We have known our friend Clare since we moved to Richmond. She is the sister of Bill and Meghan -- parishoners and good friends at our church -- and she would live in Richmond with them during the summer as she attended a Virginia college. When she lived in Richmond, she would join our choir at church and she even watched our house once while we were on a vacation. So we were very honored when, upon becoming engaged to Thomas (a very nice young man she met at college), she asked us to be a part of the wedding. She and Thomas wanted to have an Old Rite wedding (all Latin) and being from a very musical family, she had specific dreams when it came to the music at her wedding. I was asked to sing in the choir that she was putting together and be part of the group that chanted the Ordinary Prayers and Dave was asked to direct the whole thing.
So, last week, we made our way to Illinois -- middle America. The bride and her family (and the rehearsal dinner) were in Dixon, we stayed in the metrop of Rock Falls, and the wedding was in the lovely town of Amboy. I have included a map below....for those of you who have never heard of these communities. Dixon does have one claim to fame: it was the boyhood home of President Ronald Reagan.
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The choir that Clare had formed consisted of 3 sopranos, 3 altos, 3 tenors and 2 basses. We were all charged to show up for the weekend with the music already learned. The picture below is at Meghan and Clare's family's house. Dave lead a fantastic...if somewhat taxing...4 hour rehearsal the morning of the wedding rehearsal. But hey! Good music demands practice!
Clare chose all of the music but let Dave decide where the specific pieces should go in the ceremony. Dave decided that the "program" would be as follows:
Pre-Ceremony Motets:
If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis
Meditabor by Franz Witt
Ubi Caritas by Maurice Durufle
Offetory Motet:
Sicut Cervis by Giovanni Palestrina
Communion Motets:
Ave Verum Corpus by William Byrd
O Sacrum Convivium by Tomas Luis de Victoria
Ave Maria by Tomas Luis de Victoria
That is ALOT of singing! And that does NOT include the men's schola that chanted all of the proper readings for the Mass and the chant choir that chanted all of the ordinary prayers for the Mass. For those of you who don't know, that includes: the Introit, the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Gradual, the Offertory, the Sanctus, the Agnus Dei, and the Communion chants. Whew!
But how could such beautiful music NOT be done in the stunning church that Clare was getting married in?!!! Amazing that such a beautiful church was found in the small community of Amboy, IL -- population 2,500.
I have always wondered what would happen if a bride or groom was sick the weekend or even the day of their wedding. We almost found out! When we arrived Thursday night, we were told that Clare was not feeling well at all and had been sleeping most of the day. When we arrived at her family's house for the morning rehearsal on Friday, there was some concern that she had strep throat. She was running a fever and her fiance, who was helping nurse her, was now starting to feel a little under the weather.
But....Saturday afternoon came and there was Clare, an absolutely beautiful bride! Here is a picture of the whole wedding party at the beginning of the wedding. In Old Rite weddings, the actual marriage ceremony takes place first, followed by the rest of the Mass.
Here is the men's schola as they chanted the Introit. What an amazingly beautiful sound!!!!
Clare and Thomas were extremely lucky to be married by a good friend of all of ours who attend our church in Richmond. Father Fritz has been in a doctoral program at Catholic University and over the past 3 years, he has helped say Mass at our parish many, many times. He has become a very good friend of ours but he is a very close family friend of Meghan and Clare's family. He said a beautiful Mass but his homily was most memorable. He tied in "Faith, Hope, and Love" to "Obedience, Poverty, and Chastity (in this case forsaking all others for the one that you are marrying)" and it was a truly beautiful message for not only the newly married couple but for everyone there.
My beautiful, newly married friend, Clare!!!!
Dave and I have done the music for many weddings because of Dave's position at the church. But this music....it was truly heavenly! Clare's grandparents had to be convinced by an older brother of hers that the music wasn't just a CD. :-) That is always a good thing to hear!!
One of the blessings of doing so many weddings together is that it gives us the chance to quietly renew our vows to each other each time. During the ceremony...especially at Clare's wedding...we both remember our beautiful wedding. We are so blessed that 8 years later, our love for each other increases each day.
Father Fritz! Sadly, this weekend was a goodbye of sorts. Fr. Fritz is currently working on his dissertation -- which can be done from anywhere -- and since he no longer has to be in D.C., his bishop has called him back to his diocese in IL where he will work with the bishop. This means that we won't see Fr. Fritz as often as we have become accustomed to. He is an amazing priest and a wonderful friend. We will miss his sense of humor, his perfect German accent!, his fierce devotion to the Church, and most of all....the spiritual guidance he gave to all of us! He says that he will vacation in Richmond and Dave and I hope that he takes a vacation soon! :-) Dave and I are both keeping him in our prayers and we feel so blessed that such a priest keeps us in his prayers!
It was also a goodbye of sorts to Clare. Her marriage marks the end of her living with her sister and brother-in-law and living in Richmond. After a honeymoon to Quebec City (I am so jealous!), Thomas and Clare will settle in north Ohio and begin their married life!
Congratulations Thomas and Clare!!!!! "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."
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