Opus One Chamber Players - For Your Wedding

Add the perfect ambiance to your wedding...

Used properly, chamber music will add elegance and sophistication to your wedding ceremony. Because there is no blueprint for a music program, Opus One will work carefully with you to tailor the music to suit your personalities. Perhaps you would like to hear your favorite ballade just after exchanging vows. Or, perhaps your guests would like to waltz to Strauss at the reception. Your musical program can be intimate, brilliant, or spiritual, and it will always be crafted to suit your particular tastes.

Getting started...
Choosing the right music for the right moment can be a challenge. Based on our experiences, we provide the answers to a few commonly asked questions below which should help you to begin planning your musical program.

How can we incorporate classical chamber music into our event?
	Opus One performs music in a variety of styles, whether its baroque (Bach or Vivaldi), classical (Mozart), romantic (Tchaikovsky) or popular (Bernstein). We can craft a musical program which can combine the classic with the contemporary and can be used effectively throughout your entire event. Consider this actual music program used for a traditional wedding:
	Wedding Ceremony:	Preludes: Selections by Mozart Bride Processional: Bridal Chorus (Wagner) Interlude: Air (Handel) Recessional: Wedding March (Mendelssohn)
	Cocktail hour:	Romantic selections (Tchaikovsky, Dvorak)
	Dinner:	Baroque (Bach, Vivaldi)
	Dancing:	Waltzes (Strauss)

Where is music most appropriate during the actual ceremony?
	Preludes:	15 to 30 minutes prior as guests arrive and parents are seated.
	Wedding Party Processional:	Bridesmaids and groomsmen process and take their places.
	Bride Processional:	This music makes a most important statement!
	Interludes:	Music helps to accompany or accentuate readings, reflections, the lighting of a unity candle, or Communion for a Mass.
	Recessional:	The bride and groom return and guests exit.

What musical style is appropriate during each section of the ceremony?
	This is where our musical expertise shines and your "customization" process begins. We might suggest:
	Preludes:	selections which are slow in tempo, flowing and romantic sounding. Slow movements from Mozart string quartets are sincere and gorgeous, while Bach or Handel is very eloquent.
	Wedding Party Processional:	a selection of moderate tempo in order to set a comfortable "pace" for processing down the aisle. Perhaps the Canon in D (Pachelbel), or Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach).
	Bride Processional:	a "stately" selection such as the traditional Bridal Chorus (Wagner) or Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke). Or, perhaps something less "rhythmic" and more "freely flowing" such as Air (Handel) or Adagio Cantabile (Beethoven).
	Interlude:	a selection that is slow and uplifting to accompany a reflective moment, such as Air from Orchestral Suite Nr. 3 (Bach).
	Recessional:	a piece which is bright, lively, celebratory, and at a fast tempo, such as La Rejouissance (Handel), or Spring (Vivaldi).

What type of ensemble is best?
	String Quartet:	By far the most versatile and effective ensemble (two violins, viola and cello), a quartet provides a wide range of sounds and is impressive for almost any musical style. The quartet repertoire is very extensive and familiar. Because of its full and vibrant sound, a quartet is ideally suited for any occasion.
	String Trio:	Also popular (violin, viola and cello, or two violins and cello), but with a more limited repertoire. Selections are less mainstream, but beautiful nevertheless. Most of the familiar wedding music is arranged well for trio. Trios are better suited for smaller weddings.
	String Duo:	Best for very small and intimate gatherings. By far the most challenging from a programming standpoint. This can be done in many combinations, including two violins, violin and viola, or violin and cello.
	Other:	Adding a trumpet or vocalist to a string group is a powerful effect when used sparingly, i.e. for the Bride Processional and Recessional only.

To schedule an event, please contact us.