's not helpful.

First of all, I don't think your a Mod, so you have absolutely no right to tell me or anyone else in this thread or any what they can or cannot post.
The fact that you claim to be a musician for hire doesn't afford you any extra privileges at all, incidentally.
As for me being 100% incorrect , well as you know neither who I am or where I'm from , I can't see how you can say that.
Your music in the main would be vetoed in my local church. Another poster has said the same. Just accept that.

Toots

Guys can we keep the replies constructive and helpful to the OP. Arguments and sniping is not answering the OP's question, if any users want to continue the 'debate' they should take it to PMs.

Toots

OP your kinda in limbo until you meet with your priest. Honestly I'd say you have a far better chance of getting the songs approved if you leave out the vocals, they'd be less 'objectionable' to the priest that way. We had a string quartet for our Catholic church wedding and here's the songs we had (we had no trouble whatsoever from our priest)

Walking up the aisle: All My Love - Led Zeppelin
Lighting individual candles: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring - Bach
Lighting unity candle: Largo - Handel
Offertory: Gabriel's Oboe - Ennio Morricone
Sign of peace: Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet - Henry Mancini
Communion: Ave Maria - Bach
Bella's Lullaby - Carter Burwell (just want to go on record here, I'm not a twi-hard, I saw a video on youtube of a girl playing it on the cello and thought it was lovely)
Signing of Register: Canon - Pachelbel
Spring - Vivaldi
Walking back down the aisle: Arrival of The Queen of Sheba - Handel

Inspector Coptoor

Thanks for that.

You're right about meeting with the priest

The bride to be will be entering with the traditional bridal march

We're going to have two harpists and our exit song is the same as yours.
Heard it on the harp today and it was excellent.

emzolita

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Thanks for that.

You're right about meeting with the priest

The bride to be will be entering with the traditional bridal march

We're going to have two harpists and our exit song is the same as yours.
Heard it on the harp today and it was excellent.

ooo Nella fantasia would be gorgeous on harp, as would The Prayer

Mrs OBumble

goat2 wrote: »

i think that priests should not be having the last say in a persons choice of songs, after all it is not his day, it is theirs,
some songs would be definately out of bounds, but of have all hymns is a bit boring to be truthful, i would rather have a bit of soul in the song,
our pp thinks he should have the last word, but he is not doing the ceremony for nothing so he who pays should have the last say

If you want secular music, then have a secular ceremony.

If you're having a religious ceremony, the you should expect religious music. Simples.

If you think hymns are boring, then you've either not heard enough hymns, or not enough hymns played well. (Which is highly likely given the appaling state of music in many churches in this country.)

Dolbert

Just to say, you *may* have more leeway than you think about secular songs during the ceremony. I've performed at a few different Catholic weddings and it really seems to depend on the church/priest. There'll rarely be a problem with trad airs for example. At the last church wedding I performed at, we were allowed to do The Voyage and an instrumental version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah during communion. Best thing to do would be to talk to your priest.

Mrs OBumble

emzolita wrote: »

...you can have a Catholic wedding and not even have communion as part of the mass, like you can just have a normal mass without the gifts or communion. It's much quicker.

Ahh, no, you can't.

You can have a wedding Mass, which includes readings, vows / rings, communion, and maybe some other bits like gifts.

Or you can have a wedding ceremony, which is basically readings and vows / rings. And yes, is much quicker. But it's not Mass.

Whether it will be enough to keep your average mammy or granny happy depends on how religious she really is, combined with how much she's pleased that you're willing to go anywhere near a church at all.

It's quite possible, though not guaranteed, that the priest will be more lenient about the definition of sacred music at a non-mass ceremony than at a Mass.