Contrabombarde Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Well, I could have predicted it. I agreed to play the wedding for a couple I'd never met before, and when they asked me for suggestions, I said, of course, I'm happy to play anything within reason. Bad mistake. They want, during the signing of the register, something by someone apparantly called Stevie Wonder or "another Motown classic". Not being a composer or genre I'm familiar with, could anyone recommend me something suitable, including a link to the sheet music as a free pdf if possible? The wedding is Saturday afternoon Contrabombarde Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vox Humana Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 There's a video trailer here that will give you the general idea of what you've lumbered yourself with: http://www.steviewonder.net/ Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Ball Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Well, I could have predicted it. I agreed to play the wedding for a couple I'd never met before, and when they asked me for suggestions, I said, of course, I'm happy to play anything within reason. Bad mistake. They want, during the signing of the register, something by someone apparantly called Stevie Wonder or "another Motown classic". Not being a composer or genre I'm familiar with, could anyone recommend me something suitable, including a link to the sheet music as a free pdf if possible? The wedding is Saturday afternoon Contrabombarde Well.. there's always Sometimes I feel like a motherless child from Bolcom's Gospel Preludes. It's dedicated to Marvin Gaye, a 'Motown classic' by any definition. Not sure the mood would match nuptials mind you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrabombarde Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 Well.. there's always Sometimes I feel like a motherless child from Bolcom's Gospel Preludes. It's dedicated to Marvin Gaye, a 'Motown classic' by any definition. Not sure the mood would match nuptials mind you Oh dear, this is quite depressing. They said anything by Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles, and everything I've seen so far on Youtube seems to be a ballad by a man who'se heartbroken at the breakup of his relationship. Please, did these folks ever compose anything romantic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innate Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Oh dear, this is quite depressing. They said anything by Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles, and everything I've seen so far on Youtube seems to be a ballad by a man who'se heartbroken at the breakup of his relationship. Please, did these folks ever compose anything romantic... Stevie Wonder has written and recorded many marvellous songs - he is a phenomenal musician. Whether any of his songs lend themselves to transcription for the solo church organ is another matter entirely. And many of his songs celebrate life, music, children. Try listening to Songs In The Key Of Life, a double album from c.1980. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davidb Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 What about 'Signed, Sealed, Delievered I'm yours'? Quite appropriate for the time:P Or if your pedal work feels up to it... an arrangement of one of his signature tunes 'very superstitious' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Carr Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Well.. there's always Sometimes I feel like a motherless child from Bolcom's Gospel Preludes. It's dedicated to Marvin Gaye, a 'Motown classic' by any definition. Not sure the mood would match nuptials mind you The fact that the mood may or may not match nuptials is the least of your problems. This piece is VERY, very difficult!!! Fantastic though (If you like that sort of thing!) I only ever half-learnt it, too much like hard work. I must re-visit it and button it up sometime. Best performance ever* : Ian Ball's last recital before leaving Gloucester cathedral. Never heard that organ sound so smooth! Simply beautiful. Paul. * Sorry - should qualify this by saying that it seems no one else plays/can play it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsoff Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Didn't Stevie Wonder sing "Ebony and Ivory"* It could be appropriate for an organ piece at a wedding on at least 2 counts (depending on the expected period of marriage if feeling cynical). * I'm quite prepared to be shot down if wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Didn't Stevie Wonder sing "Ebony and Ivory"* It could be appropriate for an organ piece at a wedding on at least 2 counts (depending on the expected period of marriage if feeling cynical). * I'm quite prepared to be shot down if wrong! No, you're right - he sang it as a duet with Paul McCartney. It reached no.1 in the UK charts in 1982. I believe the song was composed by Paul McCartney, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyorgan Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 If we're going down the cheesy route, what about 'I just called to say, I love you', there won't be a dry leg in the house... PS Are you the Nick Seddon that was at my school in Leeds in the 80s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Ball Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 The fact that the mood may or may not match nuptials is the least of your problems. This piece is VERY, very difficult!!! Fantastic though (If you like that sort of thing!) I only ever half-learnt it, too much like hard work. I must re-visit it and button it up sometime. Best performance ever* : Ian Ball's last recital before leaving Gloucester cathedral. Never heard that organ sound so smooth! Simply beautiful. Paul. * Sorry - should qualify this by saying that it seems no one else plays/can play it! Bless you for that, Paul. Cheque's in the post. Actually, Thomas Trotter plays it - went down well at his Worcester recital. Mind you, only I swing the middle section (historically informed, you see, but probably not what the composer intended ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alistair McEwan Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Oh dear, this is quite depressing. They said anything by Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles, and everything I've seen so far on Youtube seems to be a ballad by a man who'se heartbroken at the breakup of his relationship. Please, did these folks ever compose anything romantic... The popular song "Isn't she lovely" can be downloaded from musicnotes.com for a modest cost and in a key of your choice! The "she" refers to a baby girl rather than a bride however the punters are unlikely to complain. Have fun. