Unity Temple, Oak Park Ceremony Harpist

My harp at the beautiful Unity Temple in Oak Park!

It was such a thrill to play in this historic building!  The layout is unusual to say the least, and the brides wanted quite a bit of specific music, so it took some coordinating!  They wanted to have piano and harp, which is unusual, so I had to check around for piano duets that I could adapt, or plan to accompany the piano as a solo instrument.  Piano can work quite well with harp, but you have to make allowances for the fact that (especially if it is a grand piano) it will be louder than the harp.  Not to worry, I made sure that the piano had the main melody, and I embellished!  We played "Air" from Handel's Water Music, and Canon in D, but the most fun was the tiny little bit of "Bridal Chorus" or "Here Comes the Bride" that we slipped in.  Since we actually had two brides coming down the aisle, it seemed to delight everyone!

For the recessional, one of the brides wanted "Entrance of the Queen of Sheba", also by Handel.  It is a newer piece for me, but it has been coming up more and more often.  I now have that particular selection in versions for harp and piano, harp and violin, and harp solo.  It was a joyous occasion that perfectly suited the bridal couple.  If you would like to see if we can find a program to suit you, just email me at Renee@Harp123.com!