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Organ Music for Special Occasions
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Repertoire
includes; Favourite
Hymns Ceremonial Music
Classical Pieces
Organ
Voluntaries Vocal
solos include; Sacred
Music Classical Works
Popular
Songs |
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For
further information or advice contact: organ@adrianfinnerty.co.uk |
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Adrian Finnerty is
organist at St. Andrew’s Church, Bearsden, just outside Glasgow. He plays the organ regularly on Sundays and
also for other special occasions such as weddings, funerals and a number of
other services. His wife, Maria, is an
experienced cantor and soloist who also sings regularly on Sundays and for
other special occasions and services, as well as with the Milngavie Choir. |
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Adrian
Finnerty Organist, pianist and accompanist |
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Maria Finnerty Cantor
and mezzo-soprano soloist |
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Music for a Wedding |
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Organising the
music for your wedding can seem like quite a daunting prospect. You will need to choose suitable hymns,
appropriate processional and recessional music, and possibly other musical
items, e.g. a psalm or an instrumental or vocal solo. The first thing to
do is to book your organist. You
should contact the organist as early as possible as organists can often be
booked up well in advance for weddings.
The organist will be able to advise you on suitable choices of music,
and will provide all the music required for the appropriate parts of the
service. In addition to the
organist, you may also wish to book a vocal or instrumental soloist. It is not uncommon to have a cantor, or
soloist, to sing a psalm, possibly lead the singing of the hymns, and perform
a solo item during the signing of the register. Again, the organist will probably be able
to advise you about this. |
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Wedding
services will vary, depending on the particular church and religious
denomination. However, most wedding
services would normally require some combination of the following musical
items: v Hymns (Opening –
Offertory – Communion – Final) v Psalm, and Gospel
Acclamation (lead by a cantor or
soloist) v Ceremonial pieces,
played on the organ (Processional and Recessional) v Optional solos (either after
communion or during the signing of the register) |
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The choice of
music for a wedding is very personal, and might include hymns that have a
particular significance or a favourite piece of music. The following guide, which is not a
comprehensive list, shows the overall order of musical items for a wedding
service and provides some possible suggestions: |
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Processional Music played on the
organ as the bridal party enters: Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin
(Wagner) Trumpet Tune (Purcell) St. Anthony
Chorale (Haydn) |
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Opening Hymn sung by the
congregation: Morning Has Broken
/ Christ Be Beside Me Praise, My Soul, the
King of Heaven I Watch The
Sunrise |
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Psalm lead by the cantor after the
first reading: On Eagles Wings (Psalm 90 / 91) The Lord is compassion and
love (Psalm 102) The Lord is my light and my
help (Psalm 26) I will bless your goodness,
God, my Father
(Psalm 33) May he bless us and keep us,
may he give us his peace
(Psalm 66) |
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Gospel
Acclamation lead by the
cantor or reader: Alleluia: God is
Love Alleluia:
plainsong version |
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Offertory
Hymn sung during the
offertory procession: A New Commandment Love is His Word Gifts of Bread and
Wine In Bread we Bring
You, Lord Here I Am, Lord O Perfect Love |
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Communion Hymn sung during communion: As I Kneel Before You Fill My House Lord Jesus Christ My God Loves Me One Bread, One
Body This is My Body Yahweh |
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Thanksgiving Hymn (optional) sung
after communion: Make Me a Channel
of Your Peace The
Love I Have for You, My Lord
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Instrumental Solo (optional) played
after communion or during the signing of the register: Arioso (Bach) Largo (Handel) Canon in D (Pachelbel) Intermezzo from Cavalleria
Rusticana (Mascagni) Air from The Water Music (Handel) Nocturne from A Midsummer
Night’s Dream (Mendelssohn) |
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Vocal Solo (optional) sung
after communion or during the signing of the register: Ave Maria (Bach / Gounod) Ave Maria (Schubert) Jesu, Joy of Man’s
Desiring
(Bach) Panis Angelicus (Franck) Laudate Dominum (Mozart) Ave Verum (Mozart) One Hand, One
Heart from West
Side Story (Bernstein) |
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Final
Hymn sung by the
congregation: Bind Us Together,
Lord Give Me Joy In My
Heart God Is Love Holy God, We
Praise Thy Name Our God Reigns Praise To The Lord |
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Recessional Music played on the
organ as the bridal party leaves: Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (Mendelssohn) Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke) Trumpet Tune from Te Deum (Charpentier) Toccata from Symphony No. 5 (Widor) |
Adrian
Finnerty
BA(Hons), MA Ed, MSc,
MMus, DipTMus, DipABRSM,
ALCM, FISM
Fellow of the Incorporated Society of Musicians
Member of the European Piano Teachers’ Association
and
the Guild of Church Musicians
For
further information or advice contact: organ@adrianfinnerty.co.uk
To find out more about Adrian Finnerty just click on Personal
Profile
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