Music for weddings

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• Arranging music for your wedding

  All arrangements for music at the service should be made through the deputy University organist, Andrew Macintosh, via email ajrm@st-andrews.ac.uk. Please ensure Andrew has all music choices no later than six weeks prior to your wedding ceremony.

  Decide on your musical requirements, as listed below:

  • organ music for the entrance of the bride
  • opening hymn and second hymn (if required)
  • music for the singing of the schedule (organ or a choir)
  • final hymn
  • organ music for the recessional 
  • choir
  • if the wedding will be audio or video recorded.

  At your wedding preparation meeting, discuss with the minister officiating your wedding your musical requirements to check that they are happy with them.

• Organ music

  Music in St Salvator’s Chapel is provided by the impressive pipe organ situated in the organ loft at the west end of the Chapel. It is known as one of Scotland’s finest pipe organs, and the design reflects the University’s tradition of red academic undergraduate gowns and the grey stones of many of the University’s buildings.

  There are three points during the wedding ceremony where organ music is traditionally used: the entrance of the bride, during the signing of the register, and the recessional.

  Possible pieces are listed below. However, this list is not exhaustive, and other ideas are welcome. The organist will always endeavour to provide the music that you would like; however, please note that not all music is playable on the organ. 

• Hymns

  It is normal to have either two or three hymns during a wedding ceremony. You may find it helpful to browse the following list of popular hymns. This list is not exhaustive, and other ideas are welcome, but please remember that the hymns need to be approved by the minister officiating your wedding and the deputy University organist.

  • All people that on earth do dwell
  • Lord of all hopefulness
  • Lord of all Joy ©
  • As man and woman we are made ©
  • Lord of creation, giver of gladness ©
  • Bind us together, Lord ©
  • Love is the touch of intangible joy ©
  • Christ is made the sure foundation
  • Love Divine, all loves excelling
  • Come down, O Love Divine
  • Now thank we all our God
  • From all that dwell below the skies
  • O God the Bethel! by whose hand
  • Glorious things of thee are spoken
  • Glory be to God the Father
  • Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation
  • O God of Love, to thee we bow ©
  • The grace of life is theirs ©
  • Guide me, O thou great Jehovah
  • The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want
  • How lovely is thy dwelling-place
  • Your love, O God, has called us here
  • Let’s praise the Creator who gave us each other ©
  • We come, dear Lord, to celebrate ©

  Copyright permission is required for all hymns while the author is still alive or within 70 years of the author's death. This music is covered by the Chaplaincy licence. If you choose hymns subject to copyright, the following text must be included in your order of service:

  © <author's name> CCL 55085.

  Occasionally a hymn may fall outside the Chaplaincy licence, in which case the couple is responsible for obtaining copyright permissions.

• Choirs

  The deputy University organist will always do their best to accommodate requests for choirs, and it is possible to book a choir of around eight people to sing at your wedding. As well as leading the singing of the hymns, the choir can, if you wish, perform a piece during the signing of the schedule.

  Possible pieces for during the signing of the schedule:

  • Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring – J.S. Bach
  • Panis Angelicus – Cesar Franck
  • A Gaelic Blessing - John Rutter
  • The Lord Bless You and Keep You - John Rutter
  • Exultate justi – Ludovico Viadana

  Singers are readily available during University semesters. At other times of the year, it can be difficult to find singers, so please contact the deputy University organist in the first instance if the date of your wedding lies outside University semesters.

• Bagpipes

  Pipers are welcome to play outside the chapel for your wedding. However we recommend you consider the following points to ensure there is no clash of music.

  • You must inform the Deputy Organist if you plan to have a piper play at your wedding. 
  • If you have a piper playing outside the Chapel before your service, it will not be possible to have organ music playing inside.
  • If you have hired the choir to sing during your service, the piper should only play in the 15-minute window before service commences, to allow for choir rehearsal.
  • At the end of the service the piper should not play until the bridal party have fully emerged from the chapel into the cloister area.
  • We recommend you do not have both a piper and bells playing before your wedding.

• Recorded music

  Live music creates a more celebratory atmosphere. Therefore, it is advised that you do not use recorded music during your ceremony. 

• Instrumentalists and soloists

  You are welcome to provide your own instrumentalist or soloist to play during the ceremony. If they require a rehearsal in the Chapel, and if you would like the organist to accompany them, this may incur an additional charge. The organist is also happy to book solo instrumentalists where possible.

  In all circumstances, please contact the deputy University organist well in advance. It is especially important that if the organist is required to accompany a soloist, the sheet music in the appropriate key is received not less than one month in advance.

• Bell ringing

  St Salvator’s Chapel has six bells. There is a possibility that these can be rung for your wedding, although it depends upon the availability of bell ringers.

  If your wedding falls within University term-time, bell ringers are fairly easy to obtain from the student population.  During holiday periods, this can be more difficult. The bell ringers are entitled to a fee, part of which goes towards the maintenance of the bells.

  If you would like the bells to rung at your wedding please email the Bell Ringing Society at bellringers@st-andrews.ac.uk.

  Couples expecting their wedding to last longer than 45 minutes must indicate this at the time of booking. Cancellation of bookings must be done in writing to the email address provided. The deposit for bell ringing services is non-refundable.

  There are no bells at St Leonard’s Chapel.

• Video and audio recording

  If you wish to make a video or audio recording of your service, you must obtain the permission of the officiating minister and consult the deputy University organist or choirmaster.

  If the current University Chaplain is conducting the service, a video recording may only be made from the gallery or from the back of the Chapel.