Wedding Music - Recommendations for Program

Take a listen to the song "Thank You" by (Led Zeppelin) and see if it can be composed into what your trying to do. you can download a MP3 version off the internet to check it out.. I use WinMX for getting my MP3s, No Spy-Ware.

http://www.winmx.com

I have a cd entitled Love Songs For Christain Couples includes such songs as Our Love, Flesh Of My Flesh, Wedding Song, We Believe in Love, etc. It is very nicely done. I picked up the cd used for $4. I would record it for you and send you a copy. Then you send me $3 and I would be happy. I highly recommend these songs. They would be unique. I wish I had something like this for my wedding.

Led Zeppelin played by a string quartet? The mind boggles.

Well, let's see. Your prelate is subjected to more wedding music in a year than most people hear in a lifetime, thus is happy to hear you say that you wish to avoid the done-to-death stuff. I've heard everything from Wagner to Kenny G.

Wagner is better.

Most "Contemporary Christian" wedding music really is dreadful schlock. I'm often embarrassed for the couple when I see the looks on the faces of the congregation when it is played. Best to stick to the classics.

Here are some possibilities...

Bach: Arioso, Air on the G String, a movement from one of the Brandenburgs
Handel: Lots of stuff from the Water Music or the Royal Fireworks
Marcello: Psalm 19
Campra: Rigaudon
Vivaldi: Excerpts from the Four Seasons, esp Spring and Autumn

There's much great processional/recessional stuff out there but relatively little of it is well suited to string quartet. However, your quartet members should be able to give you some guidance about what they know and have used before.

Good luck. Let us know what you choose.

will

Hey It Could Happen !!!!!! HEE HEE

I second the Bishop's suggestions (as husband of a minister, I've been to a lot of weddings myself), both as to what to have and what not. The Handel Entrance of the Queen of Sheeba is a great recessional piece, although I don't know if there's a version for strings without woodwinds. It is a good idea to speak with the leaders of your quartet, they will have plenty of ideas.

I used to tease my wife that I wanted "Black Dog" by the mighty Zeppelin played at our reception.

At the wedding ceremony for my second marriage about 10 years ago, we used a variety of baroque string quartet and small orchestra pieces. Among my favorites were Corelli's 12 concerti grossi (there is an excellent recording of these by Nicholas McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra on Harmonia Mundi); the late violin concerti by Telemann; Haydn's 6 string quartets, Opus 76 (called the Erdody quartets), as well as the string quartets in Opus 20 (Sun quartets) and Opus 33 (the Russian quartets); and Mozart's string quartets #14-19. And you shouldn't leave out Bach: his sonatas for solo cello (BWV 1007-1012) are sublime, as are the orchestral suites #1-4 (BWV 1066-1069) which may be adaptable to string quartet.

Thanks. I'll have to dig through my collection. I love Bach's solo cello sonatas but don't know how they'd work arranged. I concur on the contemporary music drivel; I think the choice of music can really make the wedding the more memorable...

Don't think Led Zeppelin will make the cut, though.

Didn't Led Zeppelin do an entire album dedicated to church music?

I think it was titled "Houses Of The Holy"

We did not have music @ the ceremony (judge's chambers), but did play music by Vince Guraldi (Peanuts:-) @ the reception. This was our first choice. Don't know how this would translate to a string quartet, but it might be interesting/memorable (it certainly was @ ours and the guests loved it). We work hard to be stuffy (in my family), but we just can't do it right. LOL.

OK: Here's another one. I just asked my wife what we would have chosen if we would have had a string quartet in the judge's chambers. Together we decided that it would have been a medly of "The Hustle" and "The Love Boat" theme (should be easy to do with strings).