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WeddingPathReview
Secret Lemonade Drinker:
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Posting Time: 12 Sep 2005 at 3:45PM
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Edited by WeddingPathReview, 22 Jun 2007 at 04:32PM:
A Bride's Guide to Wedding Music 2 CD set Naxos A Bride's Guide to Wedding Music is a two CD set of music ranging from pieces played on church organ to a full orchestra and choir. The compositions range from Bach to Bochherini, the total number of tracks being 38. There are many of the obvious choices for wedding music here, such as Mendelssohn's Wedding March, plus a few more unusual suggestions. A few of the pieces seem to me to be very unlikely choices for a wedding, each to their own though! The CDs are ordered in such a way that the first disk covers suggestions for Prelude music plus the bride's entrance. The second disk cover ideas for signing of the register and the bride and groom's exit. The CD booklet has biographical information about the composer and the mood of each piece plus a couple of suggestions on how it could be performed (for example flute and harp, or string quartet). There is also a rating of how difficult the piece is to actually play. This is a nice touch and saves you driving your Auntie Mabel, who dables on the organ, mad by giving her a track too difficult for her to perform! Finally there is a glossary of musical terms for the inquisitive. This CD set should definitly give you a good idea of possible music for your wedding plus suggestions on instrumentation. I imagine it would also be of use if you perform at weddings and are looking for ideas for new material. Buy A Bride's Guide To Wedding Music
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Jo
Margos Best Friend:
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Posting Time: 12 Sep 2005 at 4:35PM
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I used this CD to help me select the music to be played by my string quartet during a civil ceremony. Of all the CDs I have seen this was the most useful due to the booklet included with the CDs which included information about each of the pieces, how they can be played (e.g organ, string quartet) and the level of musical ability required in case you are asking somebody to learn the piece for you.
The music is split into five areas that may be required in any wedding ceremony, although these should be considered as 'loose' categorisations' as several of the pieces are appropriate for more than one of the categories:
- Prelude/Introductory
- Entry of the Bride
- Hymns
- Signing of the Register
- Exit of the Bride & Groom
The two things I would like to have seen on a wedding music CD that I thought were missing were an indication if any of the pieces of music would be considered inappropriate for a civil ceremony (due to religious overtones) and a few more pieces played by string quartets instead of the emphasis on organ versions. I also found it amusing that a couple of the pieces suggested you need an orchestra to play it - I've certainly never been to a wedding with a whole orchestra, but I guess if you are playing music from a CD then this doesn't matter.
Overall the CD had a really good selection of music from a variety of composers and played on a variety of instruments. It includes most of the classic pieces such as Handel's Arrival of he Queen of Sheba, Pachelbel's Canon and Mendelssohn's Wedding March along with a good variety of other options and is a great starting point for selecting the music for your ceremony.
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JoAndSteve
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Posting Time: 12 Sep 2005 at 9:29PM
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I think this CD has something for most Wedding Parties, although it is
aimed at the more traditional end of the wedding market, there is a lot
of classical and commonly heard tunes, especially on the first CD.
The front cover also gives you an insight into what you can expect from
this CD, it is simple and traditional.
On CD 1 all of the tracks are fairly well know wedding type songs, ranging from
The Wedding March to ones that you will have probably heard in some TV adverts.
There are also some nice, well known religious tunes, which unfortunately
cant be used in a Civil Ceremony (such as my own).
CD 2 has a few more ???off the wall??? tunes that Im not sure I would have associated with a wedding! Some seem a bit too morbid for something that is meant to be a celebration but obvious that???s my own personal taste.
There is some good detail within the cover of the CD, it gives you an idea as to what they thought each tune would best be used for, whether it be the signing of the registar or the bride and grooms exit.
Im not sure that this CD is any better or worse than the many others that are on sale at the moment, if your looking for something a bit modern and upbeat then this CD is probably not for you, however if your looking for tradition, as I am, then this CD is probably a good starting block in helping you to choose the music for your wedding
I for one will definitely be using some of the tracks for my wedding.
As we are getting married in a converted Barn the venue warrants tradition
and slow smooth tones, and this CD can definitely give you that.
I would give this CD a  with a 7/10. I think CD 2 lets it down a little.
[Mrs!]
