Music.. you've probably experienced the magic it can work, transforming your mood and evoking emotions and memories. Selecting the music for your wedding mass is one of the most interesting things that form part of wedding preparation. The Catholic church offers a variety of musical choice for masses, while it also has certain rules governing liturgical music. In this post, we will try to offer you some insight into the possibilities for selecting music for wedding masses.
It is important to note that there can be significant differences in the norms regarding liturgical music from diocese to diocese and parish to parish, regarding what must and must not be sung, and in what manner. In this post, we have tried to present the principles and guidelines that apply to the Roman Catholic church in general, but you must respect the rules in place in your church.
For suggestions for hymns for different parts of the wedding mass, please see this post.
In the below list of places in the mass where music may be used, the places where music is optional, are marked with '(optional)'.
Secular music
Secular music is not permitted for a Catholic wedding mass.
In my opinion, there could have been a case for using secular music in a wedding mass, if good approved religious music wasn't available. However, this isn't the case, and there's a whole world of beautiful religious music for weddings, just waiting for you to discover it.
Mass settings for parts of the mass
Mass settings are collections of musical compositions for parts of the mass, like the Gloria, the Alleluia and the Eucharistic Acclamations (Holy, Memorial Acclamation and Amen). The compositions of each setting are intended to be used together, but could also be used individually. One should consider whether the choices for the parts of the mass would impede the congregation from singing them if they are not well known; if this is the case, it could be preferable to recite them instead. It is also a good idea to use familiar musical settings known by the community for the acclamations.
Prelude (optional)
Prelude music should create an atmosphere of prayerfulness and reverence while members of the assembly are gathering and being seated.
Processional and Entrance
It is a common practice is to have an instrumental piece for the entrance of the wedding party and then an entrance hymn. However, the liturgy doesn't prescribe a separate processional piece, and it is possible to have just an entrance hymn and the wedding party enter during the entrance hymn. (Read more about the entrance possibilities in the post on wedding mass liturgy.)
The entrance hymn can be a hymn of praise or a hymn of prayer for the couple. The processional and entrance music should bring the congregation into a spirit of prayer, reverence and worship.
Kyrie (Lord have Mercy) (omitted)
The Kyrie is omitted in wedding masses.[1]
Gloria
As per the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal, the Gloria is to be sung (or at least recited) in masses for marriage, even when they occur during Advent or Lent. The Gloria may not be replaced by a hymn with different words.
Responsorial psalm
The Responsorial Psalm is not just an interlude or a piece of music, but is, in fact a reading in the mass, just like the first reading or gospel. Hence, the responsorial psalm should ideally be a psalm from the book of Psalms in the Bible, and shouldn't normally be replaced by a hymn. It is recommended to sing the psalm. This can either take the form of a chant, or a psalm set to music sung together by the choir and the congregation in it's entirety, or with the congregation singing the verse and the cantor singing the verses.
There are a few psalms for recommended for nuptial masses (see the list on the post about readings). One may choose a psalm from the recommended list or another psalm to be sung.
Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia)
The gospel acclamation must always be sung. There are four options given for the Gospel acclamation. Although it is common for a hymn or some different verse to be taken, for a wedding mass, it would be good to take one of the four verses recommended for weddings.
Nuptial rite
It is possible to have a short acclamation of praise after the vows and other parts of the nuptial rite, or a hymn after the entire rite for people to prayerfully reflect on the sacrament that has just taken place. However, it is important to remember that too many breaks for music will interrupt the flow of the mass.
Prayers of the faithful (optional)
Offertory
One must keep in mind that the preparation of the gifts does not take a lot of time, and therefore, one must select a short hymn that can be ended quickly, if needed, or an instrumental piece.
Sanctus (Holy, Holy)
Memorial Acclamation
Amen (optional)
It is common these days for the Amen at the end of the Eucharistic prayer (sometimes called the 'Great' Amen) to be sung in a grand manner for solemn masses, singing the Amen is by no means compulsory, and it can be recited or simply chanted. Documents issued by certain bishops' conferences have, however, called for this Amen to be said / sung in an emphatic manner.
Lord's prayer (optional)
The Lord's Prayer may be recited, or sung, but since it is the prayer of all God's people, a solo version is inappropriate.