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Morley Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 (Rant alert) But that more wedding couples showed this level of taste. Good (in the case of the output of SW, arguably great) rock, pop or blues is vastly preferable to the cheesy rubbish most of us get asked to churn out at weddings (or even on a Sunday) all too frequently. I'm not just talking about 2nd rate folk music here. What about examples of western classical music that have become popular not because they're any good, but because they make no intellectual or emotional demands on the listener whatsoever? For me, the choice between playing anything by Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles and and, say 'Spring' from 'The four seasons' is a no-brainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innate Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 (Rant alert)But that more wedding couples showed this level of taste. Good (in the case of the output of SW, arguably great) rock, pop or blues is vastly preferable to the cheesy rubbish most of us get asked to churn out at weddings (or even on a Sunday) all too frequently. I'm not just talking about 2nd rate folk music here. What about examples of western classical music that have become popular not because they're any good, but because they make no intellectual or emotional demands on the listener whatsoever? For me, the choice between playing anything by Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles and and, say 'Spring' from 'The four seasons' is a no-brainer. I was right with you until "Spring", Paul . I, and JS Bach, have a high opinion of Vivaldi's violin concerti. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Ball Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Bless you for that, Paul. Cheque's in the post. Actually, Thomas Trotter plays it - went down well at his Worcester recital. Mind you, only I swing the middle section (historically informed, you see, but probably not what the composer intended ) Here is that very performance, Paul (mine, not TT's): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRvnZgpPoWo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Carr Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Here is that very performance, Paul (mine, not TT's): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRvnZgpPoWo Ahhhh.... fabulous! Just as I remembered it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrabombarde Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 Ahhhh.... fabulous! Just as I remembered it! Well thanks to so many of you...I was touched by the Ray Charles movie but failed dismally to find anything I could play on a two manual R&D tomorrow. Stevie Wonder on the other hand....oh what sumptous chords, such Messianesque modulations. You and I, Ribbon in the Sky and Signed sealed delivered....let's see how I get on. At the very least it can't be any harder than the last wedding I played for, that started half an hour late because an important person forgot to bring the rings with him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DQB123 Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Today one of our truly delightful (non-church-going) brides-to-be came to see me about the music for her wedding. She is coming in to a CD (if you please!), and I guess that I really have no objection to that, especially as she wishes to leave the church to the strains of Mendelssohn on the organ. She remarked that she'd noticed that at all the weddings she's been to just lately, the hymns are "All things bright and beautiful" and "Sing Hosanna". We looked through some wedding order of service cards that I've kept and she was absolutely correct! Amazingly enough she declared that she didn't want "Sing Hosanna" at her wedding under any circumstances!! (However, the fiance said that he likes "All things bright and beautiful" - so it's Jerusalem and All things B & B - (which, I notice is also coming up a lot at funerals too). So what are the fave hymns for weddings right now?? Q Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyorgan Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 So what are the fave hymns for weddings right now?? 'Fight the good fight', in preparation for what is to come 'Dear Lord and Father of mankind forgive our foolish ways', for what they've already been up to 'Forty days and forty nights', as that's how long most of them seem to last For info, we had 'Guide me O', 'Great is thy faithfulness', and 'Love Divie' (to Blaeanwern). What does that say ebout me. PS The vicar wanted us to have Crimond, apparently 'they sing it quite a lot in Scotland'. Serioulsy, it must be hard for couples to choose between (a)hymns everyone will know, despite not being remotely appropriate or even liturgically sound and (b)the hymns they really want, but as none of their friends go to church, they won't know them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contrabordun Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Yeah, I insisted on O Perfect Love to Highwood (am a great fan of RR Terry's hymn tunes) despite herself's pointing out that nobody knew it and was duly rewarded with the sound of the unaccompanied organ, despite a church full of people who could read music and the melody printed in the service sheet. Can't win, sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contrabordun Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 edited blank - randomly posted twice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newnham Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Today one of our truly delightful (non-church-going) brides-to-be came to see me about the music for her wedding. She is coming in to a CD (if you please!), and I guess that I really have no objection to that, especially as she wishes to leave the church to the strains of Mendelssohn on the organ. She remarked that she'd noticed that at all the weddings she's been to just lately, the hymns are "All things bright and beautiful" and "Sing Hosanna". We looked through some wedding order of service cards that I've kept and she was absolutely correct! Amazingly enough she declared that she didn't want "Sing Hosanna" at her wedding under any circumstances!! (However, the fiance said that he likes "All things bright and beautiful" - so it's Jerusalem and All things B & B - (which, I notice is also coming up a lot at funerals too). So what are the fave hymns for weddings right now?? Q Hi All things bright is probably the most requested for both weddings & funerals - it's still (sometimes) sung in schools. I sometimes think that it's the only one most non-church goers can think of. Crimond is far less common these days than it was. I have heard Dear Lord and Fater at a wedding - difficult to keep a straight face! Every Blessing Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vox Humana Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I can't see that it really matters whether you have hymns that the congregation recognises or not. Either way, they never sing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newnham Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I can't see that it really matters whether you have hymns that the congregation recognises or not. Either way, they never sing them. Hi That's generally the case, but there are exceptions - even at funerals. If the person concerned or wedding couple were church-goers, especially in the free church denominations, there's a fair chance that the congregational singing will be fine. Every Blessing Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrabombarde Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 I'm pleased to report that the wedding passed largely uneventfully yesterday after all. The Stevie Wonder moment seemed to be at least recognised, perhaps even appreciated. And given that the last time I played this particular organ for a wedding it resulted in THIS , I was just slightly paranoid. In the event everything was fine...until the final chord of the Wedding March, when guess what - the ivory of Great Middle C disappeared somewhere under the pedalboard. Superglue may be strong, but it's not perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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