Mandolin wedding music

[Jeff Chu]

ive been asked by a cousin who is going to be married in may, to play in the ceremony. her words exactly were "looking for classical music for seating and the processional, maybe something contemporary for the recessional." have you guys done any weddings, and do you have any suggestions for the music/ensemble that would fit this criteria? Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks guys.

-Jeff

[CollingsPicker]

I am going to soon be doing a wedding with my whole band Poverty Hollow (http://www.povertyhollow.com)
As far as a song for you to do mabye Kneel Before Him by Chris Thile would be Great I think

Good Luck

David Watson

[mandogerry]

Try Allan Alexander's Renaissance Music for Mandolin or Medieval Music books/CDs. I got some beautiful tunes from these to play at a small 50th anniversary / vow renewal event for friends a while ago. TAB plus notation if that matters. Allan's Website has some sound samples:

http://home.earthlink.net/~guitarandlute/book-cd.html

[Eugene]

Unfortuantely, I play a lot of weddings. What ensemble do you have, or are you solo? A book from which I draw a fair number of decent arrangements is:

Gendron, M. 1992. Wedding music for flute & guitar. Cathedral Music Press (Mel Bay), Pacific, MO.

The flute lines are easy enough on mandolin. The guitar parts (if you have a classical guitarist) require somebody with a bit of experience, but the arrangements are quite nice.

It makes me a little sad that people only seem to want to hear classical music at weddings. I wonder why marrying folk don't select music they know and actually like for such ceremonies? Ah well... At least this societal quirk does provide me with a bit of side income.

[JeffD]

Any music store that has sheet music will have a selection of wedding music for violin. Its all the standard stuff - and it will fit on the mandolin perfectly.

[Neil Gladd]

I've only done a solo mandolin wedding gig once. I did some of the Leoni Variations and Telemann Fantasias beforehand, and the Minuett from the Bach Partita in E while they walked down the aisle. I thought it was a good choice because it is both happy and dignified, and it's easy to adjust the length with repeats. I actually played the Mendelssohn Wedding March afterwards. I had a bad solo mandolin arrangement by Aubrey Stauffer, and I corrected some of the wrong harmonies in it.

[JeffD]

It makes me a little sad that people only seem to want to hear classical music at weddings. #I wonder why marrying folk don't select music they know and actually like for such ceremonies? #Ah well... #At least this societal quirk does provide me with a bit of side income.
Huh? Wha?

A friend of mine has a music service for weddings and events, and he tells me about some of the music folks want for weddings. His experience is that most people want a mixture, but a heavy dose of what ever is popular. Many years ago it was Air Supply. Everyone wanted Air Supply.


My friend knows delivers what the client wants, but he is extremely gratified by the minority of couples who want classical. Something of timeless beauty. Most of them probably don't listen to much classical at home, so they are requesting something separate and apart from their every day to solemnize their wedding.

<Unfortuantely, I play a lot of weddings>
If you and your skills are too good for such venues ... nobody's twisting your arm to book the job.

<I wonder why marrying folk don't select music they know and actually like for such ceremonies?>

Better yet, just have the guests bring their ipods or play their ring tones.

<societal quirk> http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

Without ritual, ceremony and other shared activities, we'd still be shivering in caves.

[coletrickle]

I was just recently asked something similar, for a small outdoor ceremony. I wasn't sure at first if I have the skills to do it, but then after talking to them I realized they have no expectations because they don't know what they want. So if figured that if I could put together some melodic solo pieces to play for them way ahead of time, they could pick or just tell me to hit the road all together. Might incorporate some guitar and mountain dulicimer as well, but it will be just me up there.

This would be my first "paying" performance in public and a bit nerve racking. I guess the biggest thing is pick music in your comfort level, or even a little below and make it sound awesome as opposed to picking something challenging and not nailing it. Those who are not intimate with music and the mandolin in general will likely not hear the difference between a difficult classical piece and something paired down in an easier arrangement if it sounds great. That, and they will be so caught up in the moment that they probably won't notice.

