Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Drake Hotel, Chicago

The Grand Ballroom.  My harp is on the right.

I have been to the Drake on many, many occasions, and it is always an adventure!  The building is so old that getting a harp in, and to the floor where you are needed, is generally a complicated, multi-step process. No matter.  I just show up plenty early, and that always works.  There really is no substitute for allowing enough time!  On this particular day, I also needed to be onsite early to rehearse with the singer.  The music had been in flux in the days leading up to the wedding, and when everything settled it was agreed that I would accompany one of the bride's friends on "A Thousand Years."  The room looked beautiful, and the singer was quite talented..... all going well, right?  Then we found out that due to microphone needs the singer and I would not be on the same side of the stage; she would actually be a good 20 feet away from me!! Officially?  Yikes. We made it work, which was the important thing, but it was nerve racking.  Generally, when musicians are far away from each other, they have monitors so that they can hear one another. This actually is not even the main issue at a wedding. For wedding processionals, it is rare indeed that once straight through the song is exactly the amount of music needed. You almost always have to cut the song short, or repeat some portion of it, and (even if you get to rehearse) you never know how it will really go ahead of time. Communication among the musicians is absolutely key to a smooth processional. So, I am delighted it worked out for this lovely bride, but plan to keep your musicians together, if possible.  We will be able to do our best work for you!

Harpist's view!

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