Wedding Sounds
Music is key to setting the stage and heralding the stars for the pageant that is a wedding.
The themes and colors; special attire for bridesmaids, ushers and children; flowers; guests in their finery; solemnity of the minister or other officiant; and regal entrance of the bride and groom all are embraced by the music that fosters the wedding mood.
“Couples today have many more musical options and take advantage of those options when they are planning their weddings,” said Beverly Antis, now an organist at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Butler and staff accompanist in the music department at Slippery Rock University. She has been an organist for 45 years.
“Forty or 50 years ago, people felt very constrained about the musical choices that they had,” said Antis. “I think there are many more options available. They feel very free to avail themselves of those options.”
“The biggest changes have occurred in vocal solo music,” said Bob Olsavicky, retired minister of music and co-director of Adoring Christ Through Song (ACTS) of Butler.
“Since the 1960s, the classics 'O Perfect Love' and 'Oh Promise Me' have gone by the wayside,” he said. “These were huge standards until 1965.”
“Sometimes a movie will impact the music, like the theme from 'Love Story,'” said Olsavicky.
He said another song driven by pop culture was the wedding march from the “Sound of Music” by Rodgers and Hammerstein in the 1960s.
“'The Wedding Song' had quite a run of popularity,” said Antis. Also known as “There is Love,” it was written in 1969 by Paul Stookey of the group Peter, Paul and Mary.
“Bill and Gloria Gaither brought in a distinct new sound,” said Olsavicky. “Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith did a lot of contemporary worship songs and they wrote love songs for the Christian husband and wife.
“The newer vocal solos are contemporary Christian, for example, 'I'll Be There,' 'Love Will Be Our Home,' 'Find Us Faithful' and 'Two Candles,'” said Olsavicky. “Those are rhythmically challenging pieces and work better on digital keyboard or piano.”
Signe Mitchell, organist at First English Lutheran Church, has been an organist for 48 years. Mitchell mentioned the vocal solo “The Call” as something newer in the wedding repertoire. It was written by the 20th century composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.
“I always tell them to listen to the words,” said Cookie Salak, organist at St. Fidelis Church. She has been a church organist for 63 years.
Mitchell said vocal soloists vary a lot.
“We've always been open to a suggestion on a soloist, if we can meet before the wedding,” said Mitchell. “If it's someone that they love to have sing, we're open to having them come and sing.”
“Up to the 1960s, it almost always was a trained vocalist and they knew their music,” said Olsavicky. Now, he encounters many more untrained singers, and rehearsals with them are even more important than they used to be.“More and more soloists want to come with recorded accompaniment and don't want live music,” said Olsavicky. “That usually means the bride has to hire and pay a sound technician.”“One of the things that is very different is the availability of YouTube recordings,” said Antis. “Often couples will come in asking for what they've seen or heard online.”“A lot of churches are real picky with the secular stuff,” said Joy May of May's Music Shoppe in Butler.“I always have included more recent things,” Mitchell said. “Sometimes you do check with your minister to see if he feels it's fitting for a church wedding. The message of the wording is quite important.”Sometimes Mitchell suggests other music if what the couple wants is too secular or a popular song. She said it may not be something that people will want to hear in the religious part of the wedding.“We try to guide the couple to understand they are going to be married in a church with a worship service,” Antis said.“They should think about their choices as reflecting that. If they are really adamant about having something, our minister is very gentle and accommodating,” said Antis.“For years I have not used the old fashioned 'Here Comes the Bride,'” Mitchell said.This processional, the music when the bride and groom enter, is the “Bridal Chorus” from the opera Lohengrin by Richard Wagner. Olsavicky said that in his experience, it still is requested for weddings 70 percent of the time.According to Olsavicky, the most popular music immediately after the ceremony for the recessional, is “Wedding March” from “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” It was composed by Felix Mendelssohn for a musical version of Shakespeare's play by the same name.However, Olsavicky added that “The Bridal Chorus” and “Wedding March” are secular pieces that most Catholic churches will not allow.“A lot of the Protestant churches are leaning toward that, too,” said May.“In some churches there are more instrumental groups playing and sometimes getting away from organ,” said Mitchell. “Maybe people have an outdoor wedding with folk type music. That is a change I've seen.”Olsavicky said the number of outdoor weddings seems to be increasing. “They expect the organist to bring the keyboard and sound system,” said Olsavicky.Antis has played hammer dulcimer and recorder for outdoor weddings.“In an outdoor wedding, I had a friend that played marimba,” she said.The vast possibilities of music and instruments for weddings can mean many decisions.“We give them a big choice,” said Salak.“You'd be surprised how many of the brides wait until two weeks before the wedding to think of their music,” said May.Bins in May's Music Shoppe contain hundreds of classical and contemporary compositions for weddings, but there are still some pieces that have to be ordered. Music that has stood the test of time and been popular for decades of weddings are not usually difficult to find.“I like to include the classical and baroque composers such as J.S. Bach, Johannes Brahms, John Stanley and George Frideric Handel,” said Mitchell.Olsavicky mentioned “The Lord's Prayer,” the Schubert “Ave Maria,” the Bach-Gounod “Ave Maria,” Handel's “Water Music” and various trumpet tunes as common wedding music.“I go in with a menu and play snatches of different pieces,” said Antis. “We're looking for things that would make sense and work and would create the kind of sound you want to have.”“The music for any wedding, especially if it is a church wedding, is that it has a message.” said Mitchell. “There are songs that have meaning. There is a message given and there are others there to enjoy it with them.”“I view this as teamwork where we're trying to build a happy memorable day for the couple,” said Antis. “If they have very specific kinds of requests then we'll do our best to honor them. If they are less firm on their choices, we try to give them some guidance.”“When all is said and done, a wedding from the perspective of the musician is almost a theatrical performance since people come in and take their places,” said Antis. “The minister and/or the organist work together to attend to all of the details that must be handled to make it appear to be seamless.”
