Cantatorium - Wedding Music

MATER MISERICORDIAE PARISH

Phoenix, Arizona

Wedding Music Policy

We offer five standard wedding music packages:

1. Choral High Mass with organist plus eight singers from the mixed choir - approx. $1,004* depending on availability

2. (recommended option) High Mass with organist and men’s schola (three singers) - approx. $564* depending on availability

3. Sung Mass with organist and cantor - $410*

4. Low Mass with organist only, no singing - $250*

5. Rite of Marriage with organist only, no singing - $200*

All options include approximately 25 minutes of organ prelude music. The prelude while your guests arrive is part of your music package, and neither the Rosary nor any other prayers should be recited aloud within those 25 minutes before your wedding unless you have made special arrangements with the organist. Music for all weddings at Mater Misericordiae and St. Edward the Confessor is the responsibility of the parish organist and choirmaster, who will make arrangements for a substitute if unavailable himself, and all music inquiries should be addressed directly to him:

Patrick Williams

choir@phoenixlatinmass.org

(205) 223-9545

Music inquiries for weddings elsewhere should be addressed to the resident musicians first.

The parish choirs are responsible for Saturday weddings at Mater Misericordiae and St. Edward the Confessor; as a rule, outside singers will be permitted at the choirmaster’s discretion only in case of necessity. The mixed choir is not available during the work day. Weekday weddings, including Friday afternoons, should be planned as Low Masses with organ or High Masses with men’s schola or cantor alone. In addition to Gregorian chant, the men’s schola has a limited selection of polyphony included on this YouTube playlist, subject to availability of cantors. If an outside ensemble is permitted for a weekday wedding, the parish organist’s fee remains $300,* and the three parish cantors are each entitled to their full $88* fee unless they are actually unavailable, as weddings are considered part of their professional responsibilities and income. (For reference, one local quartet charges $2,000 or more.) Please note that the parish choirs will be on break during the month of July 2025 and requests for choral High Masses at that time cannot be accommodated.

Vocal soloists (other than parish cantors and section leaders) set their own fees.

Orchestral instruments are allowed. Instrumentalists set their own fees (possibly regulated by the union).

Musicians do not attend the rehearsal with the bridal party.
Additional ensemble rehearsals outside of the normal parish schedule will be billed at the rate of $44* per hour per singer or instrumentalist, director $88* per hour.

*fees effective 5/1/25–4/30/26; may increase slightly after 5/1/26

Music fees are payable to Mater Misericordiae Catholic Church. Payment is due no later than the Tuesday preceding the wedding.

Suggested pieces are listed in the following sections. Choral music selections should be finalized one month before the wedding. Organ selections should be finalized two weeks before the wedding. The following types of music are generally inappropriate for the traditional Latin rite:

secular music, including popular love songs and theatrical instrumental numbers
folk music, whether secular or religious
gospel music
so-called contemporary Christian music, including “praise and worship” songs
pre-recorded music of any kind

During a High Mass, nothing may be sung in English or Spanish, but vernacular hymns or anthems may be sung before or after the Mass itself, or during Low Mass. If you want a congregational recessional hymn, the traditional and well-known “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” is recommended in preference to modern hymns using language not in keeping with the formal, elevated, old-fashioned Thee/Thou style we use in English prayers and hymns at this parish.

Late fee addendum:

The seating of mothers and grandmothers is to begin promptly at the announced ceremony time. There will be an additional charge of $50 per fifteen minutes late; after 45 minutes, the fee will increase to $200. It is also understood that a wedding ceremony should normally take no longer than an hour and a half, or an hour and 45 minutes if full Hispanic customs are observed, and that singers and musicians may have to leave early if a wedding starts considerably late and they have commitments later in the day. Starting late shows disrespect for the house of God, the dignity of the sacred rites of divine worship, and the time of invited guests, hired professionals, clergy, altar servers and their families, and choir members who taken time out of their day to make the wedding as beautiful as possible.

