The season is now in full swing and I find I am doing all of the weddings for the forseeable future; at least a dozen throughout July and August anyway.

My repertoire is now looking a bit limited and the thought of playing this little collection in shuffled order for the next 2 months is driving me a little nuts. (This is stuff to soothe the crowds before Madam arrives.)
Here is my handful that has stood me in good stead so far:

Jesu Joy
St Anthony Chorale
Gymnopedie 1 (Satie)
Winter (Vivaldi 4 Seasons)
Panis Angelicus
Whiter Shade of Pale
Clair De Lune
Couple of Rawsthorne shorter pieces more to warm up than anything else.

It is verging on the schmaltzy. I am working like mad on Pach's Canon in D for variety, mainly because I am annoyed with myself for not being able to do it yet.

I would love some suggestions for something a little more aspirational; they may only have chosen Give me Oil in my Lamp or He's Got the Whole World in His Hands (8 out of 12 ) but I should like to raise the tone of the proceedings a bit. Even if someone suggests Elvis at least it would be different.

Please fire away.

"I am working like mad on Pach's Canon in D "

Of course it is not by Pachelbel, but it is a jolly good pastiche dated about 1935.

Try the arrangment by Rene Capdeville, published by M Combre. It is tricky but well worth the effort. A simpler arrangment that works well on small instgruments is by S Drummond Wolfe, published by Concordia of St Louis. However, only the version by Jerry Lanning (Fentone) has the delightful Gigue.

Wedding parties love it whatever version you use.

Barry Williams

A jolly good pastiche? I'd sooner say it's a load of twaddle. Poor old Pachelbel to be only known for that one work nowadays!

Hardly one of his big guns! (Canon, geddit? )

If they're not shouting their heads off at the time....

Thats so cheesy i think it qualifies to be a barry joke!

I remember learing some of this some time ago and I think the arrangement (for piano) was by someone called Ferrari? Was quite fiddly but sounded tonnes better than the simple versions I found online.

mel2 - you might try some of Handel's Water Music ,

and the Minuet from Berenice.

Not sure that's right, Barry. My 1980 edition of the New Grove accepts it as genuine, as, seemingly, does this review: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb66...1/ai_n29190832/. The manuscript is in the Berlin Staatsbibliothek: Mus. MS 16481/8.

I'm sure Pachelbel would deny all responsibility....

Thanks maggie; funnily enough someone gave me the Water Music last week so I'll investigate that.

There is an awful lot of interest in the Pach; I doubt if anyone will creep up behind me to quiz me on whose version I'm playing.

Just wondered if there was any tasteful, appropriate (and playable!) Bach-ey type things that I could introduce to add some decorum while I have them captive - more for my own sanity than anything else - I recognise that I am only audible wallpaper.

Just because it's hackneyed doesn't mean it's a bad piece. Of course it doesn't work at all on the organ as there is simply no way to preserve the canon, but it's pointless trying to explain that to punters, so the only thing to do is to sigh and get on with it.

some of the easier chorale preludes might be enjoyable for you - off the top of my head, Liebster Jesu wir sind hier, for example. Not specifically wedding-y, but I wouldn't worry about that.

The Progressive Organist series has a few of these and since they are graded you'd know what you were getting into! Liebster Jesu is in book 1, (which claims to be grade 4 standard, but imho that particular piece is a bit more than that).

I often used to play Bach's Wachet auf. Being about the foolish virgins it's sort of vaguely appropriate and there's a sporting chance that some of the audience may have heard it before. It also has the added bonus that it's not difficult.

Do you have a Trumpet stop? If so (or even if not) you are bound sooner or later to get asked for Jeremiah Clarke's The Prince of Denmark's March - except that they'll probably call it "Purcell's Trumpet Voluntary".

^^^

Maggie and Vox, these are going on a list. The only qualm I would have about the Clarke is that if I played it on a Clarinet or Oboe stop (haven't got a Trumpet, dam*it) then all the congregation would probably stand up thinking that we had kick-off.