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kerrichinchilla
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Posting Time: 13 Sep 2005 at 4:37AM
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some great ideas.
this CD is aimed at traditional weddings which is great if you want traditional but not to great if you want something different.
its also a great cd to chill out while you are planning your wedding or even reading a book, something to remind you of your big day too.
altogether i give this cd 9/10 because it could include some songs for less conventional weddings
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mrsmolineux
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Posting Time: 13 Sep 2005 at 8:47AM
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Well I will start at the beginning the front of the case is attractive, almost classic looking compared to many of the other (American) wedding CD???s I have looked at .
once you have finally got the CD???s out of the case (I???m not joking I thought it would snap in two) you find a rather hefty booklet, which was almost daunting to look at but as I started to read it, found it provided lots of information and accompanies the CD???s very well, taking you through the whole thing from beginning to end, the booklet also suggest who you should get play your music be it a sting quartet, organist or a full blown orchestra  .
Right onto the actual music itself The CD???s are split into 2 parts each with prelude and procession on the first and signing of the register and Recessional on the second
The music was more directed towards a church wedding although you could have used some of the tracks in a civil ceremony it is definitely a classic album with all the right songs on e.g. wedding March, Pachelbel???s Canon and Trumpet Voluntary.
I think that many brides to be would find the CD extremely helpful, it was not as relevant to me as we are having slightly more alternative music for our wedding. I'd say it was a definite wedding classic.
[I love chocolate, it loves me too]
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lulu
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Posting Time: 13 Sep 2005 at 8:52AM
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I thought that this CD was fab!
It's been very hard to find good quality music samples of wedding-y music, and both John and I enjoyed listening to the music.
We have now chosen all the music for the service, and have three from the CD!
Thanks guys!
[03 June 2006 ]
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Lyds
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Posting Time: 18 Sep 2005 at 12:32PM
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Right, seeing as the girls have all done great all round overviews (that'll teach me to be so slow!(, I'll do blow by blow account of the tracks.
 CD1:
 1/ Jesu, Joy of man's desiring (Bach)
Not the best version I've ever heard, but good as a sing along tune if you're practicing your vocals or have decided to go for Karaoke hymns. It's an instrumental version.
2/ Sheep may safely graze (Bach)
They seem to have the same organist as before doing this track... it's a pretty tune, but not particularly inspirationally executed. Excellent introduction to the piece though.
3/Air on a G-string (Bach)
Ah, now this one is a pretty nice variation of the piece, if maybe a bit slower than normal. Lots of baraoque curly bits.
4/ String Quartet OP 11 minuet (Boccherini)
Right, now these guys have had a run-in with the sugar-plum fairy! It's a very light version, with a harp. Cute though.
5/Four seasons (winter - largo) (Vivaldi)
nice enough.
6/Gymnopedie (Satie)
This is a nice version of the piece, very calming.
7/ Dance of the blessed spirits (Gluck)
Yup, I have visions of bright sunlight glinting off pools of sparkling water...must be the harp.
8/Canon (pachelbel)
One of my favourites... and it's a pretty nice version of it. Mind the crecendo at the end... it's suitably loud!
9/ Wedding march from Lohengrin (Wagner)
ta-da-da-daaaah ta-da-da-daaaaah, ta-daah ti-da-da ta-da-da-daaaah! Yup, we all know what it sounds like and this one is no different.
10/ Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke)
As they go, this is pretty good.
11/ Overture to the Royal Fireworks (Handel)
Not bad at all... although if I chose this, I'd probably look around for a better version.
12/ Promenade (Mussorgsky)
Not a bad version... it's a tad heavy for a wedding, in my opinion, but hey.
13/Te Deum (Charpentier)
Hubby has just said this reminds him of Eurovision! I think it's quite nice... lots of trills.
14/ Zadoc the Priest (Handel)
aahhh! Don't you just love it when the choir comes in after that long intro?! I was about to say it feels a bit scaled down, but the upside of that is that the voices are clear and comprehensible. Nice one.
15/ Queen of Sheba (Handel)
Classic, and nicely done.
16/ Trumpet Tune (Purcell)
Harpsichord, check. Trumpet trills, check. Nice infill piece.
17/ Praise my sould... (Goss)
this time a hymn with singing. Nice and clear, tunefull...
18/Immortal, invisible (Trad)
another sung hymn... good to get an idea of it.
19/ Dear Lord and father of mankind (Parry)
sung hymn... same as above, really.
