The Bridal Chorus (aka Here Comes the Bride): A Poll

[Bob Slydell]

The Catholic church doesn't allow this to be played at weddings either for this very reason.

We played it at our Catholic wedding, with no issues from our church.

 

[bananiem]

Really, nobody should play Wagner in polite company anyway.

Well, I have to agree with this. I'm more a Haydn and Handel fan.

 

[MzDiz]

My mother sang this at our wedding as we walked down the isle... err, bridge.

Upon a darkened night
the flame of love was burning in my breast
And by a lantern bright
I fled my house while all in quiet rest

Shrouded by the night
and by the secret stair I quickly fled
The veil concealed my eyes
while all within lay quiet as the dead


Chorus
Oh night thou was my guide
oh night more loving than the rising sun
Oh night that joined the lover
to the beloved one
transforming each of them into the other


Upon that misty night
in secrecy, beyond such mortal sight
Without a guide or light
than that which burned so deeply in my heart


That fire t'was led me on
and shone more bright than of the midday sun
To where he waited still
it was a place where no one else could come


Chorus


Within my pounding heart
which kept itself entirely for him
He fell into his sleep
beneath the cedars all my love I gave
And by the fortress walls
the wind would brush his hair against his brow
And with its smoothest hand
caressed my every sense it would allow


Chorus


I lost myself to him
and laid my face upon my lovers breast
And care and grief grew dim
as in the mornings mist became the light
There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair
There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair
There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair


Music by Loreena McKennitt
Lyrics by St. John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz), arr. and adapted by Loreena McKennitt

Arg! It still makes me cry!

 

[ead79]

I knew that. Music Appreciation in college was fascinating.

The Corinthians passage read at weddings is also taken out of context, but it has been done for so long that it has become traditional.

Knowing all this, I excluded both from my own wedding. I had no readings and used music by Faure.

I’m curious about the Corinthians passage (I’m assuming you’re referring to I Cor. 13—the “love chapter”). How is it taken out of context? I realize it’s not only talking about romantic love, but rather the love we should all have for one another. It still works for romantic love IMHO though.

As for the Bridal Chorus—I didn’t have it because every time I hear it I always think of the satirical words: “Here comes the bride, all fat and wide…” That’s not really what I wanted to be thinking when I walked down the aisle, so I used Trumpet Voluntary instead.

 

[Maleficent13]

I've never heard of "Trumpet Voluntary" either...I am wedding challenged. I think I started a thread once that said I was missing the "wedding" gene...and here's the proof.

 

[Shugardrawers]

I never knew it until today but admittedly, I'm not particularly interested in either opera or classical music. I've never taken a music appreciation class either.

I'm quite a traditionalist so I had it at my wedding. My bridesmaids came in to Canon and our recessional was The Wedding March.

 

[ead79]

I've never heard of "Trumpet Voluntary" either...I am wedding challenged. I think I started a thread once that said I was missing the "wedding" gene...and here's the proof.

It’s the song that Princess Diana marched down the aisle to at her wedding. It became very popular after that for weddings. It’s by Clarke if you want to Google it for an audio sample.

 

[Skylarr29]

I actually did not know that but I wasn't planning on using it amyways. I want to walk down to instrumental of "so this is love" or " When you wish upon a star" since we are getting married at Disney it is very fitting.

 

[olena]

I’m curious about the Corinthians passage (I’m assuming you’re referring to I Cor. 13—the “love chapter”). How is it taken out of context? I realize it’s not only talking about romantic love, but rather the love we should all have for one another. It still works for romantic love IMHO though.

As for the Bridal Chorus—I didn’t have it because every time I hear it I always think of the satirical words: “Here comes the bride, all fat and wide…” That’s not really what I wanted to be thinking when I walked down the aisle, so I used Trumpet Voluntary instead.

Paul was chastising the Corinthians and not extolling romantic love. It works in its way, but that just wasn’t the original context.

 

[disykat]

I knew. I had always planned to have "Trumpet Voluntary", but nixed that after Princess Di's wedding. I am the daughter of an organist, so I had pretty specific ideas about the music at my wedding.

 

[Beth76]

I've never heard of "Trumpet Voluntary" either...I am wedding challenged.

I bet you have. It's really quite famous. Click here for sample. Scroll down a bit, it's track #9.

 

[KrnB]

I didn't know that, but I didn't use that song either.

We used Canon in D for the processional and "Joyful, Joyful," an arrangment of Ode to Joy by Lorie Line, as our recessional

 

[va32h]

Some churches do not allow the playing of any "secular" music within the church itself. I think the Anglican Church is among them. The "you may now kiss the bride" part is also not part of the ceremony as written in The Book of Common Prayer.

My wedding took place in a non-denominational "chapel", but after I married, I converted to the Episcopalian faith, which was my husband's faith, and we had a marriage blessing in the church. No music for that at all!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I had no idea - but I didn't use it. I never really cared for it and it was too old fashioned/cliche for me. I used "Ode to Joy" for the processional and then "Trumpet Voluntary" for the recessional(?!?!?)

 

[NookOfTheNorth]

I have no idea what was played at my wedding....there was music, I know that. With all the rest of you that remember, I'm beginning to worry about myself. Guess I will have to dig out the video; that should be a hoot seeing my husband with hair.

 

[Quasi123]

I had no idea!

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I bet you have. It's really quite famous. Click here for sample. Scroll down a bit, it's track #9.

Beth, thanks for that link - it brought back some great memories for me. You helped me to actually remember that part of the ceremony. DH and I were exiting the church and the trumpeteer starting playing that peice from up high in the choir section in the back of the church, so we were facing him while walking out. I actually didn't tell DH about that part (that we hired the trumpeteer) so as we were walking out he lovingly tells me, "did I marry Princess Di"...I said "you're darned right you did - and don't forget it"

Thanks again Beth

 

[lbgraves]

We played it at our Catholic wedding, with no issues from our church.

Maybe the rules for that go by diocese? I remember hearing this when I was a kid & it hadn't changed by the time we got married. We had Walter Sulivan as Bishop...he was a fruitcake in more ways than one, so maybe that was one of his crazy rules.

 

[mickeysgal]

I have no idea what was played at my wedding....there was music, I know that. With all the rest of you that remember, I'm beginning to worry about myself. Guess I will have to dig out the video; that should be a hoot seeing my husband with hair.

Gosh, I can hardly remember myself also! I'm sure that we had Here Comes the Bride as it is/was traditional. We got married in church and the pastor didn't warn us off of it due to any negative meanings. I'm sure we used the traditional exit music also. We got married way before Princess Di and I've never heard of Trumpet Voluntary. As far as wedding videos, well, we've been married so long, that they weren't done for weddings way back then!