nashvillesilverstrings

Reminder: The names have been changed to protect the guilty.

On 9/2/23 A quartet of Silver Strings was in attendance at the nuptials of Ashley and Roger at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Nashville. Ashley chose mostly classical pieces for the prelude as well as the processionals. Included in the prelude were Handel’s “Air”, “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro” and Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”. The ever popular “Canon in D” by Pachelbel was chosen for the entrance of the family as well as the wedding party. Finally the quartet announced Ashley’s entrance with a fanfare and immediately into “Trumpet Voluntary” by Jeremiah Clarke. The officiant, Ralph Griggs, in a simple but dignified ceremony, led the couple through their vows and ring exchange before announcing them as husband and wife. Silver Strings swept them back up the aisle to Mendelssohn’s Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

One slightly amusing thing happened during the ceremony. The aisle runner was made of paper…something we had never encountered before. Nobody would have noticed except that during the ceremony when the photographers tried to get pictures looking straight down the aisle and were stepping on the runner, their footsteps were greatly amplified. The only thing we could do was smile as the photographers tried unsuccessfully to get off the paper quietly. In situations like this when the ceremony is over, we look at each other and say, “They’re married.”

This wedding had a slightly different format for the cocktail hour. The cocktail hour actually started during the prelude. The quartet was seated in part of the ballroom curtained off for the ceremony and broadcast through the speakers in the lobby of the ballroom. Guests were finally shooed into the ceremony area a few minutes before the processionals. After the recessional the quartet continued the cocktail hour for another 30 minutes playing more classical selections such as “Nessun Dorma” and “Oblivion” mixed with a few pop tunes including “Hallelujah” and “Stay With Me”. I have to admit here that we got to the hotel early so we could take a promotional picture after an Indian wedding we played the a couple of months earlier. Thus the Bollywood Strings sign in front of us as part of a collaboration with a British musician who specializes in Bollywood music for the Indian community there.

Congratulations to Ashley, Roger and their families from Silver Strings with wishes for a life full of love and abundant happiness!

Reminder: The names have been changed to protect the guilty!

On 6/17/23 Hannah and Colin were wed at the Homestead Manor in Thompson’s Station. Silver Strings was a trio that day with Toni Ferguson on violin, Linda Davis on viola and Gary Tussing on cello. For the prelude we played hymns and wedding classics such as “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”, “Sheep May Safely Graze” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. When the time came for the processionals we played “Be Thou My Vision” for the mothers, “Come Thou Fount” for the wedding party and the ever popular “Canon in D” for the bride. The officiant brought smiles and giggles to the guests as he told stories of the couple’s courtship after which he led them through their vows and ring exchange. Then they celebrated their first Communion as husband and wife while the trio played “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”. Finally the newlyweds were presented as Mr. and Mrs. and we sent them back up the aisle to Handel’s “Hornpipe”.

Silver Strings was honored to be a part of Hanna and Colin’s wedding and congratulates the happy couple with wishes for them a life of happiness and adventure!

Reminder: The names have been changed to protect the guilty.

On 6/16/23 at the Belle Meade Plantation wedding garden, guests and families watched Leah and Randall at their Blessing of the Vows Ceremony reaffirm their marriage of a few weeks earlier. This truly was a celebration of blending families with just about everybody involved in one way or another. After a prelude of hymns such as “Before the Throne of God Above”, “Fairest Lord Jesus”, “How Great Thou Art” the quartet played “Agnus Dei” (Michael W. Smith), for 18 groomsmen and 15 bridesmaids a flower girl and a ring bearer, not all of whom stood up with the couple. Next came the bridal entrance to Chris Tomlin’s “Crown Him/Majesty”, sung by the lovely Tori Steunebrink, with the quartet and her pianist accompanying. The song was choreographed in such a way as to have the Leah walk from a location near the mansion while we played a verse and chorus so that she would arrive at the alter as we played the bridge of “All Hail, Redeemer, Hail”. It was quite a dramatic moment. The officiant then presided over the ceremony to bless the marriage and for the couple to exchange rings. After the ring exchange Tori again sang Brook Fraser’s “Hosanna”. Finally the couple was officially presented as Mr. and Mrs. and we whisked them back up the aisle to “This Will Be an Everlasting Love”.

After the ceremony the quartet decamped to near the stables to play a mix of contemporary pop and standards for a cocktail hour. Selections included songs from the Bridgerton series, “A Million Dreams”, “Paradise”, “Fly Me To the Moon”, “Stand By Me” and “You Make My Dreams Come True”. As it was summer the insects were out in force and we were dive bombed by angry red wasps. Were they offended by our choice of music? I have no idea.

Time to congratulate the families and their newlyweds. Silver Strings wishes Leah and Randall a long and happy union filled with love and blessings!

Reminder: The names have been changed to protect the guilty!

On 10/8/22 in the late afternoon at a private residence near Gallatin, Marcia and Matthew were wed in an outdoor ceremony in front of family and friends. Silver Strings started off the prelude with contemporary music from what are now classic rock tunes including “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You”, Coldplay’s “Fix You”, Elton John’s “Your Song” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. The processionals followed with the parents entering to “A Thousand Years”, the bridal party to “Only Hope/A Walk to Remember”. Marcia, on the arm of her father, met her husband-to-be at the altar to Billy Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes”. Vows recited, rings exchanged, first kiss shared as husband wife and the happy couple floated back down the aisle to Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me”.

This being autumn when the sun started going down the temperature went with it. We could feel it getting cooler as the ceremony came to a close and started to wish we had maybe worn our thermal underwear as we still had to play for the cocktail hour for another hour before the caterers rang the dinner bell. To compensate we launched into vigorous, upbeat songs to keep our fingers warm. Cocktail tunes included “A Million Dreams” from the Greatest Showman, “Game of Thrones”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, and “Uptown Funk”.

Congratulations to Marcia and Matthew on their rite of passage to a new life together! May their lives be filled with joy and adventure!