Wedding Music Repertoire

Below is the extensive offering of music for your wedding at Old St. Pat's. This page is organized in order of a typical wedding ceremony. Note the links immediately below for resources from our wedding fair. The content below essentially enables you to virtually attend this event!

REGARDING THE MUSIC OF DAVID HAAS:
Due to extensive allegations against composer David Haas, the music ministry at Old St. Pat's no longer uses his music. Reports covering a 25 year period of sexual abuse, harassment, and spiritual manipulation, have been taken seriously by IntoAccount.org, SNAP, the NY Times, all publishers of his music -- and consequently by Old St. Pat's. I believe we have a responsibility to all survivors to prevent further injury, particularly in a public ecclesial setting such as Sunday mass, baptisms, and weddings. In our aim to be both inclusive and exquisite in our prayer, I urge special consideration of your musical selections in light of this troubling situation, that your wedding music might be a joyful, tangible, and meaningful extension of your own married lives together!

Wedding Fair Workbook PDF
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Watch LiveStream of our February 2020 Wedding Music Fair!

You can also view our October 2016 Wedding Music Fair here

1. PRELUDE

Prelude music will start 15 minutes before the wedding liturgy begins. Depending on the instrumentation you choose for your wedding (i.e., piano, strings, flute, trumpet, etc.), this part of the liturgy can be creatively planned by the music ministers present by intertwining classical and contemporary instrumental pieces with vocal pieces suggested in the next section. Below are some specific instrumental selections that would be appropriate. If you would like to choose specific pieces, I encourage you to “YouTube” these titles to hear them individually.

A. Instrumental Selections

Depending on which musicians you hire for your wedding, some of these selections may work better than others. Most of the time, couples prefer to have the musicians present select the instrumental pieces that would be most appropriate. In that case, just indicate “Musician’s Choice” on your final planning form.

TITLE (COMPOSER) -- Instrumentation Required

Air (Bach)
Air de Trompette (Telemann) -- trumpet required
'Air' from Water Music (Handel)
Arioso (Bach)
Brandenburg Concerto (J.S. Bach) –– full string quartet required
Celebrated Minuet (Boccherini) -- violin or flute required
Cinema Paradiso (Morricone)
Fanny Power (O'Carolan) -- Irish Trio required
Intermezzo Sinfonico (Mascagni)
London Trio (Haydn) -- flute (or violin) + violin + cello required
Meditation from Thais (Massenet) -- violin or flute required
Pastorale (Vivaldi) -- violin (or flute / oboe), cello required
Planxty Hewlet (O'Carolan) -- Irish Trio required
Serenade (Haydn)
Spring from The Four Seasons (Vivaldi) -- string quartet required
Sonata Prima (Viviani) -- trumpet required
Winter from The Four Seasons (Vivaldi) -- violin required
Traditional Irish Music (Various) -- Requires Irish Trio

* Some pieces require certain instrumentation. These particular instruments are noted.
All others can be performed with a variety of combinations of instruments, including just solo piano.

B. Vocal Solo / Duet Options

Below are appropriate vocal selections that can be intertwined with instrumental selections either chosen from the list in the prior section or left to the musicians to decide. Some of these selections are also appropriate for different parts of your wedding ceremony where indicated (i.e. Communion, Preparation of Gifts, etc.). The reverse is also true: almost any song appropriate for any other part of the wedding can be used quite appropriately as a prelude, thus giving couples the opportunity to include more pieces of music than there might be places in the liturgy in which to situate them. Often a final prelude piece is chosen especially for the seating of the couple’s parents or close family.

