World Concert Hall

World Concert Hall
-- by Joan Shaw, Alpine Classic Music

Musicians are happy to oblige the bride and groom with music they particularly want for their wedding day. Often the bridal couple will receive a sample CD that has excerpts of numerous songs for their selection. The musicians will gladly offer suggestions if the couple are uneasy about all the choices, especially if it is a formal wedding with classical music. The musicians practice the music, prepare it carefully in the correct order for the ceremony and attempt to play their very best. They also hope that there will be no major surprises in the musical portion of the service.

Last May, a wedding was performed outdoors in the mountains. Everything went according to the schedule for this special event until just before the vows. At that point, a man suddenly stood up unannounced, took a deep breath and sang "Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go." There was no accompaniment, just this wedding guest with the entire mountain range, valleys and vast blue skies as his concert stage. The wildlife for miles around listened with awe to this tremendously powerful singer. The Rocky Mountains seemed to tremble with delight. After the ceremony, the hired musicians asked who he was. The reply: "He is a professor opera at Indiana University."

Most Photographed
-- by Joan Shaw, Alpine Classic Music

At six o'clock in the evening, rain was threatening an outdoor wedding planned for a beautiful mountain meadow. The Rocky Mountains embraced the scene with their majesty. The musicians arrived early and set up their chairs, stands and music. Just as the wedding was to begin, it started to rain so the cellist put up his over-sized black umbrella to protect his instrument as well as the music and his good suit. The rain became a downpour. The violinist and violist scurried to the nearest log cabin and stood under the front porch to wait out the storm. The cellist, with cello, bow, stand, music and umbrella to deal with, hunkered down under his black fabric roof in the middle of the meadow.

It continued to rain. All the log benches, ready for the guests to sit upon during the ceremony, had been covered with white cloths to protect their party clothes. The cloths were soaked but not the cellist. When the rain started to let up, people came from the cabins and took his picture. There he sat with his eyes peering out from the blackness. The rains started up again, he never moved, and even more pictures were taken. Finally, most of an hour later, the skies cleared. He was ready to play wedding music as the staff replaced the seat cloths, the other musicians came out of hiding and the guests reassembled. The meadow was fresh with the rain and the grazing horses came up to the log rail to watch the ceremony. Everything was picture perfect. The bride was dry and radiant but much film had already been used. The wedding ceremony went smoothly but few people had any film left to capture the fantastic rainbow that appeared and seemed to smile at the most photographed of all, the cellist.

Joan Shaw is a musician for Alpine Classic Music.
For more information, go to their page on GrandCountyWeddings.com.

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