Music Selection Principles in Catholic liturgy

“A wedding is first of all a worship service. It is worship of God… Music in Catholic worship must express the worship of God for the mystery of love he created and transforms in this sacrament.” (Music at Your Wedding, CCCB). Thus the Catholic wedding liturgy is prepared with the same principles as with any liturgy, especially Sunday liturgy. Active participation of those who gather for the celebration should be foremost in our mind. The bride and bridegroom are themselves members of the liturgical assembly and should participate fully along with and as examples for the rest of the community.

Selections for wedding music at St. Joseph are rooted from these three judgments:

1. The liturgical judgement: Is the music’s text, form, placement, and style congruent with the nature of the liturgy?
2. The musical judgement: Is the music technically, aesthetically and expressively good, irrespective of musical idiom or style?
3. The pastoral judgement: Will it help the assembly to pray and participate in the liturgy?

 

Wedding Liturgy Structures

1. Introductory Rites
   After the entrance procession, the minister greets and welcomes the people and prays the opening prayer.
   Music element: Processional & Gathering Hymn. Processional can be played instrumentally. Another option is to choose one gathering hymn that can be used for processional as well.
2. Liturgy of the Word
   A reading from scripture is followed by the singing of a psalm and the reading of the gospel, and homily by the presider.
   Music element: Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation.
3. Liturgy of Marriage
   The couple declares their consent to marry, followed by the blessing and exchange of rings, and prayers of intercession. The Nuptial Blessing and Lord’s Prayer follow.
4. Liturgy of Eucharist (Omitted if not celebrating Mass)
   If the marriage is celebrated during Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist follows. It incorporates the Lord’s Prayer and Nuptial Blessing.
   Musical elements: All Eucharistic Acclamation (Holy, Memorial Acclamation, Amen), Lamb of God and Communion hymn(s).
5. Concluding Rites
   The priest blesses the couple and the people. The marriage register is signed. Bride/Groom will process to leave the church.
   Musical elements: Signing of the Register and Recessional hymn/instrumental.

 

Wedding Music Selections at St. Joseph

Below are songs for wedding liturgies at St. Joseph’s parish that have been selected with these criteria in mind:

1. Appropriate themes (joy, thanksgiving, covenant, love, faith, confidence etc.)
2. Minister’s musicianship (available talents, skills, experience etc.)
3. Part of the parish community’s repertoire.
4. Approved to be used under St. Joseph’s licensing agreements.
5. Item with star (*) may be more familiar to those from other denominations.

Processional (Instrumental)

1. Be Thou My Vision (celtic)
2. Canon in D (Pachelbel)
3. Come, worship the Lord (JM Talbot)
4. Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach)
5. Air in G String (Bach)
6. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You
7. O God, Beyond Our Praising (tune: thaxted)
8. Come and Journey with me

Gathering Hymns (or can be used also as processional instrumental)

1. *All People that on Earth do Dwell
2. Alleluia, sing to Jesus!
3. Canticle of the Sun (Haugen)
4. Christ Before Us (Whitaker)
5. Christ, be our light (Farrell)
6. Come and Journey with me
7. City of God
8. *For the Beauty of the Earth
9. Gather us in (Haugen)
10. Gather us together
11. *Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
12. *Joyful, Joyful We Adore You
13. *Let all things now living (celtic)
14. *O God, Beyond Our Praising (tune: thaxted)
15. *Praise God from whom all blessing flow
16. Psalm 98: All the Ends of the Earth
17. *Morning Has Broken
18. *Now Thank We All Our God
19. *Love Divine all Loves Excelling
20. Lead me Lord
21. Sing a New Song (Schutte)
22. Sing a Joyful Song to the Lord
23. Table of Plenty
24. Take the Word of God with you as you go (Walker)
25. This Day God Gives Me
26. Though the Mountain may fall
27. *Where Love is Found

Responsorial Psalms

1. Psalm 128 – Blest Are Those (Haugen)
2. Psalm 24 – I have loved you (Joncas)
3. Psalm 34 – Taste and See (Haugen)
4. Psalm 89 – Forever I will sing (O’Hara)
5. Psalm 98: All the Ends of the Earth

Gospel Acclamation

1. Celtic Alleluia (Walker)
2. Alelluia (Mass of Renewal)
3. Alleluia (Ye Sons and Daughter tune)
4. Alleluia (Mass of a Joyful Heart)

Eucharistic Acclamations (Holy, Memorial Acclamation, Amen) & Lamb of God

1. Mass of Renewal
2. Mass of Creation
3. Mass of a Joyful Heart
4. ICEL Chant (Roman Missal Chants)

Communion Hymns

1. Bless the Lord my soul (Taize)
2. Blest are they (Haas)
3. Bread of life (Fisher)
4. Here I am, Lord (Schutte)
5. I have loved you
6. Lord of All Hopefulness (celtic)
7. My Heart belongs to you (Booth)
8. *O God, Beyond Our Praising (tune: thaxted)
9. O God, you search me and you know me
10. One Bread, One Body (Foley)
11. One Love Released
12. Panis Angelicus (Franck)
13. Prayer of St. Francis
14. Psalm 34: Taste & See
15. Song of the Body of Christ
16. The Servant Song (McGargil)
17. Ubi Caritas (Rosania)
18. We Remember (Haugen)
19. You alone (Hart)
20. You are near

Signing of the Register (instrumental or choral)

1. Ave Maria (Bach)
2. Ave Maria (Schubert)
3. Love One Another
4. My Heart belongs to you (Booth)
5. Prayer of St. Francis
6. Wherever You Go, I will Go (Haas)

Recessional (Instrumental or Hymn)

1. Come and Journey with me
2. Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach) – inst.
3. *Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You
4. Lead me Lord
5. *Let all things now living (tune: ashgrove) or sung
6. Lift up your hearts to the Lord
7. Lord, you have come (Pescador des hombres)
8. The Summons
9. Trumpet Voluntary (Purcell)
10. We walk by faith
11. Wherever You Go, I will Go (Haas)

Additional references:

• Saying I Do – What Happens at a Catholic Wedding?
  This great 22-minute video is available from the USCCB website.
  
• Sacraments 101 – Matrimony (Why make it Catholic?)