The majority of weddings at St Stephen’s include music of a ‘traditional’ form. This includes pieces played on the organ and choral items sung by members of the choir.
Choice of Music
You can choose your music and hymns in consultation with our Director of Music.
It is customary to have two or three hymns.
You may also like to specify the music to be played at the beginning and the end of the service as well as the music that you want played during the signing of the registers.
You can book our church choir or you can arrange for other singers or musicians or you may book professional singers to perform at your service.
The Director of Music is happy to accommodate alternative musical requests, where possible, including performances from additional musicians, classical piano music, worship songs or music played-back via CD. Where couples would like alternative music it is important to provide the Director of Music with the appropriate sheet music, where necessary. When planning their wedding, couples should contact the Director of Music to discuss their musical requirements and preferably meet with him following one of the Sunday morning services at St Stephen’s.
Couples normally choose:
- Entrance music for the Bride
- Hymns (typically two) to be sung during the service
- Music to be performed during the Signing of the Register (one or two pieces)
- Exit music for the Bride and Groom
Couples may also like to specify music to be played before the service as wedding guests arrive in church, but this can also be left to the discretion of the Director of Music.
Below is suggested music for each part of the service. Recordings of each of these can be found on YouTube.
Music for the Entrance of the Bride
- Arrival of the Queen of Sheba – Handel
- Bridal March (from Lohengrin) – Wagner
- Hornpipe (from Water Music) – Handel
- Canon in D major – Pachelbel
The above items all work well on the organ alone, but the following items work best with a combination of trumpet and organ, for which an additional fee is payable to the trumpeter:
- Prince of Denmark’s March – Clarke
- Trumpet Tune – Purcell
- Trumpet Voluntary – Stanley
- Prelude to the Te Deum – Charpentier
Hymns
There are many hymns suitable for wedding services and couples often have favourites that they wish to sing, but if unsure the Director of Music is very happy to suggest suitable hymns when meeting couples.
Music to be performed during the Signing of the Register
- Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (from Cantata No. 147) – Bach
- Air on a G string – Bach
- Prière à Notre-Dame (from Suite Gothique) – Léon Boëllmann
- Air (from Water Music) – Handel
- Canon in D major – Pachelbel
Popular choices if the choir is singing are as follows:
- Ave Maria – Schubert
- Jesu, joy of man’s desiring – J.S. Bach
- Panis Angelicus – Franck
- The Lord Bless You and Keep You – Rutter
The following items could also be performed on the piano at this point:
- Prelude in C, BWV 846 – Bach
- I Giorni – Einaudi
- Stella del mattino – Einaudi
- Adagio sostenuto (from Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, “Moonlight Sonata”) – Beethoven
In special cases, wedding couples can ask friends or family to sing or play during the Signing of the Register. In these cases the Director of Music is very happy to act as an accompanist, however the appropriate sheet music needs to be provided.
Exit Music
- Wedding March (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream) – Mendelssohn
- Toccata (from Symphonie No. 5) – Widor
- Final (from Symphonie No. 1) – Vierne
- Sortie in B flat – Lefébure-Wély
- Sortie in E flat – Lefébure-Wély
- Crown Imperial – Walton
- Nun Danket Alle Gott – Karg-Elert
- Hornpipe (from Water Music) – Handel
Recording the Service
Many wedding couples at St Stephen’s decide to have an audiovisual record of their wedding service. Wedding couples that wish to do this should let the Director of Music know, and be aware that the fees for all musicians are doubled if they do this. If couples would like their service to be streamed live via the internet, an additional half fee is payable to all musicians participating, and such a request should be discussed with the Vicar and Director of Music.