[Eugene]

<Unfortuantely, I play a lot of weddings>
If you and your skills are too good for such venues ... nobody's twisting your arm to book the job.
Puhhh-lease. I never claimed my skills to be "too good" for such venues and never would. I'm a fisheries biologist. When I endeavor to make music because I like doing so, there's a reason my "skills" find employ as background at weddings and not the concert stage. I suppose I shouldn't seem ungrateful, but I don't always enjoy wedding gigs for hire. I just happen to be a member of a couple ensembles because I like playing chamber music with small ensembles; those ensembles just happen to actively book themselves (ourselves?) for weddings. I sincerely appreciate it when a couple actually cares enough to hire live music at their ceremony; it's so much classier than a CD player at the back of the room. I still don't quite understand asking for music about which they know almost nothing and that isn't an active part of their personal passions, perhaps because this kind of music is an active part of my personal passion.

Regarding a mix, I have played "classical" arrangements of "Moon River", some Groban tune (the name of which I can't recall), and any number of pop/standard tunes for such ceremonies. I even once made an arrangement of "All You Need is Love" as a recessional! Wah-wahhhh-wah-wah-wah.

The societal quirk to which I was referring was not the celebration of such events in themselves (which are clearly worthy of celebration) but the tradition of booking unfamiliar music at such celebrations, music that almost nobody pursues the hearing of outside such celebrations. Rather than stop its use at weddings, I'd rather more people take an interest in "classical" music as an everyday part of whom they are.

Jheesh.

By the way, today is my 20th anniversary. I married extremely young and poor. I wish I could have afforded classical musicians back then because I actually love that stuff.

[AlanN]

Congrats on 20, Eugene - China is the gift of choice, which I'll have to consider myself this summer. The Anniversary Waltz is a good, appropriate number for weddings. And it has a real mandolin vibe to it.

I pay little (read: no) attention to the recent riff-raff ranting...

[Eugene]

Congrats on 20, Eugene - China is the gift of choice, which I'll have to consider myself this summer. The Anniversary Waltz is a good, appropriate number for weddings. And it has a real mandolin vibe to it.

I pay little (read: no) attention to the recent riff-raff ranting...
Thanks a heap, Alan. ...And congrats on your pending this summer.

...And to further clarify, Jeff, I wasn't saying that the only type of music people want at weddings is classical, but that the only time they want to hear classical music is at wedding ceremonies (it's usually done by the reception).

[Bob A]

Congrats on the 20th, Eugene. I too married young and poor, and hit 40 this year, so it CAN be done.

On weddings, I know a number of musicians (usually it's the cellists who suffer most) who have come to loathe Pachelbel and his canon. It's OK for the first 50 or so times, I suppose.

[JeffD]

That, and they will be so caught up in the moment that they probably won't notice.
Bingo. Its much easier for me to play a gig like that, than to play a concert where everyone is sitting politely and listening to every darn note, waiting for that clam.

In my experience, the one of the wedding to which people listen attentively is the procession. If you got that music nailed, the rest will be easy.

[allenhopkins]

Regarding a mix, I have played "classical" arrangements of "Moon River", some Groban tune (the name of which I can't recall), and any number of pop/standard tunes for such ceremonies. #I even once made an arrangement of "All You Need is Love" as a recessional! #Wah-wahhhh-wah-wah-wah.
Got hired for a wedding where the couple wanted Rocking Chair by The Band, and Dylan's You Ain't Goin' Nowhere. Music with which they were no doubt familiar, but try to find a transcription! Ended up buying a CD, playing the tune forty-'leven times, and transcribing it as best I could on music paper for me and the violinist. We got it recognizable, anyway.

I've done music from the ubiquitous Wedding Song to klezmer to old-time, to a medley of Russian tunes, at various nuptials. I just tell myself, "It's their ceremony, and they want it the way they want it."

And -- I get a certain perverse pleasure out of playing the musical chameleon. Versatility!

[Jeff Chu]

thanks for all the responses guys, while i would like to do it solo, i do have a guitarist who could pop in if i need. I am worried as usual about carrying over the crowd, but i am definetely sticking to classical music. I think old time or rock would be a little out of place. Ill look into the Bach and Mendelssohn. Do you guys have suggestions for solo pieces that i could throw together, notation is prefered. thanks

[MikeB]

Unfortunately, I play a lot of weddings.

Eugene, I guess I know you better than some here. That comment just killed me!!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

I understood every point you were making in your first post, but I see now, how they might be misconstrued. In any event, I got laughs all the way through this thread!

