Ah, weddings, sometimes music selection is a walk in the
park, at times a whirl wind of ongoing negotiations, most of the time it’s a
breeze, and the happy bride and groom zip off to begin their new life as a
married couple. This brief article will not delve into what is appropriate
music for weddings. Rather, we’ll discuss the prelude at wedding ceremonies.
In the early days, preludes were twenty to thirty minutes
long, and consisted of various “classical” selections. Although some couples
would like to pick that music. It is easily averted with a simple statement: “Attendees
are usually loud. Because of this, quiet music is provided, as when the organ
is prominent, so are the conversations. Because of this, we offer various
classical selections.” This has worked out pretty well, until the last few years.
Occasionally, there would be the weddings where attendees
did not understand what common etiquette for a church wedding is, and the conversations
are very loud. Of late, this has become the norm, including groups of people
standing in the isles/pews, and carrying on as though they are in a school
playground. As was discussed earlier, the volume of the talk is contingent upon
the dynamics of the organ music being played. There have even been times when
the talk continued while the family members were escorted to their seats, right
up to the entrance of the bride’s mother.
Is there an answer? Sure! I recall one wedding where there
was a guest officiant, he came out during the prelude to address the attendees.
He stated that in our church, we listen and pray during the prelude. At that
moment it was great. However, soon after you could sense the tension in the
room.
After a recent wedding, that included the new “pew dismissal,”
a discussion with the pastor included a thoughtful shift in what we as a church
would offer wedding couples. Now, if you haven’t experienced the “Pew Dismissal,”
the bride and groom return to the front of the nave and greet each person in the
church, beginning with their families with a hand shake/hug and with brief congratulatory
back slapping. They are then sent on their way. In our nave, this is approximately
twenty minutes. Rather than an extended prelude, a three to four-minute
prelude, as on Sunday morning (although this past week it was eight + minutes)
would be offered prior to the processions (family, wedding party, bride) begin
as a sign that the service is about to begin. This solves many issues on various
levels:
1.
The organist doesn’t just play background music
for idle conversation, and there is a signal for the start of the service. The prelude could probably be one from Sunday repertoire,
or a recital/concert selection.
2.
In terms of the “Pew Dismissal,” what would have
been a prelude, can be used to this end, not extending play time. Yet, volume
is not an option. So, let it rip.
3.
When the “Pew Dismissal” is no longer a fad. One
will spend less time playing for weddings than in the days of the twenty to thirty-minute
prelude.
I’m most interested in your thoughts. What you share could
be useful for others as they discern how their work is affected by playing for
weddings, specifically the organ. I wish you a great wedding season, as that
has moved from spring to the fall. We have ten weddings this fall. This
amazing, in that one of the couples must be a member of the congregation.
Rather than marrying anyone that wants to rent the room, we only marry members.
That is very exciting, making our church a vibrantly growing congregation. Blessings!
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