Sign of peace (optional)
If there is music during the sign of peace, it should not be too long, so that the progression of the liturgy to the breaking of the bread is not halted in waiting for the music to finish.
Lamb of God (optional)
This must be sung or recited by the entire congregation.
Communion
A song that all the people can take part in singing is appropriate, because it signifies the unity of the church with Christ. Ideally, the communion hymn should speak of a wider community love, than other wedding hymns.
Thanksgiving (optional)
A song of praise and thanksgiving may be sung after communion.
Recessional
A strong hymn of rejoicing is appropriate for the recessional.
Signing of the register (optional)
Commonly, the couple, with the priests and the witnesses sign the marriage register at the end of the wedding mass. A song which represents the community's wishes, prayers and blessings for the newly-wed couple could be a good choice for this time.
Practicing hymns before the mass
It is a custom in some places for instrumental music (the prelude) to be played before the wedding ceremony begins. A better option, I would say, is to have the choir practice the mass hymns before the mass. Since the congregation is ideally supposed to sing the hymns with the choir, it helps your guests get a hang of the mass hymns.
Considerations for selecting wedding music
Follow are some aspects to be considered while selecting wedding mass music:
Notes
Credits
Special thanks to Austine Crasta for his inputs for this post.
Useful links
It is important to note that there can be significant differences in the norms regarding liturgical music from diocese to diocese and parish to parish, regarding what must and must not be sung, and in what manner. In this post, we have tried to present the principles and guidelines that apply to the Roman Catholic church in general, but you must respect the rules in place in your church.
For suggestions for hymns for different parts of the wedding mass, please see this post.
In the below list of places in the mass where music may be used, the places where music is optional, are marked with '(optional)'.
Secular music
Secular music is not permitted for a Catholic wedding mass.
In my opinion, there could have been a case for using secular music in a wedding mass, if good approved religious music wasn't available. However, this isn't the case, and there's a whole world of beautiful religious music for weddings, just waiting for you to discover it.
Mass settings for parts of the mass
Mass settings are collections of musical compositions for parts of the mass, like the Gloria, the Alleluia and the Eucharistic Acclamations (Holy, Memorial Acclamation and Amen). The compositions of each setting are intended to be used together, but could also be used individually. One should consider whether the choices for the parts of the mass would impede the congregation from singing them if they are not well known; if this is the case, it could be preferable to recite them instead. It is also a good idea to use familiar musical settings known by the community for the acclamations.
Prelude (optional)
Prelude music should create an atmosphere of prayerfulness and reverence while members of the assembly are gathering and being seated.
Processional and Entrance
It is a common practice is to have an instrumental piece for the entrance of the wedding party and then an entrance hymn. However, the liturgy doesn't prescribe a separate processional piece, and it is possible to have just an entrance hymn and the wedding party enter during the entrance hymn. (Read more about the entrance possibilities in the post on wedding mass liturgy.)
The entrance hymn can be a hymn of praise or a hymn of prayer for the couple. The processional and entrance music should bring the congregation into a spirit of prayer, reverence and worship.
Kyrie (Lord have Mercy) (omitted)
The Kyrie is omitted in wedding masses.[1]
Gloria
As per the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal, the Gloria is to be sung (or at least recited) in masses for marriage, even when they occur during Advent or Lent. The Gloria may not be replaced by a hymn with different words.
Responsorial psalm
The Responsorial Psalm is not just an interlude or a piece of music, but is, in fact a reading in the mass, just like the first reading or gospel. Hence, the responsorial psalm should ideally be a psalm from the book of Psalms in the Bible, and shouldn't normally be replaced by a hymn. It is recommended to sing the psalm. This can either take the form of a chant, or a psalm set to music sung together by the choir and the congregation in it's entirety, or with the congregation singing the verse and the cantor singing the verses.
There are a few psalms for recommended for nuptial masses (see the list on the post about readings). One may choose a psalm from the recommended list or another psalm to be sung.
Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia)
The gospel acclamation must always be sung. There are four options given for the Gospel acclamation. Although it is common for a hymn or some different verse to be taken, for a wedding mass, it would be good to take one of the four verses recommended for weddings.
- 1 John 4:8, 11 God is love; let us love one another as God has loved us.
