Music to my ears!

Now that I am sitting down to write this post, I realized, I have not talked about music at all! Being an actor that gets herself involved in musical theatre all the time, and simply being a fine arts lover; music is and always has been a huge part of my life. And Patrick, of course being a composer, has music woven into his heart. Needless to say, it's going to be a big part of our ceremony and of our day!

Some decisions were easy to make: we're not doing Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" for my walk down the aisle.

Well, yes, I did. Or will.Whatever.

In the beginning of our relationship, Patrick composed a piece of music for me; a Variations for String Quartet. The piece is in seven movements, each breathtakingly beautiful. But it is the theme of the piece that really hits me. From the first time I heard it, way back before we had really talked about marriage, I knew that this would be the music that I would walk down the aisle with my father to marry my best friend to. It paints our love in the best, most truthful way possible and it makes me feel like I am home. I can't imagine any other piece. I, unfortunately, am unable to upload a music file of it right now, but I am working on that with P, so hopefully we can remedy that so you can hear for yourselves. In the meanwhile, we are hunting for a great string quartet to play it at the wedding!

We've also recently come to the wonderful decision to include a beautiful a cappella setting for male choir of Shakespeare's "Shall I compare thee..." or Sonnet XVIII. You may remember why this particular text is important to us. And since a big part of Patrick's undergraduate career and a large number of his friends were in a male a cappella group called "The Accidentals" at Trinity College in CT, we thought the best people to sing it would be our good and talented friends from the group. The whole thing makes me tear up just to hear it! And since Shakespeare is one of my greatest loves about theatre, and the meaning of the text is perfect, AND Patrick MEMORIZED IT and RECITED IT to woo me in the beginning stages of our relationship, it's a perfect choice for us. We are planning on having it sung just before our vows!

As I have said before, we are very fortunate to have such talented musical friends surrounding us. And I am so excited because Patrick and I just commissioned our good friend, Andrew (one of our groomsmen) to write an original piece for us; a setting of Pablo Neruda's Sonnet XVII for cello and soprano:

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul. I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers; thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body. I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this: where I does not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep. *** No te amo como si fueras rosa de sal, topacio  o flecha de claveles que propagan el fuego:  te amo como se aman ciertas cosas oscuras,  secretamente, entre la sombra y el alma. Te amo como la planta que no florece y lleva  dentro de sí, escondida, la luz de aquellas flores,  y gracias a tu amor vive oscuro en mi cuerpo  el apretado aroma que ascendió de la tierra. Te amo sin saber cómo, ni cuándo, ni de dónde,  te amo directamente sin problemas ni orgullo:  así te amo porque no sé amar de otra manera, sino así de este modo en que no soy ni eres,  tan cerca que tu mano sobre mi pecho es mía,  tan cerca que se cierran tus ojos con mi sueño.

We are thinking we might have it set in the original Spanish, to honor the Costa Rican side of my family. I love it either way and cannot wait to hear it! (Oh, and Erica (Andrew's wife and my bridesmaid and best friend) will be singing it as Andrew plays the cello)!!!

For our recessional song, we were thinking of using an arrangement (done by the mister for the string quartet) of "I've Just Seen a Face" by the Beatles. 

Here's the cute/awkward reason as briefly as I can tell it: On the night of our first kiss, we had been listening to songs from "Across the Universe", and after the kiss, when he was leaving to go home (he had forgotten his keys in my car and had to come running back), I was listening to that song. So, we think it would be fitting that after our first kiss as husband and wife, that song should be played. 

Other decisions, that have not been made yet, are proving a little more tough; like the first dance song.

At first we were going to go with "our song" which is gorgeous: "My Favourite Thing" by Silverchair. It has been our song since the summer we met for many reasons. 

Another contender that Patrick just brought up a few days ago is "Married Life" from Disney/Pixar's "Up" by Michael Giacchino. (Used in Mrs. Lioness' wedding from the Bee!)

Patrick and I saw the movie in theaters and were left sobbing in each other's arms (we'd have to end the dance before the sad part). The love between the two characters Ellie and Carl is depicted in one song that chronicles both the happy times and the sadder times in their marriage. It is love. Both songs are beautiful, and emotionally tied to us. It's just down to us picking just one! 

I'm 110% positive that there will need to be more music posts, but this is where we are at so far! I've got to say, I'm quite pleased!

Best,

Micah

P.S. There's a whole funny story to the first kiss that I may or may not plan to post on. Stay tuned!!!