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Music to Play at Wedding Reception


Docteur Qui

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A few weeks ago my music teacher at school approached me and asked me to provide light entertainment at a wedding reception, for a friend of the school. This friend wanted to support the Perofrming Arts in the school so asked for people to play at her reception, and is paying the school and the performers (CD vouchers for the performers, but still good). The music teacher chose me because of my cinematic and theatrical style of playing, obviously from my constant performance of Williams and others.

Anyways, I'd like a few suggestions of what to play at the reception that would suit the mood (i.e. cocktail party, light entertainment) that adds up to about half an hour. Doesn't have to be Williams either. So far I've decided to do "Princess Leia's Theme", and possibly "Remembrances" and "Theme from Schindler's List", though the latter two might be a little depressing. I want something romantic and beautiful but not too overbearing.

Any suggestions?

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Fawkes. Also Barry stuff like Out of Africa and Somewhere in Time. And it's probably best to stick with less recognizeable pieces like these.

Ray Barnsbury - who doesn't know how many of these are available as sheet music

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For my own wedding, we played at church a self made using two Olympic themes, mixing the softest parts :

- Summon the heroes from 01:05 to 2:05

- Olympic Fanfare and Theme from 01:00 to 02:30

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I would definitely go with Fawkes the Phoenix. It's a nice waltzy piece that seems good to dance to.

Just try to edit out the last part with the ominous horns...

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"The Days Between" or even "The Soccer Game" from Stepmom would be nice... How about Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin? Or maybe some jazzy stuff too e.g. Miles Davis. I guess it really does depend on what sheet music you have access to, how good your players are and how long you have to rehearse. When is the big day?

I would stay away from anything from Schindler's List though. Too depressing and bittersweet by far. It's a wedding not a funeral, okay? ROTFLMAO

Listen to Ray - he speaks wisely. "Fawkes" and some light John Barry would go down a treat. Maybe even his "Love theme" from Dances With Wolves, which might be more accessible. And avoiding major, instantly recognisable themes is a smart play too.

Good luck with it all, MM and be sure to let us know how it goes! ;)

CYPHER

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The love theme from The Omen. For some reason I feel like an idiot putting that but I love it. Just contemporary enough to be liked by most people. Especially the piano statement found in "The New Ambassador" that synchs up with when Robert and Cathy are in their new house. Great stuff.

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Ooh, Henry Mancini stuff is great for this . . . Moon River, for example, would be wonderful - it's recognizable, but not in a Star Wars way or anything.

Ray Barnsbury

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The Luke & Leia theme - Theme from Ice Castles - "Last Night of the World" from Miss Saigon - Han Solo & The Princess - "Memory" from Cats - I usually play these a lot when I do this kind of thing.

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What about "I Remember"? It's the piano/violin part of "Remembering Childhood". Would it be good? The thing is, I don't really know my boundaries becasue I was choses specifically for my score/musical influences.

EDIT - I found Moonriver and a really nice Bill Evans jazz piece called "A Time for Love".

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Hahahah. Well, with my piano exam coming up soon I didn't know whether I should be doing it at all becasue I really, really need to focus on my exam pieces. But if I learn fifteen minutes of some of these ones (and if I run out of time I'll resort to Leia's theme and Marion's theme), and do some exam pieces it balances things out a bit.

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It's funny that we're talking about this because I have always wondered this, and with my engagement coming closer and closer I have been thinking about this even more. With all my friends and my family at my wedding, it would be just "what I would do" by having some film scores played.

The ideas above, except a couple, are wonderful ideas that I have thought of myself! As wonderful as film music would be at a wedding, there are some other songs that I have been thinking about as well.

As mentioned in a previous thread http://www.jwfan.net/index.php?name=PNphpB...iewtopic&t=5188

I have completely fallen in love with the Boston Pops/Williams cd called "Unforgettable". The arrangements to these songs are wonderful. And, unlike Film Scores, are a little more reconizeable. I plan on having, just about, the entire cd played at my wedding with "Through The Eyes Of Love" as our "first dance" song. But some other songs off of that album which would be very fitting, imo, would be:

Unforgettable

My Funny Valentine

The Way We Were

Begin The Beguine (always have some swing at a wedding!)

Moonlight Serenade (Beautiful)

Evergreen

and

Through The Eyes Of Love

And if you happen to win the lottery, then hire Williams to bring a nice 10 piece band and have him perform all the music for the wedding.... or possibly write a composition!

That's me dreaming.

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I would like to second (or should that be third?) Ray's and Pixie's recommendation of Henry Mancini, whose film works include so many titles that would be suitable. One of my favourites by Hank is the theme from Two for the Road (which I believe was also one of Mancini's personal favourites). It lends itself to a solo piano or small combo arrangement.

I once heard it played live by a small combo in the foyer of a well-known hotel in Hong Kong. It was quite captivating to hear this gorgeous piece of music with all the lights from Kowloon and the Star ferries twinkling in the background.

Even the title is rather matrimonial!

Damien ;)

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