Wedding Music Selection

Please copy and complete the following information and e-mail to choir@phoenixlatinmass.org.

NAMES

DATE

TIME (the actual ceremony time printed on your invitation)

LOCATION

PRIEST(S)

COORDINATOR

How many grandmothers and mothers to be seated?

How many bridesmaids, including maid/matron of honor?

Last person to enter before bride (e.g., maid of honor, ring bearer, flower girl)?

Will incense be used (High Mass only)?

Will there be an optional prayer to Our Lady/presentation of flowers at the end of Mass?

NUPTIAL MASS:

*1. Seating of Mothers/Grandmothers

*2. Processional (attendants/groom/priest)

*3. Bridal Processional (omit if all are to enter to the same music)

4. Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus-Benedictus, Agnus Dei) - High Mass only

5. Offertory

6. Communion

7. Communion 2

8. Communion 3 (optional)

9. Prayer to Our Lady (optional)

10. Recessional

RITE OF MARRIAGE WITHOUT MASS:

*1. Seating of Mothers/Grandmothers

*2. Processional (attendants/groom/priest)

*3. Bridal Processional (omit if all are to enter to the same music)

4. Prayer to Our Lady (optional)

5. Recessional

*Because of timing considerations, it is recommended to have organ music rather than choir for the seating of mothers and processionals.

If you have a printed copy of this document, please refer to cantatorium.com/weddings for the recording links.

Suggested program for Nuptial Masses:

1. Seating of Mothers/Grandmothers: Prelude on the Welsh Hymn Tune Rhosymedre - Vaughan Williams

2. Processional: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme - Bach

3. Bridal Processional: Con moto maestoso (from Sonata No. 3) - Mendelssohn

4. Ordinary: Mass IX (for Saturday weddings) or polyphony

5. Offertory: depends on whether you want mixed choir/ensemble, men’s schola, or organ

6. Communion 1: Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier - Bach

7. Communion 2: depends on whether you want mixed choir/ensemble, men’s schola, or organ

8. third piece not needed unless you expect a large number of communicants

9. Prayer to Our Lady: again depends on whether you want mixed choir/ensemble or men’s schola; seasonal Marian antiphon is recommended (Alma Redemptoris Mater, Ave Regina caelorum, Regina caeli, or Salve Regina); the bride and groom should not recite any prayers loudly enough to be audible to the congregation unless arrangements have been made with the musicians before planning the music

10. Recessional: Marche triomphale on “Nun danket alle Gott” - Karg-Elert

Choral music selections should be finalized one month before the wedding. Organ selections should be finalized two weeks before the wedding.

Unless you opt for a Sung Mass with organist and female cantor, the Proper of the Mass (Introit, Gradual/Alleluia/Tract according to season, Offertory, and Communion) will be sung in Gregorian chant by men’s voices. Requests for vocal harmonization of chants (droning, organum, descant, counterpoint, etc.) will not be accommodated.

The men’s schola has a limited selection of three-part polyphony included on this YouTube playlist, subject to availability of cantors.

Please refer to the CHORAL REPERTORY list for Masses and motets. Recordings of most choral pieces can easily be found on YouTube or Spotify. For a choral High Mass, a Mass and three motets (Offertory, Communion, Prayer to Our Lady) should normally be selected, with texts appropriate for the part of the Mass, e.g., a Eucharistic text during Communion and a Marian text for the prayer to Our Lady at the end of Mass.

Organ pieces:

All recordings can be listened to or downloaded from the Dropbox folder here.

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Ave verum corpus) - Bach

Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier (Blessed Jesus, We Are Here) - Bach

Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (Deck Thyself, My Soul, with Gladness) - Bach

Sheep May Safely Graze - Bach

Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Wake, a Voice Is Calling) - Bach

Adagio in F - Bennett

Prière à Notre-Dame (Prayer to Our Lady) - Boëllmann

Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (Deck Thyself, My Soul, with Gladness) - Brahms

Rigaudon - Campra

Prelude to the Te Deum - Charpentier