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What advice do you have about incorporating music into the ceremony?





Well, the first thing to say is that anything goes! Well, almost! Given that you've chosen to have a humanist ceremony, religious music (including a hymn) isn't suitable, but there are so many other options - classical, jazz, pop, rock, folk, you name it.......

You need music in 3 main parts of the ceremony - for the entry of the bride ('processional' music), during the signing of the Marriage Schedule and for the bride and groom to leave ('recessional' music). Think carefully about the mood you want to create during each part of the ceremony - for example, most people choose something light and reflective to accompany the signing of the Marriage Schedule (about 5 minutes of music is ideal, so 2 tracks is perfect), but then have something with more impact for the end of the ceremony - to make everyone smile and to get the party started! 

Although music on a CD player or IPod is possible in most indoor venues, it isn't usually great outside because the sound is easily 'lost', especially if there's a breeze. And you can't beat live music of course! Lots of couple have a piper to play as the guests arrive and you might decide to be piped in and out of the ceremony too. The pipes might be a bit loud to accompany the signing, but you can always send your piper out of the room to play or away into the bushes so that it's a bit quieter! There are of course lots of other choices, including a string quartet, a jazz band, a pianist, fiddle player, ceilidh band, harp or clarsach player or a singer. You can book musicians through agencies such as:

Wedding Music Scotland
Entertainers Agency
Live Unlimited
Reel Time

I also have numerous contact details for musicians happy to work in the central belt and they include:

Pipers:

 

Tom Dingwall (pictured) - phone 01877 382668

Fiddle Players:



Lorna Swan (pictured) who also plays the clarsach
Patsy Seddon who also plays the harp






Harpists/Clarsach:


Iain Hood who can also provide a lovely harp and flute duo
Patricia Roberts who also sings, beautifully
Reel-Time who will put you in touch with Rachel, another lovely clarsach player
Karen Marshalsay
Sophie Askew
Sarah Hill (pictured) - phone 01786 870535





Strings:
Korda String Quartet



Organists/Pianists/keyboards:

Guitarists:

Jazz musicians:
Marcus Ford who is a solo jazz guitarist

Singers:

And on the subject of singers, I can't! So if you're going to have everyone sing a song, don't rely on me to lead you. Seriously, just don't go there! (I'm only pretending in this pic of Cathy and Douglas getting married in the Perthshire hills above Comrie)

 
Communal sining can work well, but I reckon only if the following things are in place:
  • Someone who can really sing well to lead the song (not me then...)
  • Good accompaniament by musicians used to accompanying singers 
  • Enough guests (50+ I'd say) to really 'gie it laldy' for you (f you're not familiar with the Scots terminology, translated that means "to pull out all the stops and sing with great enthusiasm or gusto"!)
  • The words to the song need to be printed onto an Order of Ceremony for everyone
  • The song itself needs to be something meaningful to you - don't a song just to 'pad out' the ceremony - there's never any need to do that in a humanist wedding ceremony!
Examples of songs that I think have worked well in wedding ceremonies in the past include both traditional folk songs and pop songs. The latter work best with the original CD track to sing along to, karaoke style, and they are pretty much guaranteed to get everyone laughing:
  • 'When I'm 64' by the Beatles
  • '500 Miles' by the fabulous Proclaimers
  • 'I'm a Believer' by the Monkees
  • 'Bring me Sunshine' by Morecambe and Wise
One option is for a guest or guests to perform the song and then have everyone else join in with the chorus - this worked really well at a wedding recently when friends of the bride and groom took on the parts of Danny and Sandy to sing 'You're the One That I want' from Grease. Everyone was in stitches and I still laugh when I think about it now!

Of course, more serious songs work well too, Scottish folk songs like 'Wild Mountain Thyme' or 'Mairi's Wedding' for example. Some of these songs are quite difficult to sing though and it's advisable to have a confident lead singer or a performer who will sing the verses and invite everyone else to join in with the chorus.

There are by the way a number of classical songs in the 'Sharing the Future' booklet (available from the British Humanist Association) These have a more traditional and almost 'hymn like' feel to them, but with secular words of course. There is also a humanist version of 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' with "Mother Nature made them all" instead of "The Lord God etc..." Google it - you might like it and it's a nice compromise if you (or your family) want a traditional feel to the ceremony.

Music adds a very special element to a wedding ceremony and it's worth spending a bit of time choosing something that feels just right for you. Music is, after all, the food of love!

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