What about C.H. Trevor's straightforward arrangement of Jesu, joy of man's desiring?

I'd second that - I use quite a lot of it for playing before the service.
(though I'm piano of course)

Thanks HG, but JJ is one of those I already do. I may get one or two of the Prog Org series although I shall go to a music shop first and have a browse before deciding which to plump for.

Ooops! Sorry. Should have read your original post more thoroughly.

I can recommend the Progressive Organist series too. Have you thought about looking at some of his Early English Organ Music for Manuals Only series? Lots of good tuneful stuff which is easy to play too!

You could try filling out the Swell Oboe with the Swell 8' diapason. It won't work on every orqan, especially if your Oboe is a smoothie, but sometimes it can make for a perfectly acceptable solo in trumpet voluntaries by Baroque composers like Stanley and Boyce. It won't lift the roof, but their trumpet stops didn't anyway, so that's fine (except that, for a bride, you probably would want to lift the roof).

Ok I know Ive told this story before but some may not have seen it. When I was about 17 I was asked to play for wedding not at a church I had any connection with. It was the Saturday before Christmas, and the bride was very very late (actually over half an hour). I had played most of the stuff I had taken with me three times, so started doing some improvisatory things with Christmas Carols. Then to my horror I realised that Adeste Fideles is also 'Why are we Waiting!

I deliberately do that sometimes....

I would heartily advocate S.S Wesley's Air and Gavotte in F Major, which in an authentic edition should be manuals only. It's in the fourth volume of the aforementioned C.H. Trevor "Old English Organ Music" series (bright green cover!). This is not dumbed-down music that has been arranged for manuals, but in fact proper stuff wot was written for manuals, largely before pedals were so prolific! I play these two pieces at every wedding, and they're delightful and catchy.

I think they were written by Samuel Wesley, not Steam Ship (Samuel Sebastian) Wesley - who was his son.

Pity they were called "Air and Gavotte" by an editor - who was the one who added pedals! - cos, to my ears, the "Gavotte" needs to be played a bit faster than the average gavotte to sound effective.

A particular favourite of mine is Adagio from Widor's 5th. We seem to hear the Widor Toccata almost ad nauseum at weddings and on certain classical radio stations; yet this delightful piece from the same symphony is rarely, if ever heard.

And how about the Piere A Notre-dame from Léon Boëllmann's Suite Gothique? I can never stop whistling that one for hours after.

SB

All useful stuff, thanks to mwl, T.W (not a word?) and swell box.
I may have access to some and others I can borrow to inspect.

<sherlock>Hmm... he has a very similar posting style to someone else...</sherlock>

[
And how about the Piere A Notre-dame from Léon Boëllmann's Suite Gothique? I can never stop whistling that one for hours after.

SB
[/quote]

An even more gorgeous piece by Boellman is Andantino from Cinq Offertoires. It is on page 11 of Heures Mystiques and has a truly haunting melody.

Barry Williams

Do you have a Catalogue number or other reference for this Barry? We searched through the piles of music in the organ loft last night but cannot find this one.

Having searched the web I have a feeling I could spend a lot of money on Boellmann only to find that we don't have the music we actually want!

SB

I have two volumes published by Enoch & Cie entitled Heures Mystiques Recueil de Pieces our Orgue ou Harmonium. There are some little gems within the pages thereof.

I am sure that Allegro Music could get the score for you.

Barry Williams

Top of the head as the books are downstairs

approx order of difficulty
Early English Organ Music for Manuals (as previously mentioned) plus Stanley Voluntary in C
Vierne Berceuse (would if I had any string stops)
Brahms Es ist ein Ros
MacDowell To a wild rose (occasionally - not meant to refer to the bride)
Arrangements of Apres un Reve, Meditation (Thais)
I dreamed a dream from les mis (no idea if this is appropriate or not)
Karg Elert Sarabande one and Schmucke dich which has the gorgeous opening plus some weird bits later on
Saint Saens the Swan
VW Rhosymedre
Arr. of Voi Che Sapete (Mozart: Figaro),

'Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele' op. 65? A good suggestion, and easier than 'Schmucke dich'.

