Church Ceremony at St Joseph’s
The ceremony for Laura and Daniel took place at St Joseph’s RC Church in Ansdell, Lytham St Annes. It’s a particularly attractive church with beautiful acoustics, which made the music feel warm and immediate.
A perfect mix of music
The couple asked for a blend of classical, Disney and film, and the programme suited the space wonderfully. Guests listened very attentively and even clapped after our rendition of “Now We Are Free.” It’s always a lovely moment when the music connects so strongly with the room and the congregation.
Laura’s entrance
Laura made her entrance to Pachelbel’s Canon. The piece has a repeating phrase that occurs roughly every 11 seconds, which gives natural points for procession timing. We had a great view of Laura and her bridesmaids; as they adjusted her dress and arranged flowers we continued playing until they were definitely ready. That’s one of the many joys of live musicianship — the ability to breathe with the moment and respond in real time.
Hymns, the priest, and applause
We performed two hymns, “Be Still for the Presence of the Lord” and “Shine, Jesus, Shine.” The priest conducted the ceremony brilliantly and kindly asked the congregation to give us a round of applause after each hymn, which was a lovely, encouraging touch. We hadn’t had sheet music for these beforehand but Laura kindly provided it on the day. We can play almost anything as long as we have the music, and being flexible like that really helped the service feel personal.
The signing and exit
For the signing we played Bach/Gounod’s Ave Maria followed by Von Paradis’ Sicilienne. Their exit was the classic “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba,” a joyful, triumphant finish. After the ceremony it took some time for guests to leave the church for photos, so we continued with “Pure Imagination” until Laura and Daniel were ready to make their own departure.
The atmosphere
The church’s natural resonance made everything sound rich and full without amplification. Combined with the couple’s choice of pieces the service felt both reverent and warm. The attentive silence during several pieces, and the gentle applause after hymns, were real highlights for us.
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