But I often get asked for song suggestions that sound traditional, but are still different. "Anything but Canon in D", they may say, or, "Anything but the Wedding March!"
Here is one song I might suggest for the bride's entrance, for just this situation.
Camille Saint-Saëns - The Swan
I love the poetic comparison of a graceful swan to the bride's sacred descent down the aisle. This song has such a beautiful, melancholy air about it, I'm surprised it is not used more often in weddings. If you are looking for something a bit different, but still Classical/Traditional, I might suggest this as one option.
SHARE ON FACEBOOK:
Very pretty, but don't you think this seems a bit too tranquil/serene for a "grand entrance"? I've always envisioned something livelier, perhaps one of the Mozart overtures... "The Marriage of Figaro" pops into mind, and might work nicely with a string quartet if you have good musicians. Depends on the personality of the bride, of course.
ReplyDeleteBut you'd still need to leave room for the even livelier "exit music". I like to play Handel's "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" for those situations, though the Beatles' "All You Need is Love" might be hard to beat.
Thanks Jen! I agree with you that this is a very "tranquil" choice. I would liken it unto the mood of some of the other songs brides often chose for their entrance, such as Canon in D, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, or even non traditional choices like The Rainbow Connection.
ReplyDeleteI personally had a very small, intimate wedding and chose to walk into Saint Saens' "The Aquarium" played on harp. But if I were to have a GRANDER wedding, I might want to choose something like Beethoven's 7th Symphony, 2nd Movement. My favorite rendition of this piece is actually by the boys choir Libera:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gsqywdzdLg
For more of a Grand Entrance style music, perhaps Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke would be good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1n7WeuHCog
Or to be less traditional, you could substitue one of MANY other trumpet fanfares. These also translate well for string quartets to perform, not just brass ensembles. Although many of my brides prefer to have strings for the prelude, and brass for the entrance and exit music.
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba is excellent exit music, I've played it many times! If you're sticking with Classical music only, this or Handel's Water Music is a great choice. Or Trumpet Voluntary could go here as well.
Many people chose to have a contemporary song for their recessional, kind of symbolizing the start of the PARTY!
...oh, and I've never done Marriage of Figaro for an actual wedding. It seems a bit out of character except for the fact that there is the word "Marriage" in the title! Perhaps certain excerpts might translate well, though.