Dear Engaged Couple,
On behalf of St. James Music Ministry, congratulations on your engagement and upcoming marriage!
There will be many days ahead of careful and serious preparation for your life together. We hope this time is a
prayerful discovery process for the two of you.
This is a packet of supplemental information from Music Ministry that will assist you in the specific
preparation of the music for your wedding. Included in the packet are:
 Material entitled “We Can’t Emphasize Enough”…topics that are important to re-emphasize regarding the
music at your wedding.
 A List of Wedding Music Selections
At the meeting with Tamaron Conseur, Director of Music Ministry, don’t forget to bring your
“CELEBRATING MARRIAGE” book and the colored planning sheet “Celebrating Marriage.” Mr. Conseur
will help you complete the music portions of this form. Please return (fax, email, drop off) the completed form to
me at the Parish Office no later than 3 weeks prior to your wedding day.
Lastly, it would help me (and future couples getting married at St. James!) tremendously if you could, after the
dust settles but while things are still fresh in your mind, complete the Wedding Evaluation Form. I’m always
looking for ways to improve our ministry, and feedback from newly married couples is invaluable!
Enjoy this time of planning and preparation! For any wedding music questions, feel free to call me!
Sincerely,
We’re here to help!
Tamaron Conseur
Director of Music Ministry
224-345-7204
tconseur@stjamesah.org
Wedding music must involve the assembly
Songs that are familiar to the congregation and in which they can participate should be given
preference. This does not mean there should be no solo music. What is important is to achieve a
good balance of assembly music and solo music. The songs that “belong” to the assembly
(minimally) are:
 Opening Hymn
 Responsorial Psalm
 Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia)
 Eucharistic Acclamations (Holy, Memorial Acclamation, and Amen)
Places in the liturgy for solo music are:
 Prelude
 Presentation of the Gifts (Offertory)
 after Communion
 visit to the Holy Family/Blessed Mother
Note: All Music Selections are subject to approval by the Director of Music Ministry
Inter-denominational wedding liturgies
Are your family and friends predominately Catholic? If so, are they predominantly St. James
parishioners? This information is helpful for your musicians to know in order to help you select
assembly music. In addition, if one of you is not Catholic and/or there will be a large number of
non-Catholics participating, it is important to include one or more ecumenical hymns (a hymn
sung by many denominations). The best place to use an ecumenical hymn is the Opening Hymn!
Using an ecumenical hymn at this time says right away that all are included and welcome, and
that “this is not so different from how we worship!” Once again, the goal is for active
participation by all gathered.
Perhaps a Worship Aid is needed
Many couples opt to provide the assembly with a printed booklet (sometimes referred to as a
program). It is essential for successful participation (especially if many in the assembly are not
Catholic) that if you are preparing a booklet, you either include the music itself that will be sung
by the assembly, or at least references to numbers in the hymnal. It is easy to include the short
refrains of the assembly’s music! We can provide you with print-ready material to simply
“paste” in at the appropriate spaces! Naturally it is necessary to include copyright information
when reprinting music, and St. James has the appropriate licenses! Please make this a tool for
active participation in addition to a memento of the occasion, and let us know how we can help!
[The music resource in the church pews is Gather Comprehensive II (GIA)]
Not all music is appropriate for use at Catholic Weddings
We follow the liturgical guidelines: secular texts are not sung at liturgies, and this includes
wedding liturgies. This is because these texts do not reflect the Christian view of love and the
sacrament being celebrated. If you like contemporary, secular love songs, you should know that
there are hundreds of “popular” sounding Christian love songs available and most appropriate!
Some songs, while perhaps beautiful music and sentimentally nostalgic, are inappropriate. Some
songs whose texts are limited to a personal dialogue between two lovers exclude the communal
dimension of worship. Other songs do not include the fundamental nature of Christian marriage
– a celebration of God’s love for the Church enfleshed in Christ, forming the foundation for the
love a man and woman share. Basically, the song needs to literally express the Christian view of
love and marriage as a sacred event uniting two persons in Christ: the love between man –
woman – and God.
