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Wedding Guitar at Northbrook Park: Kate and Nick’s Music Choices

Posted on: 26 April 2014

When Kate wrote to me after her wedding, she said something that was particularly nice to hear:

“You were fabulous and really helped to create the calm atmosphere we hoped for.”

That gives a lovely sense of what the music meant to Kate and Nick at their wedding at Northbrook Park on 26 April 2014. Their choices ranged from Pachelbel and Handel to Stevie Wonder, Sting and the Carpenters, brought together on solo guitar.

There was plenty of variety, but a clear feeling running through the selection: familiar melodies, warmth and a relaxed atmosphere.

A wedding in the Vine Room

Northbrook Park, near Farnham on the Hampshire–Surrey border, is an eighteenth-century, Grade II listed manor house surrounded by gardens and countryside. Its historic architecture makes an elegant setting for a wedding without needing much embellishment.

Kate and Nick’s ceremony took place in the Vine Room. With its tall French windows, marble floor, chandeliers and vine-leaf detailing, it is a room with a distinctive character of its own.

In her final email before the wedding, Kate explained that I would be seated in the alcove. Guests would begin arriving shortly after one, ahead of the two o’clock ceremony, so the guitar would already be part of the room as people gathered and took their seats.

We had first met at the National Wedding Show in 2012. I sent a CD afterwards, and the booking was arranged well in advance. By the spring of 2014, our conversations had turned to the details of the ceremony and, especially, the songs.

Familiar melodies as the guests arrived

Kate’s requests for the arrival of the guests were a lovely selection:

• Marry You — Bruno Mars
• Fields of Gold — Sting
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow — with Eva Cassidy’s interpretation in mind
• How Deep Is Your Love — the Bee Gees
• Your Song — Elton John

She also left room for anything else I thought would fit.

These songs offer quite different possibilities on guitar. Marry You has a cheerful rhythmic character, while Fields of Gold gives the melody more room to breathe. How Deep Is Your Love has those beautiful harmonic changes, and Your Song has a directness that works well even without the words.

It is interesting, too, when a couple names a particular singer’s interpretation. Kate’s reference to Eva Cassidy gave me a sense of the feeling she associated with Somewhere Over the Rainbow, rather than simply identifying the tune.

Before a ceremony, guests are greeting each other, finding their places and gradually settling down. Recognisable songs can give them something to enjoy without requiring everyone to stop talking and listen. The music helps that transition happen gently.

Pachelbel’s Canon for the aisle walk

For her entrance, Kate chose Canon in D.

After the popular songs accompanying the guests’ arrival, Pachelbel brought a more formal character to the procession. It is a piece I have played at many weddings, and its gradual development is one reason it works so well.

On guitar, the repeating harmonic pattern supports a melody that becomes increasingly active. That gives the performer scope to shape the music around the entrance, keeping the pace comfortable and allowing each phrase to unfold.

The bride’s arrival is a different kind of musical moment from the gathering of the guests. Conversation falls away, attention turns towards the aisle, and the guitar is heard much more clearly. A familiar piece can feel quite different in that sudden stillness.

From Procol Harum to Stevie Wonder

For the signing of the register, Kate supplied an unusually varied list:

• A Whiter Shade of Pale — Procol Harum
• The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba — Handel
• You Are the Sunshine of My Life — Stevie Wonder
• You’re Beautiful — James Blunt

She was happy for me to suggest more if needed.

This was a selection to draw from during the signing rather than a rigid requirement to fit four complete pieces into the available time. Having several choices ready gives a musician flexibility as the formalities and photographs unfold.

A Whiter Shade of Pale is particularly interesting in this company. Its stately movement makes it a natural neighbour to classical repertoire, even though people know it as a popular song. On solo guitar, the melody and the movement underneath it can both come through.

Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba offers a brighter, more animated contrast. It is often chosen for a couple’s exit, but Kate placed it among the signing music—there is no reason every piece has to occupy the same position at every wedding.

Then there was Stevie Wonder. You Are the Sunshine of My Life brings a different rhythmic feel, with plenty of interest in the harmony. Alongside the straightforward, recognisable melody of You’re Beautiful, it gave the selection another change of character.

I enjoy programmes like this. The guitar provides a consistent sound, allowing music from different periods and styles to sit comfortably together.

“We’ve Only Just Begun”

For their walk back up the aisle, Kate and Nick chose the Carpenters’ We’ve Only Just Begun, described in the email as “It’s Only Just Begun”.

It was a lovely choice to finish the ceremony. A recessional can be joyful without needing to be fast or emphatic; a warm, familiar melody can carry that moment just as effectively.

After Pachelbel for the entrance and the mixture of classical and popular music during the signing, the Carpenters brought the ceremony to an affectionate conclusion.

Music through the rest of the day

I was also booked to play for the drinks reception and wedding breakfast. For those sections, Kate and Nick left the repertoire to me.

That is a useful balance: carefully chosen pieces for the moments that matter most to the couple, followed by the freedom to respond to the guests and the atmosphere.

During the ceremony, the music follows specific events. At the reception, it can move more freely between styles as people talk and celebrate. During the meal, it needs to remain comfortable to listen to while leaving plenty of space for conversation.

Kate’s message afterwards suggested that this was exactly what they had wanted:

“Lots of our guests have commented on how much they enjoyed your music and I’m only sorry that I didn’t get to thank you personally on the day.”

There is never any need for an apology like that, but it is always a pleasure to receive the message.

Thank you, Kate and Nick, for inviting me to play—and for a thoughtful selection of music that gave me so much to work with.

The Resident Peacocks

Another thing about Northbrook Park is its resident peacocks! One white, and one with those beautiful deep blues and greens that peacocks are famous for. Apparently, the photographers who come regularly to Northbrook Park love to get shots of guests and the Bride and Groom with the peacocks.