- 1 John 4:12 If we love one another, God will live in us in perfect love.
- 1 John 4:7b Everyone who loves is born of God and knows him.
- 1 John 4:16 Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
The Alleluia is never sung during lent. Instead, an alternate acclamation of praise for lent may be chosen.
Nuptial rite
It is possible to have a short acclamation of praise after the vows and other parts of the nuptial rite, or a hymn after the entire rite for people to prayerfully reflect on the sacrament that has just taken place. However, it is important to remember that too many breaks for music will interrupt the flow of the mass.
Prayers of the faithful (optional)
Offertory
One must keep in mind that the preparation of the gifts does not take a lot of time, and therefore, one must select a short hymn that can be ended quickly, if needed, or an instrumental piece.
Sanctus (Holy, Holy)
Memorial Acclamation
Amen (optional)
It is common these days for the Amen at the end of the Eucharistic prayer (sometimes called the 'Great' Amen) to be sung in a grand manner for solemn masses, singing the Amen is by no means compulsory, and it can be recited or simply chanted. Documents issued by certain bishops' conferences have, however, called for this Amen to be said / sung in an emphatic manner.
Lord's prayer (optional)
The Lord's Prayer may be recited, or sung, but since it is the prayer of all God's people, a solo version is inappropriate.
Sign of peace (optional)
If there is music during the sign of peace, it should not be too long, so that the progression of the liturgy to the breaking of the bread is not halted in waiting for the music to finish.
Lamb of God (optional)
This must be sung or recited by the entire congregation.
Communion
A song that all the people can take part in singing is appropriate, because it signifies the unity of the church with Christ. Ideally, the communion hymn should speak of a wider community love, than other wedding hymns.
Thanksgiving (optional)
A song of praise and thanksgiving may be sung after communion.
Recessional
A strong hymn of rejoicing is appropriate for the recessional.
Signing of the register (optional)
Commonly, the couple, with the priests and the witnesses sign the marriage register at the end of the wedding mass. A song which represents the community's wishes, prayers and blessings for the newly-wed couple could be a good choice for this time.
Practicing hymns before the mass
It is a custom in some places for instrumental music (the prelude) to be played before the wedding ceremony begins. A better option, I would say, is to have the choir practice the mass hymns before the mass. Since the congregation is ideally supposed to sing the hymns with the choir, it helps your guests get a hang of the mass hymns.
Considerations for selecting wedding music
Follow are some aspects to be considered while selecting wedding mass music:
- Musical quality: The musical pieces should be of good artistic quality. This means that the music and lyrics should be beautiful, irrespective of the musical style.
- Doctrinal soundness: The lyrics of the music should be theologically sound, and they should be drawn mainly from Holy Scripture, and from liturgical sources.
- Liturgical complementarity: The selection should be appropriate for the particular part of the celebration, e.g. some parts of the liturgy are suitable for community singing, while others may be suitable for the cantor to lead, and at still other times, instrumental music may be appropriate. Further, the music should contribute to the rhythm of the liturgy, and not impede or drag the liturgy.
- Accessibility: The music chosen should be within the range of the musical capabilities of the choir, musicians and cantor. In addition, it should be accessible to the assembly, it should help them to participate actively rather than be mere spectators. It is pointless if you select the best liturgical music in the world, but it is not what your guests are familiar with, and they are reduced to a mere audience of the performance by the choir. It is important to take into consideration the background and culture of the family, relatives, friends and other people attending the wedding mass.
Notes
- ^The Roman Missal does not state whether the Kyrie is to be sung in a nuptial mass, and hence, it is a matter of debate. The most authoritative writing we have on this topic as of 2015 is an article by the United States Bishops' Conference in which it is suggested that the Kyrie be omitted. As a result, the general practice is not to have the Kyrie in wedding masses.
Credits
Special thanks to Austine Crasta for his inputs for this post.
Useful links
- Order of a Catholic Wedding Mass - catholicweddinghelp.com
- Choosing Wedding Music - catholicweddinghelp.com
Further reading
- Music in Catholic Worship, USCC bishops' committee on the liturgy, 1972
- Directives for the Celebration of the Liturgy, Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), 2016
- Handbook of Church Music for Weddings, Mary Beth Kunde Anderson, David Anderson, 2007
