It has been announced that the final hymn played at Princess Diana’s funeral will be the first hymn sung at tomorrow’s wedding ceremony.
The hymn ‘Guide me, O thou great Redeemer’ was also featured during a memorial service commemorating the 10th anniversary of her passing.
This morning, the official programme for the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was released, just one day ahead of the ceremony.
Included are the complete Order of Service, a heartfelt thank-you note from the couple, and an engagement photo of William and Kate taken by photographer Mario Testino.
The programme showcases Prince William’s recently updated Coat of Arms on the front cover, while Miss Middleton’s new Coat of Arms is displayed on the back cover.
The Order of Service contains comprehensive details about processions, music, hymns, prayers, and readings. The wedding service is drawn from the Book of Common Prayer, and Miss Middleton’s younger brother James has been invited to read a Lesson during the ceremony.
According to a spokesman from St James’s Palace, Prince Charles played a significant role in assisting William and Kate in selecting the music for their service.
‘Catherine is well-acquainted with classical music. She collaborated extensively with the Prince of Wales as they spent considerable time together listening to various pieces on iPods,’ he remarked.
‘The overarching theme of the wedding emphasizes Britishness, highlighting traditional forms and craftsmanship.
‘Catherine was particularly eager to incorporate Greensleeves, as it is such an iconic piece of English music.’
The service will feature compositions from three of Britain’s most esteemed composers: Edward Elgar, Benjamin Britten, and Vaughan Williams.
Additionally, ‘Guide me, O thou great redeemer’ has been included as a tribute to Prince William’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. This hymn, sung during her funeral in 1997, will evoke bittersweet memories for the groom.
As she walks up the aisle, Miss Middleton will be accompanied by the majestic coronation anthem ‘I was glad’ by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, based on Psalm 122.
This piece was originally composed for the coronation of Prince William’s great-great-great-grandfather Edward VII at Westminster Abbey in 1902.
As the choir begins to sing, she will commence her three-and-a-half-minute procession, escorted by her father, through the Nave and Choir to meet the Prince.
The spokesman remarked, ‘Many of these selections were chosen for their theatrical quality.
‘They are breathtaking musical pieces that resonate throughout the Abbey, enhancing the grandeur of the occasion.’
Nevertheless, William and Kate have decided to incorporate a contemporary touch to the event. Miss Middleton specifically requested that some new music would be played on the day.
A unique fanfare titled Valiant and Brave, named after the motto of William’s RAF Search and Rescue No 22 Squadron, was created by Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs, the principal director of music for the Force.
This 30-second celebration will be performed by seven trumpeters and one drummer from the Central Band of the RAF as the bride and The Great West Door will witness the groom preparing for their procession.
As a gift from the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey, British choral composer John Rutter has written a new piece for The Anthem.
In a gesture honoring the island they call home, Prince William of Wales and Miss Middleton chose a composition by modern composer Paul Mealor, who has a studio on Anglesey, for The Motet.
Mr. Mealor expressed, ‘The ceremony is going to be, without a doubt, the most emotionally intense and exhilarating hour of my life.’ He intends to watch the wedding on television alongside his mother.
Various elements intersect with previous royal weddings.
Kate’s bridal procession music served as The Anthem for Prince William’s parents’ wedding in 1981, but Diana walked down the aisle to The Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clarke.
Other connections to the wedding of Charles and Diana include Elgar’s Sonata for Organ Op 28, Walton’s Crown Imperial, and Vaughan Williams’s Rhosymedre.
‘Guide me, O thou great Redeemer’ was the final hymn performed at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.
William also offered a heartfelt tribute to the union of his father and stepmother, Camilla.
The Prince and his fiancée decided to incorporate Farewell to Stromness by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies into their ceremony as it had been part of the wedding blessing for the Prince and the Duchess.
A representative from St James’ Palace commented: ‘It’s a personal touch for the couple, reflecting William’s acknowledgment of his father and the Duchess of Cornwall.’
The hymn ‘Love divine, all loves excelling’ also appeared in the 2005 service.
Standing at the Great Lectern, Kate’s brother James Middleton will read The Lesson, proclaiming Romans 12: 1-2, 9-18, declaring ‘Let love be genuine’ during the service’s sole reading.
Prayers will be offered to bless the couple with the ‘gift of children’ and for them to raise them ‘virtuously.’
The congregation will also pray for William to love and cherish his wife and for Kate to remain ‘faithful to her husband.’
The wedding service will feature music performed by two choirs, an orchestra, and two fanfare teams, including The Choir of Westminster Abbey, The Chapel Royal Choir, The London Chamber Orchestra, the Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force, and The State Trumpeters of The Household Cavalry.
Mr. James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, will direct the choirs. The Choir of Westminster Abbey comprises 20 boys from the Abbey’s dedicated residential Choir School and 12 professional adult singers, called Lay Vicars.
The organ will be played by the Abbey’s Sub Organist, Robert Quinney. The Chapel Royal Choir includes ten Children of the Chapel—boy choristers holding scholarships at City of London School—and six Gentlemen-in-Ordinary, who are professional singers.
Conducted by Mr. Christopher Warren-Green, the London Chamber Orchestra consists of 39 musicians situated in the organ loft of the Abbey. It was established in 1921 by Anthony Bernard.
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall serves as the patron of the orchestra. A fanfare team of seven musicians from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force will perform under the direction of Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs. The Central Band was formed in 1920 and provides musical support to the RAF across the UK.
Comprising musicians from both The Band of The Life Guards and The Band of The Blues and Royals, The State Trumpeters of The Household Cavalry will have the Fanfare Team of eight Trumpeters, under the leadership of Trumpet Major Grant Sewell-Jones from The Band of The Blues and Royals.
On the day of the wedding, 150,000 copies of the programme will be sold by 60 Explorer Scouts and 80 Cadets (under adult supervision) for £2 each at various locations such as Green Park, Hyde Park, St James’s Park, and Trafalgar Square. The proceeds from the Official Programme sales will support The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.
Additionally, the Official Programme will be made available for free online in two formats: apage-turning Ceros PDF (using Flash) and an iBook compatible with Apple devices, which can be downloaded from the Apple iBookstore.
Tomorrow evening, the service will be recorded and released by Decca Records as a download, with a CD and vinyl release set for May 4.
by Robbo Green