The Opening Hymn
The Opening Hymn at a wedding serves the same important function as it does at a Sunday
mass: to gather the people together! This is even more essential when it’s a group of people who
ordinarily do not worship together. Furthermore, it sets the tone for the celebration. It gets
everyone participating from the start! You will also experience a side benefit: it gives the
wedding couple an opportunity to “catch their breath”, and get comfortable in their place, in
front of all those people! There are great songs and hymns to begin with, some specifically
written for weddings!
Selecting the Responsorial Psalm
Though you may familiarize yourself with the suggested Responsorial Psalm texts in the
collection of readings, wait until you meet with Tam before selecting which one you wish to use.
This way, you can base your selection on both text and music.
The Lord’s Prayer
Please remember that the Lord’s Prayer is not sung as a solo. This is a prayer that belongs to
the people, and is the single prayer that all can pray together, no matter from what Christian
denomination they come.
Arranging for Musicians

3 Months Ahead of Time It is a good idea to hire musicians three months in advance
of your wedding. But don’t panic if you have missed this mark!

Two Musicians Provided
Wedding liturgies require two musicians: a cantor
(vocalist) and a keyboard player – piano and/or organ. In addition, depending on your taste and
your budget, you may opt to enhance the celebration by hiring additional vocalists or
instrumentalists. Refer to the St. James Wedding Musicians List to find the names of top-notch
Chicago-area instrumentalists. These are musicians who are hired to play at St. James liturgies
for holy days and other special liturgies. Check out your local public library for recordings to
hear different sounds. Most instrumentalists also provide their own demo tapes.
 St. James Musicians
 The musicians that St. James provides, are all professionally trained musicians, so we can
assure you of their competency.
 They are dependable.
 They all know what and how to do the musical pieces that occur as part of a wedding
liturgy.
 St. James musicians know the church space, its acoustics, microphone system, and
keyboard instruments.
 They also know the various styles of presiding that the priests from St. James have.
 And Finally, the musicians provided have all worked frequently with each other, so their
musical presentation is confident and smooth as well as beautiful.
 Hear the Musicians!
Most cantors and organists/pianists sing or play regularly at St.
James on the weekends. Feel free to contact the Music Director or the Parish Office for the
current schedule of masses at which these musicians sing or play. It can be emailed or snailmailed to you!
 Non-St. James Musicians
Regarding the use of non-St. James vocalists. You may
decide to have a friend sing a solo, and have one of our experienced cantors to lead the
congregational singing. In the event that you use a non-St. James musician, have the musician
contact the Director of Music directly. Please do so as soon as possible so that there are no
miscommunications!
 Musician Fees
The Cantor and an Accompanist are provided in the Parish Wedding
Fee. Any Additional instrumentalists outside of the cantor/accompanist are an additional
expense. The Director of Music will be happy to secure other instrumentalists for your ceremony
if you wish.

Perhaps a Choir? St. James is blessed to have several choirs, and it is possible to
arrange for a choir at your wedding. The fee, to be determined by each choir, is a donation to
some aspect of Music Ministry. Please call the Director of Music if you are interested in
procuring a choir.
 Recorded Music?
Just as pre-recorded homilies, readings or vows are not appropriate,
pre-recorded music in not permissible for use during weddings or any other Catholic liturgy.
 Turn in your Form!
Don’t forget to turn in a completed copy of the “Celebrating
Marriage/Planning Sheet” to St. James Director of Music no later than 3 weeks prior to your
wedding. You may mail it, fax it, or leave a copy of it in the Parish Office.
Most Important Call if you have any questions!!
Saint James Wedding Music List
Date of today’s meeting:
Name_______________ Phone numbers______________________E-mail_______
Name_______________Phone numbers_______________________E-mail________
Wedding date and time:
Celebrant:
Pianist/Organist/Cantor if available: Tam Conseur 847-682-0501 (cell), tconseur@stjamesah.org
Please e-mail me your completed list a month before the ceremony so I can approve it and pass it on to the
singer/pianist.
