[Magdalen] Fantasy Wedding.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

I posted this for fun on one of the O/C groups, and I post it here for  
interest
sake:
 
   

With all the fuss about the recent George Clooney wedding in an  historic
hotel in Venice, and the announcement that the wedding festivities are  
estimated
to have cost some $13 million dollars, I wondered what kind of a  
traditional,
church wedding one could get for that sum.
 
I therefore present my idea of an ideal, if fantasy, wedding.   YMMV.
 
I'm assuming that the bride and groom are practicing Christians.
 
It should be clear that the pieces sung in Latin and German would  have
texts fully translated in the wedding program.
 
 
LOCATION:  Saint Thomas Fifth Avenue (Episcopal; NYC).  
 
This is arguably the most beautiful parish church of any denomination in  
the USA.
There is a resident world-class mens & boys choir.  There are two  pipe 
organs,
of which the sanctuary organ is undergoing an enlargement and  complete
rebuild.  The church is large enough for a grand crowd, and yet not so  
large that
liturgy gets lost in vastness.  There is an excellent organist and  
assistants.
 
A similar location could be the RC Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer,  NYC.,
but the Saint Thomas Choir would have to be borrowed.
 
CLERGY OFFICIATING:  Bishop of New York and clergy from Saint  Thomas.
 
TYPE OF LITURGY:  SOLEMN HIGH PONTIFICAL NUPTIAL MASS WITH
                                MARRIAGE RITE.
 
MUSICAL FORCES:  Choir and men and boys.  Sopranos: Renee  Fleming,
                                 and Angela Gheorghui.  Tenor: Roberto 
Alagna.
                                Bass:  Bryn Terfel.
 
INSTRUMENTAL:  Symphony orchestra of circa 50; two pipe organs,  piano.
 
                             The orchestra would be disposed at the edge of 
the sanctuary
                             and the soloists in suitable locations at the 
front edge of the choir.
 
THE LITURGIES:
 
(1)  Prelude:  Wedding Day at Trollhaugen - piano - Edvard  Grieg.
 
(2)  Processional hymn - Choir and clergy first, and then the bridal  
parties.
                                      Hymn:  Love Divine: '82 - #657 - 
Congregation sings.
 
(3) Wedding Rite from '79 Episcopal Prayer Book.  (If at St. Vincent  
Ferrer,
     This would be the Wedding Service from  the current Roman Missal).
 
(4)  Du ring an meine finger - Sung in German - Robert Schumann.
      Angela Gheorghui, soprano.
 
(5)  Introit - plainchant from Graduale Romanum Latin Wedding  Mass.
      chanted by Saint Thomas Choir.
 
(6)  Kyrie and Gloria - Mass in C - Beethoven.
 
(7)  Gradual chant - Choir - Graduale Romanum.
 
(8)  Jeg Elskar Deg (Ich Liebe Dich; I Love Thee Dear) sung in  Norwegian
       by Bryn Terfel.
 
(9)  Epistle - plainchant (I would hope the Collect and the Preface  would 
be
      plainchanted for this service,  too).
 
(10) Alleluia and Verse - Chant from Graduale Romanum.
 
(11) Gospel - Plainchant.
 
(12) Ave Maris Stella - Edvard Grieg.- Choir.

 
(13)  Offertory Chant - plainchant from Graduale Romanum - Choir
 
(14)  Du Bist Bei Mir - Sung in German by Renee Fleming -  Notebook
         of Anna Maria.
 
(15)  Sanctus - Mass in C - Choir and Soloists
 
(16)  Agnus Dei - Mass in C - Choir and Soloists.
 
(17)  Communio - Chant from GR - Choir.
 
(18)  Panis Angelicus - Franck - Roberto Alagna with Choir.
 
(19)  O Taste and See - R Vaughn-Williams - Choir
 
(20)  Recessional:  Jig Fugue in G Major - JS Bach.
 
Reception at the Rainbow Room, RCA Building 70th floor in the  room  with
its own Wurlitzer pipe organ.
 
I think all this would cost less than $13 million!
 
 
 
David Strang.