Sacred Music for the Sacrament of Marriage

The dignity of the marriage ceremony requires music that is sacred and ritually appropriate. Many different forms of music and musical accompaniment can be worthy of this task. The parish employs several liturgical musicians & cantors; therefore, ordinarily, no outside musicians are permitted to play during weddings. Contact the Parish Music Director, Maria MacAnulty to plan the music for your wedding: (610) 636-4557.  The Church offers three criteria for liturgical music that can be applied to your choice of wedding music.

Is it prayerful? The purpose of any Catholic liturgy, including a wedding liturgy, is to give glory to God and to sanctify (make holy) the worshipers. Your wedding music should reflect that purpose; in other words, it should help the assembly to pray and to give thanks to God for your marriage. The criteria of prayerfulness is one reason why popular music—including some of the "classic" wedding marches taken from secular operas—is often not permitted.

Is it accessible? In other words, will the assembly be able to sing along? In Catholic worship, the assembly (everyone attending the wedding) is not an audience, passively watching events unfold at the altar. Catholic liturgy calls on the assembly to actively participate in the prayer of the Church, including its sung prayer. Doing so is one of the most powerful ways your friends and family can express their love and support for you and your spouse.

Is it beautiful? Beauty is a window onto the divine (Catechism #32), so it is not surprising that the Church calls for the music used in its worship to be beautiful. This criterion is obviously somewhat subjective, depending on personal tastes and local culture. Whether your music is beautiful or not may depend less on the particular selection than on the skill of the musicians who sing or play it. A hymn that seemed ho-hum the first time you heard it in church might have great potential in the right hands.
Below is a list of suggested hymns that our parish community knows and frequently sings at weddings.  You may use this list as a guide. If you care to make other selections, if there is a specific song you would like included, or if you need other help with the music selections, please discuss this with the music ministry.

The Mass Acclamations:  Alleluia, Holy, Great Amen and Lamb of God are chosen by the Director of Music Ministry.  

PRELUDE (Pick One)
Love Goes On               Farrell
Bridal Prayer                Copeland
With This Ring            Copeland
God is Love                   Leigh
Love has Come             Maher
Where There is Love   Haas
When Love is Found    Waly
Where Love is Found   Schutte
The Prayer                      Bocelli
A Mother's Prayer         Dion

ENTRANCE PROCESSION  (Pick One)
Air                                              Handel
Air on the G String                  Bach
Spring from “Water Music”   Handel
Canon in D                                Pachelbel
Hymne                                       Vangelis
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring     Bach
Ode to Joy                                  Beethhoven
Trumpet Voluntary                  Purcell

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Pick One)
All I Ask          Norbet
Psalm 24         I Have Loved You
Psalm 33         The Lord Fills the Earth with His Love
Psalm 34         Taste & See
Psalm 103       The Lord is Kind & Merciful
Psalm 118       This is the Day the Lord Has Made
Psalm 128       Blest are Those Who Love You
Psalm 128       O Blessed are Those
Psalm 128       May Your Lives Be Blest

PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS HYMN (Pick One)
Lord of All Hopefulness         Slane
Love One Another                   Dufford
Morning has Broken               Bunessan
Prayer of St Francis                 Temple
Servant Song                            McGargill
The Gift of Love                       Hopson
Wherever You Go                     Haas

COMMUNION HYMN (Pick One)
Behold the Lamb                               Willett
Come Share the Lord                         Leech
God’s Holy Gifts                                 Schutte
How Beautiful                                     Paris
I am the Bread of Life                        Toolan
I am the Living Bread                         Haas
I Received the Living God                 anon
One Bread One Body                         Foley
One Love Released                             Frenzel/Keil
Panis Angelicus                                  Franck
Taste and See                                      Moore
The Supper of the Lord                      Rosania
Where True Love Abides                   Norbet

PRESENTATION TO THE BLESSED MOTHER (Optional)
Ave Maria                                           Bach/Gounod
Ave Maria                                           Schubert
Hail Mary Gentle Women                Landry           
Lady of Knock                                    Stovall

RECESSIONAL (Pick One)
Hornpipe                                             Handel
Ode to Joy                                           Beethoven
Rondeau                                              Mouret
Trumpet Tune                                     Purcell
Trumpet Voluntary                             Clarke
Te Deum Fanfare                                Charpentier