Musings on a wedding weekend

Those who know Fratellino are aware that he is frequently being summoned by people across southern California to provide music for funerals, graduations, and especially weddings. Regarding wedding music, some choices, like Schubert's Ave Maria, are quite common. Some five months ago, however, Fratellino was confronted with a very unique selection of music for a wedding, with the most unusual request being the recessional: the Pilgrims' Chorus & Finale from Wagner's Tannhäuser. This request kept us occupied for practice during summer, especially since we've been lacking in events to practice for during this time of scarcity when it comes to the public celebration of the Traditional Mass and Vespers.

Such a unique request kept us very excited in the months leading up to the wedding, and it gave us Chorus Breviarii members (and others) the rare opportunity to sing operatic works. At one of our practice sessions, Fratellino quipped that we were having the inaugural meeting for the Catholic Wagner Society of San Diego. Knowing the groom and his friends, I'm sure that if such a group were to be founded, it would see some decent membership. Aside from quips, a little workshop to familiarize ourselves with more works from Wagner could be coming in the future.

The two Graduals

While the Pilgrims' Chorus comes from a secular work, the piece's lyrics and the themes of the opera did very well to highlight the journey of the Christian penitent, the power of holy love, and even the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and the faithful departed. Chant enthusiasts seem to be familiar with a joke about the Gradual of the Nuptial Mass (Uxor tua) signifying the groom's funeral, since the music is the same as the Gradual of the Requiem Mass. I would hope that those familiar with the plot of Tannhäuser know what connection I'm trying to imply through the chant reference. I don't even have time to reference the other pieces we were able to sing at this wedding this past weekend, but it's no wonder one of ours own members' wives compared it to her own wedding two years ago. 

It's very much a blessing to be able to be witnesses to the Sacrament of Matrimony and to be able to sing and serve at such events, and so we pray for even more blessings for the newlywed couple! 

+I.D.S.P.N.