nashvillesilverstrings

Last but not least on June 4, Haley married Patrick in a lovely garden ceremony at CJs Off the Square in Franklin.  Haley chose an all classical program to be played flawlessly by symphony musicians I pressed into service between their obligations to the Nashville Symphony.

Some of the pieces played included Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” for the grandmothers and mothers followed by the Handel “Air” from the Water Music.  This is a tune we used to play often but in today’s world we rarely get to play it.  The bridal entrance music, Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” is still a favorite partly because it’s so doggoned beautiful and partly because it’s a perfect piece for a bride to make her way to the altar.  When all was said and done they recessed to Handel’s “Hornpipe” also from the Water Music, another piece we used to play often and not so much these days.  Times do change.

But what doesn’t change is that people meet, fall in love and eventually find themselves at the altar making covenants in front of their friends and families to be husband and wife.  Congratulations to Haley, Patrick and their families!!

June 4 of this year was the biggest day so far for weddings…and every one of them was for approximately the same time.  Fortunately I have several colleagues whom I trust implicitly to get the job done.

So the wedding I ran was at Two Rivers Mansion.  It was the day for women named Anna.  The bride was Anna, her coordinator was Mary Anna, the coordinator’s assistant was Maryann.  For my connection I added that my sister’s name  was Anna (who plays violin but doesn’t live here).

Anna (the bride) married her sweetheart, Kurt, on the front steps of the mansion.  They had requested contemporary pop music for their ceremony with selections such as John Legend’s “All of Me” for the bridesmaids and Train’s “Marry Me” for her processional.  We sent them back down the steps as husband and wife to “Don’t Stop Believing”.

We thankfully dodged the rain that happened earlier that day but the humidity made my already curly hair resemble the hair of the cartoon character, Nancy.  But this wedding wasn’t about me fortunately.  Anna was gorgeous and cool as a cucumber through her ceremony.

After the ceremony everyone made their way into the cool interior of the mansion for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.  We were certainly grateful for the respite from the humidity and heat.  For the next hour we entertained those who remained in the cooler house with more classic rock tunes and the one tune that seems to be getting the attention of at least one or two guests enough to remark…”Game of Thrones”.

Congratulations are in order for Anna and Kurt and their families.  May they live happily ever after!

Silver Strings capped off a busy weekend with a wedding at the amazing East Ivy Mansion Sunday afternoon, May 29, 2016, the scene of the marriage of Mandy to Tim.  Fortunately for us string players there was plenty of shade and a bride who was all about comfort.  We left the tux at home and wore white shirts/blouses with black slacks.

Note to any officiant who might by chance read this blog: Remember to invite the guests to sit before you launch into the ceremony.  They’ll be entirely too polite to sit on their own.  There must have been something contagious in the air as we noticed the same thing at an earlier wedding that weekend.

Mandy chose traditional music for the processionals and included “Panis Angelicus” as an interlude during the ceremony.  After the ceremony the trio pulled out the Gatsby-esque music as per Mandy’s request.  However when a little girl expressed interest in Susan’s violin we decided to play a kid favorite, “Let It Go”, and invited her to sing along which she did with great enthusiasm.  So cute.

Congratulations and best wishes to Amanda and Tim!