Saturday, September 10, 2005

Renee & Jason Wedding at Timberlakes

I played unaccompanied acoustic cello solos for a small wedding earlier today, out past Agate off Highway 3 just a bit north of Shelton. Penny got some good directions off of the internet and I didn't have much trouble finding it. The setting at Timberlakes was really beautiful: an outdoor gazebo on a small island surrounded by a small lake complete with water lilies and reflected trees. Thank you Jon!
It rained on and off all day, so my program was a bit shorter than it would normally be so people could dodge the weather, but it didn't rain a drop during the ceremony, which was absolutely beautiful. Another thing that I thought was cool were the matching Hawaiian shirts and dress slacks the groom and groomsmen wore. The bridesmaids looked great, and the bride looked absolutely breathtaking in her dress.
As the wedding party were taking their seats, I played:
Don't Be Cruel (To A Heart That's True) (excerpt) Otis Blackwell & Elvis Presley, 1956
Underneath It All (David A Stewart & Gwen Stefani 2001)
When I'm Sixty-Four (Beatles)
Take My Breath Away (Love Theme from "Top Gun,") (Giorgio Moroder & Tom Whitlock 1986)
---I had to cut one or more of the following for time, but they were in the original program: Till There Was You (Meredith Willson 1950), And I Love Her (Beatles), Unforgettable (Irving Gordon 1951), Fly Me To The Moon (Bart Howard 1954), I Will Remember You (Sarah McLachlan, Seamus Egan & Dave Merenda 1995), I'll Have to Say I Love You In A Song (Jim Croce 1973), I Will (Beatles 1968), Landslide (Stevie Nicks 1975)---
When everyone appeared to be present and seated, I played classical selections from G.F. Handel's Water Music, and was ready with plenty of Bach Cello Suites and other classical music, depending on how things were going; many times, a critical member of a wedding party gets delayed in one way or another. Things went very smoothly today. Everyone was in their places and bridesmaids were well on their way; I saw the bride in the distance and began the Bridal Chorus. With the long distance from across the bridge, it actually took two stanzas of the Wagner, which I thought was great because indoors, I play about a measure of it before the bride is standing up front and everybody's patiently waiting for that song to end. Playing weddings, I've seen quite a few brides and I have to tell you, Renee looked like a celebrity or a model, and her dress seemed to be perfect as she came up the eisle and stood up front. The young pastor included Jason's new son in the service, joining the whole family together at once in God's love. It was truly beautiful.
Anyway, after the ceremony, which was shorter yet sweeter and more complete than most, I played Mendelssohn's Wedding March, then J. Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary. By the time I finished the Trumpet Voluntary, the last of the group was already across the arc of the white-railed bridge, almost out of view, so I cut I Married An Angel (Richard Rogers & Lorenz Hart, 1938).
It was really a great service, and I enjoyed playing. Thank you Renee & Jason, Jon and everyone!
--Dave
cellodad@juno.com