A church musician’s job is never done. Just when you thought Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter were behind you, wedding season pounces, demanding instant expertise in 19th-century French organ and Shania Twain adaptations. The unceasing strains of Pachelbel’s Canon in D ring out from your keyboard, as does the wonderful “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” But two other undeniable staples of many weddings are the Bach-Gounod and Schubert renditions of “Ave Maria.”
Having sung in church choirs since the age of eight, I’ve participated in my fair share of weddings, both as a soloist and as a choir member. Perhaps it’s because of this musical background that I feel so strongly about the songs chosen for people’s big days — even if they don’t realize it, picking high-quality music for the Mass or service matters. Not because it should be a performance — far from it — but because it is both a form of prayer and a way of inviting the congregation into a deeper participation in the event.
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