1. Be Thou My Vision | arr. Rory Cooney
Alt. use: Preparation of Gifts, Unity Candle

2. Con Te Partiro | Sartori
Most suitable for prelude only

3. I Have Loved You | Michael Joncas
Alt. use: Communion

4. Love Is The Boat For The Journey | arr. Ian Callanan
Alternate use: Preparation of Gifts, Communion

5. The Prayer | Sager / Foster
Alternate Use: Communion

6. A Song of Ruth | Steven Warner
Alternate Use: Communion, Preparation of Gifts, Unity Candle

7. You Raise Me Up | Graham/Lovland
Alternate Use:

C. Processional Music (for Bridal Party and Bride)

1. Bridal Chorus | Wagner

2. Canon in D | Pachelbel

3. Wachet Auf | Bach

4. Gabriel's Oboe | Morricone
does not require oboe, any instruments will work!

5. Planxty Hewlett | O'Carolan (for use with Irish Trio)

6. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring | J.S. Bach

7. La Grace | Telemann

8. Perfect | Ed Sheeran

9. Trumpet Voluntary | Henry Purcell

10. A Thousand Years | Piano Guys (cello recommended)

11. Jupiter Theme | Holst

D. Gathering Songs (OPTIONAL)

Joyful, Joyful | Beethoven

All Are Welcome | Haugen

2. LITURGY OF THE WORD

A. Psalm Settings

1. Psalm 33: Blessed Are We | Cotter

2. Psalm 34: Taste and See | James Moore

3. Psalm 96: Sing A Song To The Lord | Lawton

4. Psalm 103: The Lord Is Kind and Merciful | Cotter

5. Psalm 103: El Señor es compasivo | Alonso

6. Psalm 118: This Is The Day | Joncas

7. Psalm 128: Blest Are Those Who Love You | Haugen

B. Gospel Acclamations

Traditional Chant (Mode VI)

Celtic Alleluia | Walker / O'Carroll

Alleluia! Give The Glory | Hurd

Pilgrim Alleluia | Lawton

C. Celebration of Marriage - Unity Candle

1. Simple Gifts | Trad. Shaker Tune, instrumental

2. Watermark | Enya, instrumental

3. Love Endures | James Moore

4. So Are You To Me | Adams

5. When Love Is Found | Trad. Irish tune, arr. Haas * SEE NOTE ABOVE

6. Go Light Your World | Chris Rice

7. Your Love, O Lord | Trad (O Danny Boy), arr. Eicker

4. LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

A. Preparation of Gifts
** For those celebrating the Rite of Marriage OUTSIDE of Mass (no Communion), skip to “Concluding Rites.”

1. Covenant Hymn | Cooney / Daigle

2. Ubi Caritas | Chris de Silva

3. The Clouds' Veil | L. Lawton

4. Love Endures | J. Moore

5. Love Is The Boat for the Journey | Callanan

B. Mass Parts (Holy, Memorial Acclamation, Amen, Lamb of God)
The acclamations of the Eucharistic prayer – Holy, Memorial Acclamation, and Amen – are the assembly’s primary way of participating in this great prayer of thanksgiving. The responses should be those that allow full participation of the community present. Thus, mass parts sung primarily at Sunday celebrations should be used. The Mass of Creation (by Marty Haugen) is arguably the most recognized mass setting, not only at Old St. Patrick’s, but also across the country. Chances are that your guests will be familiar with this setting.

C. Greeting of Peace
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal describes the sign of peace in this way: “Before they share in the same bread, the people express their love for one another and beg for peace and unity in the Church and with all humankind” (#56b). Instrumental music would best accompany the peace greeting – something that can be cut or adjusted to fit this ritual action. The musicians will make this selection, unless something specific is requested.

D. Communion

1. Panis Angelicus | C. Franck (solo or duet)

2. How Beautiful | Twila Paris (solo or duet)

3. Be Glad and Rejoice | Tate

4. With Great Love | de Silva

5. Taste and See | Moore

6. I Myself Am The Bread of Life | R. Cooney

7. We Are Called | D. Haas * SEE NOTE ABOVE

Please note that most psalm settings or nearly any piece employed as a Communion Hymn at Old St. Pat's at a Sunday liturgy is likely a good fit for your wedding. Some examples include: Be Thou My Vision, Covenant Hymn, I Will Be With You, The Clouds' Veil, The Prayer, When Love Is Found (O WALY WALY), I Will Be The Vine, Eye Has Not Seen, etc.

5. Concluding Rites

A. Prayer to the Blessed Mother (OPTIONAL)

1. Ave Maria | Schubert (This common version can be done accompanied with piano or a cappella (just voice), as in the recording sample.

2. Ave Maria | Schubert (Accompanied)

3. Ave Maria | Bach / Gunoud

4. Ave Maria | Dan Kantor (This contemporary setting uses both the English and Latin text and is suitable for duets (two cantors) or solo)

5. Hail Mary, Gentle Woman | Cary Landry

B. Recessional and Postlude
Joyful recessional music is for the exit of the newly married couple and the wedding party (with family). The postlude selection is a continuation of music for the guests to exit the church. If you are selecting bagpipes, we recommend that being used for the recessional (to "pipe out" the couple) and continue that through the postlude time frame.

1. Air de Trompette | Telemann (ideal for use with trumpet)