Royal Wedding Musical Moments

I watched the Royal Wedding a few days later. I wasn’t going to get up at 3:30 to watch it. However, I am fascinated by British history and this was history in the making. I had seen Megan Markle before. She plays Rachel Zane on the USA network TV series Suits. Suits is a binge–worthy series available on Amazon prime

One of the most memorable moments of the ceremony was the address delivered by Rev. Michael Bruce Curry from Chicago. Curry, the head of the Episcopal Church, spoke passionately about the power of love.  At one point he quoted
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we do that, we will make of this old world a new world,” he said. “Love is the only way. There’s power in love. Don’t underestimate it. Don’t even over-sentimentalize it. There’s power, power in love.”

Royal Wedding Music

The music chosen by the Royal couple was a mix of classical as well as modern music. Megan walked down the aisle to “Eternal source of light divine” by George Frideric Handel.

“If Ye Love Me” is a four-part motet or anthem by the English composer Thomas Tallis, a setting of a passage from the Gospel of John. First published in 1565, it is an example of Tudor music and is part of the repertoire of Anglican church music.

“The Lord bless you and keep you“ is a blessing and benediction. A new setting for choir and organ was published in 1981 by John Rutter, setting the blessing with an extended “Amen”

“Stand by Me” is a song, originally performed by American singer-songwriter Ben E. King, and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller. According to King, the title is derived from, and was inspired by, a spiritual written by Sam Cooke and J. W. Alexander called “Stand by Me Father,” recorded by the Soul Stirrers with Johnnie Taylor singing lead. The third line of the second verse of the former work derives from Psalm 46:2c/3c.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason (born 1999) is a British cellist who won the 2016 BBC Young Musician of the Year award. He was the first black musician to win the award since its launch 38 years earlier.