This article was especially written for those who want to give us the greatest gift: taking part in the celebration of our wedding with attention and with their own voice. It wasn’t easy to come to a final decision regarding the song repertoire, but we finally made it! Here you will find sheet music and recordings to practice before September 17th!
Here is a complete list for you:
| Momento | Titolo opera | Autore |
| Entrata Virgi | Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern | J. S. Bach |
| Aspersione | Ecco l’acqua (Ez. 47) | |
| Gloria | Messa | Suor Elena |
| Alleluia | Alleluia, lodate il Signore | M. Frisina |
| Offertorio | Dolce sentire | R. Ortolani |
| Santo | Messa | Suor Elena |
| Padre nostro | Padre nostro gregoriano | |
| Agnello di Dio | Messa | Suor Elena |
| Comunione | La vera gioia | M. Frisina |
| Firme | Jesu bleibet meine Freude | J. S. Bach |
| Uscita | Marcia | Felix Mendelssohn |
Having a choir of professionals at our disposal, we immediately thought of entrusting a couple of the most delicate and emotional moments to the music of one of our favorite composers: J. S. Bach. What could be better than a chorale to accompany Virgi’s entrance into the church and the signing of the register? The first of these is titled “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” (“How brightly shines the morning star”), and its text is inspired by the wedding of Christ the bridegroom and the Church the bride, capturing the festive atmosphere of a wedding. Here are a few lines from its verses (it may sound a bit self-celebratory, but it’s not about Tommi):
- Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
voll Gnad und Wahrheit von dem Herrn,
du süße Wurzel Jesse.
Du Sohn Davids aus Jakobs Stamm,
mein König und mein Bräutigam,
hast mir mein Herz besessen;
lieblich, freundlich,
schön und herrlich,
groß und ehrlich,
reich an Gaben,
hoch und sehr prächtig erhaben. - Zwingt die Saiten in Cythara,
und lasst die süße Musica
ganz freudenreich erschallen.
Dass ich möge mit Jesulein,
dem wunderschönen Bräut’gam mein,
in steter Liebe wallen.
Singet, springet, jubilieret,
triumphieret,
dankt dem Herren,
groß ist der König der Ehren.
- How brightly shines the morning star,
Full of grace and truth afar,
You sweet root of Jesse’s line,
Son of David, King divine.
My King and Bridegroom, heart you’ve won,
Lovely, kind, God’s holy Son,
Beautiful and glorious,
Great and honest, wondrous. - Strike the strings of harp and lyre,
Let sweet music soar much higher.
So with Jesus, Bridegroom dear,
I may walk in love sincere.
Sing and dance with joyful voice,
Rejoice, triumph, and rejoice.
Give the Lord your thanks and praise,
Great is He through all your days.
So, after being introduced to our choir with this first piece, and right after the renewal of the baptismal promises, we can let loose as we welcome the rite of sprinkling with the song “Here is the water,” taken from the Book of Ezekiel!
When it came time to choose a sung Mass (Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei), we took the opportunity to rekindle an old friendship: Sister Elena Pia Mattioli is the beloved founder and director of the Corale Cantico Nuovo in Traversetolo (where Tommi sang in his early years) for over 25 years. She holds a degree in composition and taught at the Parma Conservatory, in addition to having composed this little masterpiece, which continues to enrich many solemn celebrations in Traversetolo.
Right after the sprinkling song, we will begin the Gloria.
We will then continue with the Liturgy of the Word, listening to the readings and the psalm. The next song will be a Gospel acclamation: an Alleluia composed by Bishop Marco Frisina.
We will then arrive at the long-awaited rite of marriage, after which the Liturgy of the Eucharist will take place—the true heart of the celebration. The first musical moment of this section, accompanying the presentation of the gifts, is inspired by the Canticle of the Creatures by St. Francis, echoing the joy of contemplating every element of creation: Fratello sole sorella luna.
Audio FRATELLO SOLE SORELLA LUNA for practice!
Next, we will sing the Sanctus, once again taken from Sister Elena’s Mass (you can find the sheet music at the link above). After that, we’ll switch styles completely and turn to an ancient Gregorian chant dedicated to the most well-known prayer in our tradition: the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father).
Audio PADRE NOSTRO for practice!
Although, due to space limitations, the full sheet music can only be found here, a guide to all these songs will also be available in the booklet we are preparing for the celebration, as well as the responses to the Agnus Dei that will be sung by the sopranos of the choir (the parts can also be found at the link to the complete Mass above).
We are now near the end: only the Communion hymn remains, another work by Marco Frisina, La vera gioia (True Joy), followed by the opportunity to listen to the famous Bach chorale “Jesu bleibet meine Freude” (Jesus remains my joy) at the moment of our first signatures as husband and wife.
Audio LA VERA GIOIA for practice!
J. S. Bach, Jesu bleibet meine Freude, from Cantata BWV 147
Finally, we take this opportunity to thank the organist of the Basilica of San Nicola and the little church of San Gregorio for helping us finalize this program. At the conclusion of the celebration, he will play Mendelssohn’s Wedding March for us—another composer to whom we feel especially connected and whose name we hope will inspire our lives: Felix (Happy, Joyful).
unpiccolomatrimonio 