Wedding Ceremony Harpist, St. Hyacinth Bascillica, Chicago

My harp is there, but admittedly a little hard to see in the wide shot.

Well, I actually gasped a little when I first walked into St. Hyacinth, because it is just that kind of place.  I mean, you already know from the outside that it is going to be impressive, but that doesn't really prepare you for what the inside ends up achieving.  It is bright inside.  Sun filled, even.  And the colors from the stained glass are dazzling.  The church is beautifully cared for, and well worth a trip just as a tourist.  It is in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago, and was built between 1917 and 1921 by, and primarily for, the Polish immigrents that lived in that area.  The neighborhood is now an ecclectic mix of people, and the ceremony I played for included elements of Iraqi Christians! Additionally, the church seems to have a clearly defined path for people from other parishes to arrange to be married here.

This wedding came to me through a wonderful singer named Maureen Christine.  She sings a wide variety of events, but specializes in Catholic liturgies.  If you are planning to have a Catholic Mass, you probably already know that the music needed is substantial and incredibly specific.  It really helps to have musicians that are well versed in the traditions, and that absolutely includes Maureen!  In addition to the places in the Mass that had music (Alleluia, Psalm, Gifts, and Offretory), she sang "The Prayer" as the mothers came down the aisle, and it was so lovely with voice and harp.  We also performed Schubert's "Ave Maria" while the bride placed an offering of flowers to Mary, and that is always a special, exceptionally sweet moment for the bride that I think is really enhanced by music.  Maureen's website has some great examples of her singing, and she is a really helpful person in general!

I took care of the processionals and the recessional with solo harp, but it sure was useful to have Maureen there watching the people file in. St. Hyacinth's is a big place, and it was great to have her telling me who was on the way down the aisle and how far they had gotten!

If you are planning a ceremony with a cantor (another name for a vocalist at a Catholic Mass) I would love to help!  Call me to talk about how harp can do all of the duties of the piano or organ, no problem!

A view to the side.
Visit the website of St. Hyacinth to see the amazing stained glass dome!!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist Contemporary Museum of Art, Chicago

This was the proverbial "Plan A".

Well, we were supposed to be out on the lower patio in the sculpture garden, but the rain just wouldn't cooperate.  The staff at the museum was really hoping it could work out, too, and they held off on making the decision until 5:15 for the 6 pm wedding.  Once the decision was made, the turn around was fast and efficient, and soon we were set up and ready to go in the front lobby area.

Final preparations for the now indoor ceremony.

The bride had selected an eclectic mix of music for the prelude that included Amazing Grace, Only Time (Enya), I'm Yours (Jason Mraz), and Everything I Do (Bryan Adams).  For the ceremony, she wanted to juxtapose those with the most traditional choices, so I played Bridal Chorus (also known as "Here Comes the Bride") and Mendelssohn's "Wedding March".  One more traditional wedding song ("Rondeau" by Mouret) and I launched into the theme from "Game of Thrones", which was a special request for the bride! The guests were able to walk around the corner to the reception, and most wonderfully, the rain stopped long enough for the wedding party to get pictures on the front steps of the museum!

If you want music that can easily move from one site to another, you may want to consider harp.  My bragging rights?  My acoustic set up was packed, moved, and unpacked again in half the time it took the sound guys to move the mic and amp for the officient. What can I tell you?  Harp music is efficient!

Visit my popular music repertoire list to see what kind of a program you might like!

The harpist's view.  So dramatic, and a nice long aisle!