Cantor/Accompanist:____________ other instrumentalists_______________________________
Ceremony ___ Full Mass____ Candlelighting?_____ Flowers to the Virgin Mary?____
Prelude: Choosing songs for the prelude is not required. Normally the organist chooses them. But if there is a song
that can’t be fitted in during the ceremony, it can often be played or sung during the prelude. Or if you have any
special requests, or pop songs, this is where they can be performed. The seating of the mothers happens at the end of
the prelude. Here are some choices to consider:
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring- Bach
Air on the G String- Bach
La Grace- G.P. Telemann
Winter from “Seasons”-A. Vivaldi
Autumn from “Seasons”-A. Vivaldi
Flower Duet from “Lakme”
-L. Delibes
Romanza from“Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” -W.A. Mozart
Meditation from Thais- Massenet
The Prayer- Sager/Foster
One Hand, One Heart-Bernstein
Processional:
# of Bridesmaids# of Flower girls# of RingbearersOther:
Please circle below the songs that you would like sung/played at your wedding.
Bridal Party Procession:
You can pick one of the following Marches for the entire procession or one for the bridesmaids, and then a different
one for the bride, (please circle your choices and then mark which march you choose for the bridesmaids, and which
march is for the bride.):
Canon in D- Pachelbel
Trumpet Voluntaire- Clarke
Spring- Vivaldi
Trumpet Tune -H. Purcell
Rigaudon-A. Campra
Traditional Bridal March- Wagner (can be used for the bride only)
Responsorial Psalm (sung):
To You O Lord (Psalm 25)- Haugen
Taste and See (Psalm 34)- Haugen
Every Morning in Your Eyes-Rory Cooney
Blest Are Those Who Love You (Psalm 128)- Haugen
The Lord Is Kind (Psalm 103)- Cotter
This Is the Day (Psalm 118)- Joncas
All the Ends of the Earth (Psalm 98),- Haugen
Gospel Acclamation (sung):
Celtic Alleluia- O’Carroll/Walker
Alleluia- Gregorian
Candlelighting (optional) and the Preparation of the Gifts:
The following list has songs on it which can be used for the candlelighting or the Preparation of the Gifts. Most of
them can be sung or just played instrumentally. Please write next to the ones that you circle whether you are
choosing it for the candlelighting or for the Gifts.
Arioso (instrumental)- Bach
Simple Gifts (instrumental)-Folk Tune
I Have Loved You-Joncas
When Love Is Found- Wren or the Gift of Love- Hopson
I Will Be With You- Moore
By My Side- Thomas J. Porter
The Wedding Song: There Is Love-traditional (gifts only)
Irish Blessing- (gifts only)
The Mass Parts are all from the Mass of Creation by Mary Haugen and are sung:
They include the Sanctus, Christ Has Died, Amen and the Lamb of God.
The Lord’s Prayer is not sung.
Communion (is usually sung but can be instrumental):
On Eagles Wings- Joncas
One Bread One Body- Foley
You Are Mine- Haas
I Will Be With You- Moore
Taste and See- Moore
Panis Angelicus- Franck
Holy Family (optional- please note, of you are not going to the Holy Family you may want one of these songs for
the Gifts or for the Prelude):
Ave Maria-Schubert
Ave Maria- Bach/Gounod
Hail Mary Gentle Woman- Landrey
Recessional March (pick one)
Traditional Wedding March- Mendelsohn
Water Music- Water Music-Handel
Ode To Joy- Beethoven
Rondeau-J. Mouret
La Rejouissance -G.F. Handel from “The Fireworks Suite”
Go Forth in Praise-Eugene Englert
Other ( for the recessional, you can also use one of the marches from the Bridal Party Procession list that you aren’t
already using at the beginning)