HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1986-02-19, Page 40Showcase '86, page 20
V2I/ZA
Traditional wedding music still favourite
By Alan Rivett
As much as things change, there are
some things that somehow resist a lot of
change - especially when it involves the
traditions of the wedding ceremony.
And the time-honored music used in the
wedding ceremony is an integral part of
the tradition. While some changes have
taken place, wedding music still caters to
the classics which have stood the test of
tirne, says a Londesboro organist who has
played the organ at weddings since 1954.
Gail Lear, a veteran organist who has
played over 150 wecklings, says classical
hymns still reign sup,.eiue in the three sec-
tions of the service - the prelude, when the
guests are being ushered into the church;
the processional, when the bride walks
down the isle, and the recessional, after
the bride and groom have signed the
register.
However, more modern music is now ac-
ceptable for the soloist to sing during the
wedding.
According to Mrs. Lear, the choice of the
processional hymn is a decision made by
the bride and groom, but it, should be ap-
proved by the minister beforehand.
"Any hymn the bride and groom choose
must be cleared with the minister. The
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minister has the final say in each w-
dividual religion. The hymns vary from
church to church," she said.
The popular hymns most often played
for the processional are Praise My Soul,
Holy, Holy, Holy, arid Joyful, Joyful We
Adore Thee. The wedding standard Here
Comes The Bride is seldom used in the
wedding service today, owing to the fact
most churches feel it is a "secular opera"
which is inappropriate for a church wed-
ding, said Mrs. Lear, adding it has been
under the ban since the 1960s.
For the recessional, Mrs. Lear says the
music has remained the same with the
Trumpet Voluntary by Purcell and
Mendelssohn's Wedding March as the
traditional pieces used throughout the
years.
Mrs. Lear says she inust be prepared kw
the variable length of time before the
ceremony starts by carrying an ample
supply of music for the prelude as the
guests are being seated. On one occasion.
she recalled a couple who requested she
play only three pieces for the prelude. 13ut,
knowing the unpredictability of weddings,
she brought along extra pieces of music
just in case. As it turned out, the wedding
started over 30 minutes late.
The music most often played before the
service is Canon in D by Pachelbel, Jesus
Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach, Melody w
F by Rubenstein and Minuet in G by
Handel, she says.
The music performed by the soloist is
where the most latitude in music selection
is found, says Mrs. Lear. Over the years
more and more popular songs have been
used for the wedding ceremony. But, once
again, the bride and groom should consult
with the minister to find out what is ap-
propriate.
"Some ministers will allow popular
songs to be used as lung as they have
meaningful words and do not destroy the
reverence of the service," she said.
In the 1950s and 60s, songs such as rAl •
Perfect Love, I'll Walk Beside You and Oh
Promise Me were popular wedding songs
sung by soloists, said Mrs. Lear. Today,
soloists routinely sing ballads such as
Evergreen, The Wedding Song, The Rose
and Endless Love. Even guitars, an in-
strument once unheard of for the wedding
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