Most
people getting married seem to know what music they want for their
ceremony. It was fifty years ago that I met the couple who got
married at a nudist colony to the recorded strains of Stravinsky’s
"Rite of Spring." At the last actual wedding I attended
(my niece’s, in a Catholic cathedral) she wanted Ave Maria
and a piano jazz arrangement of "We’ve Only Just Begun."
When I once actually prepared a music tape (remember cassettes?)
for a wedding, the request was for just simply the Wagner and
Mendelssohn wedding marches, both presented here in big churchy
organ renditions very suitable for ceremonies, in contrast to
the original orchestral/choral versions which are entirely too
light-hearted. This is the version of the Wagner piece that we
used to sing to as children with the words: "Here comes the
bride, all fat and wide..."
Well,
things have certainly changed recently. These disks provide an
enormous assortment of tunes to use in setting up the ceremony
with minute by minute suggestions as the most effective pieces
to use for which function. Clearly very elaborate weddings are
envisioned. Mothers of brides, more than brides themselves, are
likely to salivate over these CDs and the 32 page booklet of suggestions
and advice. The lack of artist information on the disk or notes
is partly justified by the inclusion of publisher’s information
and suggestions as to the ability level required for amateur musicians
to perform the music live.
Most
of the music on these disks is in the public domain, but the recordings
presented here are not. With all due regard for Naxos’ making
the music available at low cost, remember that Naxos owns all
these tapes.
I
can see a lot of people who want a big public ceremony buying
this disk and getting all excited about arranging the music. Ah,
but you are at once directed to page 24 of the booklet. Beginning
with "Nobody wants to break the law...." (This is a
big improvement over "FBI WARNING! Interpol and FBI investigate
all allegations....) is a description of the procedures which
must be complied with in the U.K. before any of this music can
be performed in public, live or recorded, even in a church. There
is a danger that most people who buy the disk will assume they
also bought a licence to play it in public. I would suggest that
record dealers make purchasers aware that they can’t do what they
most likely want to do, and that is play this CD at their big
public wedding ceremony.
Paul
Shoemaker
Dream music, Op 61: Wedding March