20/ Jesus Christ the apple tree (Poston)
quite Christmassy, but a nice choir. Not necessarily something the whole congregation will be able to sing along to.
CD2:
1/ Cantique de Jean Racine (Faure)
pleasant enough to listen to... slow but up-beat.
2/ Laudate Dominum (Mozart)
not the best version I've heard, but it's a pretty decent piece to introduce you to it.
3/ Ave verum corpus (Mozart)
Classic sunday morning stuff, and a pleasant rendition of it.
4/ Panis angelicus (Franck)
oh, nice voice on this one... yup, that'll do nicely.
5/ The blue bird (Stanford)
so slow, so quiet... graceful in a way, nice enough choir voices.
6/ Ave Maria (Schubert)
yup, nice clear voice on this one... another classic, pretty well executed.
7/ Requiem, Pie Jesu (Faure)
not sure if a requiem is particulary good for a wedding... not the best version ever, either.
8/ Sicilienne op.78 (Faure)
contemplating mediterranean vineyards? Sounds a bit like incidental film music, but good for infill bits, I suppose.
9/ Meditation of Thais (Massenet)
Violin and piano - a classic. Nice version.
10/ Four seasons (spring) (Vivaldi)
ooh, jolly! Yup, nice... got the trills... little happy Disney birds. Very nice.
11/ Let the bright Seraphim (Handel)
Good singing, not so sure about the instruments... probably a better version out there.
12/ Water music: Air (Handel)
yup, this'll do. Can't beat Handel for upbeat, trilly, grandiose music.
13/ Water music: hornpipe (handel)
same as above really! Jiggy, jiggy!
14/ Hallelujah Chorus (Handel)
a nice 'light' version of this, but has still got the essence of the piece.
15/ Toccatta (Widor)
never been a great fan of this, but it's a pretty good rendition of it. It'll set the church vibrating, all right!
16/ Crown Imperial (Walton)
again, this sounds - to me - a bit too much like the incidental music from a WWII film. S'OK.
17/ Jubilate Deo (Britten)
oh, I haven't heard this before... very jolly and cute... bit of organ in the background, but lots of emphasis on the mixed choir.
18/ Wedding March (Mendelssohn)
ahhhh, classic!
As you can tell, it's a good all round set of CDs, not the best versions, but a brilliant guide to wedding music, just what it says on the box.
[I m not mad... I m unique!]
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angela29
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Posting Time: 21 Sep 2005 at 2:39PM
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Excellent CD. It covers all Traditional music, I must agreee though that a couple of the pieces of music on CD 2 are a bit down beat and I personally wouldn`t have it as wedding music. A really good selection though, its good that you have the choice and also are able to listen to each piece all the way through to help decide. It has helped me to select music that I will be using throughout the service. I may also use the cd as background music during the wedding breakfast.
The booklet that comes along with the CD is also helpful, each piece of music has a description of the composer etc. It also tells you what instruments are needed for each piece of music for those of you using your own orchestra.
Overall I would give this CD 9/10 
xx
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Poppy
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Posting Time: 28 Sep 2005 at 10:39AM
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After being away on holiday, and finding myself slipping out of wedding mode... imagine my joy when i came home to find this CD on my mat!
It is fab! I really liked it. I especially like the way the bookliet tells you all the way the music can be played. I'm having a choir and an organ at the wedding, and until now have been randomly picking songs that i liked... only to discover they need a string quartet or 9848174 piece orchestra to be played.
But this Cd has a really handy booklet in it. It tells you what instruments are needed and even a bit of history about the song/composer.
I discovered I liked the piece of music that is always played at royal weddings. This confirmed my belief that I am meant to have been born into royalty.
The songs were great, and i will probably pick all my music from this CD - but that is because i am having a very traditional church wedding. I think the CD would not be so appropriate for a less traditional one. However, i do think the cover loks traditional, so i wouldn't imagine too many people buying it accidently.
Another good thing about the CD is that it has hymns on it. Luckily, our 2 hymns are on it, which means my H2B is being forced to listen to them and learn the words.
One problem i have found with the CD is that i want to listen to it all the time, so my house is constantly got a 'wedding vibe' going on... My neighbours and friends now avoid me in the street. But i don't care, i'm too busy humming Pachebel's 'Canon' in my head...
tra la la
hmm hmm hmm
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