Alan's comments on Goin Nowhere cracked me up! That's an odd choice of song, IMO. Buy me a flute and a gun that shoots, tailgates and substitutes. Tie yourself to a tree with roots, cause you ain't goin nowhere!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[MikeB]

Oh, jayphu--consider some Carolan tunes. Most are just beautiful on mandolin and guitar and I would think very appropriate for a wedding. Try Carolan's Concerto, for one. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[MikeB]

Oh, and finally (from me), Happy Anniversary, Mr & Mrs Eugene! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[Treblemaker]

I have probably entertained / performed at over 100 weddings in the last 15 years in the San Francisco Bay Area.

90% of these gigs were done with a Swing Jazz Band called the Chazz Cats.
We played wedding in Seattle, San Diego, SF, Oakland, Berkeley, Carmel, Napa, Sonoma, The Berkshires, the Bahamas and then some.

Typically we were left to choose our own processional and recessional.
In most cases we deferred to the Real Book and used a combination of two cool tunes for the processional:
There is No Greater Love (for the Groom and Family) >
There Will Never Be Another You (for the Bride and her Father or whomever was giving her away...)

For the recessional we'd typically opt of for one of two cool uptempo standards:
Limehouse Blues or Sweet Georgia Brown - both of which make for fun toe tappers as the wedding party exits.

Just a suggestion....

I have also done a bunch of weddings with a bluegrass band - a much tougher assignment as the repertoire is so filled with murder, dread, sorrow and broken hearts...

Just my .02...

Treblemaker

[John Goodin]

Well at least "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" has the repeated line "tomorrow's the day my bride's gonna come" and it can work as a sort of march too with a little imagination. "Rocking Chair" though is a first in my experience. I heartily second the O'Carolan suggestion. There you get both the baroque/classical sound and folkiness. I've played "Carolan's Draught" for several weddings although the title looks a little funny in the program!

John G.

[JeffD]

...And to further clarify, Jeff, I wasn't saying that the only type of music people want at weddings is classical, but that the only time they want to hear classical music is at wedding ceremonies (it's usually done by the reception).

Rather than stop its use at weddings, I'd rather more people take an interest in "classical" music as an everyday part of whom they are.
Looking at it this way I have to agree with you.

You were saying the glass is only half full, and I was saying that the glass is only half empty.


I grew up with a lot of music in the home, classical as much as anything else. (My Dad had a soft spot in his heart for English military marches, as Raggae, and Jazz, so my exposure was pretty diverse.)

Even with that, I was taken by surprize when a college friend talked about classical music as if it were nothing special. He kept referring to a composer's music as his "tunes", i.e. "yea, that one Mozart tune, I think it was in Figaro...", or "Bach sure knew a few good tunes didn't he."



I had never heard talk like that before

[Eugene]

Thanks for the well wishes, Bob, Mike, et al. #My anniversary evening was simple and pleasant, which is the finest thing for which I could ask from my hectic and sometimes too mandolin-sparse state of being.

...And yes, Allen's "Goin' Nowhere" story was some tasty mirth.

Thread-initiator Jeff, have a look over Mutopia (http://www.ibiblio.org/mutopia/) and the Werner Icking Archive (http://icking-music-archive.org/) for material. #Yes, I know it's for two mandolins and basso, but Barbella's G18 at the former site makes an effective solo, as is or in borrowing only a few bass notes at the repeats. #It's not at all difficult and has that bouncy baroque mood that folk seem to like. #I often play it as a mandolin-flute duo. #From the latter, perhaps consider extracting a few stately movements from the violin transpositions of Bach's cello suites.

[Don Grieser]

I've played a few weddings doing fiddle tune medleys slow and purty while people were seated. They sound very classical to most folks I imagine when you play them that way. I'm playing at my nephew's wedding this summer, and when I played them "Haste to the Wedding", they liked that for coming down the aisle. What fun! I played one with my bluegrass band where they wanted "Foggy Mtn. Breakdown" for marching out. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

This year will be our 28th. I'm still poor and young. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[bgjunkie]

My band played a wedding and we did "Lover's Waltz" while people were seated, and did "A Place in the Heart" for the processional. Both worked out very well and the Bride was happy (which is what matters - right?).

[MikeB]

...and the Bride was happy (which is what matters - right?).

Why is that, anyway? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[allenhopkins]

...and the Bride was happy (which is what matters - right?).

Why is that, anyway? #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
'Cause it's the bride and her family that pay you.