If you will allow me to go slightly off-topic, this weekend is a very special one for my husband and me: we are celebrating our first wedding anniversary! Between that and the fact that I am attending a wedding tomorrow, I have been reliving that beautiful day a year ago, and indeed all the beautiful days I have had previous and since with my husband. There is not a day that goes by when I don’t feel like the luckiest girl alive to have found my Love and be able make a life together with him.
Since my blog is supposed to be about music and a music-inspired life (rather than my sappy ruminations!) I thought I would use the occasion to share with my readers some of my musical tastes beyond the horn. Of course, there were so many things about our wedding day that I treasure and will never forget, mostly having to do with the significance of the day and having so many of our dear friends and family surrounding us, supporting us, and celebrating with us. But I am very, very fond of the music that accompanied our day, and I’d love to share some of that with you – maybe it will strike your fancy too!
We were married at St. Mark’s Church, an Episcopal church in downtown Philadelphia, which is also our own church home. There are many extraordinary attributes of this church and the congregation, but one of them is a that they have a strong commitment to the Anglican choral tradition. This is music that I have had an affinity for since my childhood, ever since I heard “Jerusalem” sung on the Chariots of Fire soundtrack we had at home. My love of this music was strengthened on a trip to London I took in college. I was at Westminster Abbey and heard choir music coming from a distance. I literally ran towards the music in hopes of catching a rehearsal or a performance, but alas, it was just a recording of of the choir playing in the cloisters. I bought the disc immediately! It was the music of the season of Lent – Allegri’s Miserere being the central work explored, and other works by Lassus and Gesualdo to name a few. I was hooked.
In choosing the music for our wedding, we opted to take advantage of St. Mark’s rich tradition and talents, since it is so in line with our own tastes, and chose music based on the voice. You might be asking: aren’t you both brass players? No brass?? It’s true. No brass. For whatever reason, we both have a need to escape the brass world on a regular basis. It was pure choral and organ choices with the exception of the prelude music which featured soprano Laura Heimes (joined occasionally by soprano Clara Rottsolk) and Richard Stone on the archlute (which is an impressive and beautiful instrument – a larger cousin to the lute). We were so lucky to have St. Mark’s Organist and Choirmaster Matt Glandorf giving us ideas for the music for the service and putting together a phenomenal chamber choir for us. All of the music was pulled from the Anglican choral tradition which draws upon the liturgical music of the Catholic church going back to chant, through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, right to our present time. Great composers of our day are writing stunning music that is expanding the repertory: composers like John Rutter, Sir John Tavener, Arvo Part, Roxanna Panufnik, Eric Whitacre, and many others. It is a beautiful tradition, and if you are so inclined, warrants some exploration. Our selections could be a good starting place!
Our prelude music was put together by Laura and Richard based on some ideas of ours and it was perfect. I sat back in the cloister as long as I could to hear as much of it as possible. Both Laura Heimes and Richard Stone have recordings out, and I highly recommend checking out their work. They are beautiful musicians. The little sound clip I’ll give you is, alas, not a clip of them, but members of the Gabrieli Consort. I wanted to give you a clip of at least one of the prelude pieces, just to give you a taste….
— Henry Purcell: Crown the altar
— Johann Sebatian Bach: Willst du dein Herz
— Claudio Monteverdi: Ohimè ch’io cado
— Giovanni Zamboni: Preludio (archlute solo)
— John Wilson: Have you seen the bright lily grow
— Monteverdi: Pulchra es (a 2 voci)
— Purcell: Sweeter than roses
— Zamboni: Fuga (archlute solo)
— Heinrich Schütz: Whither thou goest
— John Dowland: Time stands still
Pulchra Es, from Monteverdi Vespers
Here is some of the music from the service. Unfortunately, none of the clips I have here are the St. Mark’s Choir, but just of the recordings that I have of the pieces. Enjoy!
Stephen Chatman, “You Have Ravished My Heart” – from the disc “Invocation” by group Music Intima with Herve Niquet.
William H. Harris, “Most Glorious Lord of Life” – sung here by the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, St. Thomas Church, New York City. From their disc “Easter on Fifth Avenue”
Eric Whitacre, “This Marriage” – sung here by Polyphony from the disc “Whitacre: Cloudburst”
Howard Skempton, “Rise Up, My Love” – sung here by Laudibus, from the disc “Song of Songs”
William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices, the Sanctus and Benedictus and the Agnus Dei, sung here by the Tallis Scholars from the disc “The Essential Tallis Scholars”
There is nothing like good music to help us observe the important milestones of our lives, and I feel like this music suited the formal beginning of our life together perfectly. I hope you enjoy the music as much as we did. Feel free to explore these composers and musicians. You won’t be disappointed!
Resources:
Laura Heimes website: www.lauraheimes.com
For Richard Stone’s bio and further information, click here.
St. Mark’s Church: www.saintmarksphiladelphia.org
For Matt Glandorf and the Bach Festival of Philadelphia, click here.
*All of our photos were taken by photographer, Joanne Bening