Not sure how appropriate a lullaby would be at a wedding! Mind you, in this day and age...

Went to a local-ish music shop in nearby market town today and was unable to find any of the splendid suggestions so far offered; any amount of K Mayhew, however.

Did purchase an organ copy of Wedding Day at Trog-wherever it was by Grieg - mentioned elsewhere, so not a complete dead loss.

I am delighted with the response to this query and now have an(other) excuse to go to Banks. Failing that I shall investigate Allegro and another site I have been given.

I have sole custody of the instrument for a while so must reorganise the music - there may be treasures of which I am unaware.

Many thanks.

I had to find some manuals-only organ music in a hurry for an Easter service, and found a delightful bit of unfamiliar tuneful three-time Handel in an ancient collection: a transcription of the chorus Music, spread thy voice around from Solomon. I've since tracked down the original and used it with my adult learners' orchestra. It was much enjoyed, and I still really liked it after working on it for a term!

No-one's mentioned Percy Whitlock, who wrote some very attractive short pieces. Haven't got the details to hand. I managed a few of them during my short organ-playing un-career.

I often play Albinoni Giazotto, and yesterday I indulged myself during the signing of the register by playing Aria + a couple of the variations from Bach's Goldberg (no I can't play them all yet, it's my ongoing aim, I might just finish them by the time I'm 70!)

The Giazotto Adagio after Albinoni? A bit funereal for a wedding, perhaps?

It was once used as the theme music for a rather 'steamy' romantic film involving the conductor of an orchestra!

Barry Williams

I had to smile at a funeral last week where they requested that the deceased went out to a CD of Nessun dorma ('None shall sleep')....

Perhaps the deceased had always threatened to haunt them...



Sorry, that's probably in slightly poor taste.

I like your style

No more so than sheep may safely, there's a very fine line between funereal and romantic, and as David said - most people during the pre-wedding playing are not paying attention so you don't want anything too loud and imposing.

How about Handel's Why do the Nations for when the two mothers in law arrive?

SB

I tend to give a rendition of N the Elephant when the bride has reached a certain threshold of lateness. Does everyone here play right up to the bride arriving? I always think it's extracting it a bit after 30 minutes post designated KO time!

No. If she's more than 10 minutes late and the congregation are talking, I take a seat by the organ console and wait until the bride arrives.

Has anyone been asked for the Toccata in D major by Marcel Lanquetuit as a recessional?

It is a rather fine piece and a worthy alternative to Widor's Toccata and the finales from Vierne's Symphonies 1 & 6.

Barry Williams

Yes, a bride to be happenned to hear me use it as a voluntary once. I prefer it to the Widor to be honest, though its hard work on a mechanical action!

I think that's the Albinoni/Giazotto confection, isn't it? Pachelbel did write his Canon. Just not for organ - on which instrument it is a travesty of the original, sadly.

(Of course he wrote some beautiful music for the organ, e.g. the Ciacona in F minor and the Aria Sebaldina)

Stephen barber

Welcome to the forum!
Thanks for the comment and I shall add the Ciacona in F and Aria Thingy to my shopping list for Banks on Saturday (although it will probably be too difficult for this talentless oik) if it is suitable for weddings.
No matter how sniffy we all are about the Canon in D, people do love it and they usually tell me how they enjoy hearing it.

Precisely: If people enjoy a particular piece of music why deny it to them just because the interpretation is not strictly correct, or because it would be played on the ‘wrong’ instrument. Indeed, I enjoy hearing a familiar piece of music on a different instrument from time to time. For example, Bach’s T&F in D minor sounds wonderful on a good piano (and I should know; I have heard it often enough in this house).

We have a lady at church who asks for the Pachelbel Canon at every opportunity, and says she wants it played at her funeral. I always tell her it can be arranged.

SB