Countertenor
Before leaving for my sister’s Cape Cod wedding, I sent out a quick e-mail to my coworkers informing them that I would be absent.
I always try and include something fun in the e-mails because “out of office” e-mails are notoriously boring parts of the cubical lifestyle. This time, I described the music that was planned for the wedding:
Fun Fact:
My sister is a professional flutist. As such she has a lot of classical musician friends who have offered their services at the wedding. The ceremony will include the following music:Pre-ceremony
Selective Airs From the Renaissance and Baroque periods by a professional violist and cellist.
Ave Maria sung by professional SopranoProcessional
“Spiegel im Spiegel” for Cello
A piece by an Estonian composer (‘spiegel im spiegel’ means “mirror in mirror” in German)All Mass Parts are from the Renassance composer William Byrd to be sung in Latin by a countertenor and two tenors
A response psalm sung by my other sister accompanied by some guitar by me.
Next, I will rock the heck out of the Alleluia on guitar. My eldest sister asked for acoustic, but I might bring out the electric with some heavy distortion just to shock the classical crowd.
After the vows there will be a performance of a Bach Flute solo, a Bach gigue for solo violin, and Panis Angelicus for soprano and flute.
The recessional will just be rocking loud organ.
One of my coworkers replied with this fantastic response:
“Is a countertenor anything like a counterterrorist? Is that an anti-tenor?”
Hilarious.
That sounds like a beautiful wedding.
Heh.
That is a crap-ton of music. Should be entertaining, to say the least.
Sounds really nice… though isn’t someone who plays the flute professionally a professional flautist?
Only on the British Isles!
So was it nice, music-wise? I’m not into the instrumental music aspects of the SCA yet, so I am curious as to the great Mike D’s take on Renaissance tunes.
The music was beyond nice. When it comes down to it, I think the style doesn’t matter as much as the quality and abilities of the performers.
And these musicians are the top of the top. It was breathtaking.
So how are you going to top that when you get married?
Great Question.
First, bravo on your perfect understanding that I must top it. As a younger child I’m sure that you can comprehend my competitive nature.
The answer to this question is a descriptive term that I have coined: ‘hugely minimalistic.’
Andrew, my middle sister’s boyfriend, came up with a great way to describe this idea: A small family wedding with only a few invites… taking place in the Superdome. The wedding would scream both complete excess and complete frugality at the same time.
Could I top her music? Not in the conventional sense, but if I could get a full drum core to perform a choreographed dance sequence, I think it’d come close.
Although really, I suppose I should find some chick who would be to get engaged with me first.
I find your plan confusing. If the idea is to competitively top the last wedding with as much subtlety as possible, I guess that would work.
I think you ought to go for a theme weddings. Theme weddings are fun.
The drum core would be awesome though.