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We have prepared the
following to help you
economically create your own Order of Service. If, in the meanwhile, you
wish to discuss your requirements with the artists themselves please
e-mail to enquiry@celtic-weddings.co.uk or telephone 01766 762693. We are
currently researching traditional Welsh wedding music and hymns and all
contributions are welcome - just e-mail
enquiry@celtic-weddings.co.uk
Guide Me O Thou Great
Redeemer is a paraphrase of the great eighteenth century Welsh hymn
Cwm Rhondda. It is a well-known expression of the picture of the
Christian life as a pilgrimage. The application to a wedding
ceremony is obvious.
Guide me, O thou great
Redeemer
Guide me, O thou great
Redeemer,
pilgrim though this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand;
Bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore.
Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fiery cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through;
strong Deliverer,
be thou still my Strength and Shield.
When I tread the verge of
Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
bear me through the swelling current,
land me safe on Canaan's side;
songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee.
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Curious
Welsh Wedding Custom
The following verses were composed for a Welsh wedding, and
delivered in the orthodox manner.
Bard (at the door)
"Somebody fair is hiding here,
Somebody who to us is dear;
Flowers have we to deck her head,
Roses white and roses red,
And roses pink with never a thorn,
A spray of gorse and ears of corn:
All these blossoms are brought to-day,
Now lead the fair one forth, we pray!"
The Gwahoddwr (Welsh for Host) from within replied-
"What is this noise? What means it all?
We will not answer a stranger's call;
Unless you tell us what brings you here,
We will give you something to feel and fear!"
Bard.
"We seek a maiden tall and fair,
With sparking eyes and nut-brown hair
She is the best of maidens many,
Beautiful, winsome, loving Gwennie.
We come to claim her as bride to day,
So open the doors to us, we pray!"
Gwahoddwr.
"Our daughter is still so young and fair,
She needs a mother's tender care
Go, seek another bride elsewhere."
Bard.
"But she has been truly wooed and won,
She shall be his ere set of sun,
And we must see her duly married;
Come, come, we have too long here tarried;
Unless you give her up, we vow
To burst the door and seize her now."
Then the " best man" called out in a tone of authority:-
"Silence! let noise and clamour cease
We come to win the bride in peace.
In peace we wish to go our way,
To have our due, and now we pray
The bride may come to us to day.
The Gwahoddwr unbolted the door and throwing it wide open, greeted
the bridegroom's parents.... |
Twenty most popular pieces of music (processionals & recessionals)
Bridal
March - Wagner
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba - Handel
Crown Imperial - Walton
Music from the Royal Fireworks - Handel
Hallelujah Chorus - Handel
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Bach
Ludas Maccabaeus - Handel
New World Symphony - Dvorak
Ode To Joy "9th Symphony" - Beethoven
Toccata and Fugue - Bach |
Trumpet
Voluntary - Clarke
Trumpet Voluntary - Purcell
Wachet Auf - Bach
Water Music - Handel
Ave Maria - Schubert
Sheep May Safely Graze - Bach
Canon in D - Pachelbel
Largo - Handel
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 - Elgar
Wedding March - Mendelssohn |
Twenty-four most popular hymns for you to
cut'n paste
Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now I'm found,
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fear relieved,
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come,
'Twas grace that brought us safe thus far,
And grace will lead us home.
When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now I'm found,
Was blind, but now I see. |
Be Our Chief
Guest Lord
Be our chief guest, Lord,
Lord of all living,
Lord of all loving,
This wedding day:
Bind us together
In your sure keeping,
So we may never
Wander away.
Bless all who have brought us
Up from our childhood,
Caring, forgiving,
Through the long day:
May the same spirit
Shine in our home, Lord,
Lighting our pathway,
We humbly pray.
Bless all our friends, Lord,
Happy and true friends,
Laughing or crying,
Always the same:
Bright with this friendship,
May our own home be
Ready to welcome
All in your name.
Be our chief guest, Lord,
Lord of all living,
Warm with compassion
Showing the way: Keep us together
In loving service,
Families and friends, Lord,
This wedding day.
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Jerusalem
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear!
O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land. |
Bind Us
Together
Bind us together, Lord
Bind us together
With cords that cannot be broken.
Bind us together, Lord,
Bind us together,
Bind us together with love.
There is only one God,
There is only one King,
There is only one Body,
That is why we sing:
Made for the glory of God,
Purchased by His precious Son,
Born with the right to be clean,
For Jesus the victory has won.
You are the family of God,
You are the promise divine,
You are God's chosen desire,
You are the glorious new wine. |
Dear Lord and
Father of Mankind
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways!
Re-clothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives thy service find,
In deeper reverence praise.
In simple trust like theirs who heard,
Beside the Syrian sea,
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word
Rise up and follow thee.
O Sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
Where Jesus knelt to share with thee
The silence of eternity,
Interpreted by love!
Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of thy peace.
Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still small voice of calm! |
Give Me Joy In
My Heart
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising,
Give me joy in my heart, I pray;
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising,
Keep me praising till the break of day.
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King of kings!
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King!
Give me peace in my heart, keep me loving,
Give me peace in my heart, I pray;
Give me peace in my heart, keep me loving,
Keep me loving till the break of day:
Give me love in my heart, keep me serving,
Give me love in my heart, I pray;
Give me love in my heart, keep me serving,
Keep me serving till the break of day:
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King of kings!
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King! |
God of All
Living
God of all living,
Father, we praise you,
Full of thanksgiving,
For so much love;
Now in this wedding,
Come down among us,
Pour out your blessing,
Heavenly Dove.
Perfect companion,
God's gift in marriage,
One true communion,
Help on life's way;
May we be mindful,
In need and plenty,
May we be faithful
Every new day.
With love's true splendour,
Father, delight us,
Each giving honour,
With faithfulness;
And may the sharing
Of this sweet union
Deepen our caring,
With tenderness.
May there be children,
Fruit of our loving,
True men and women,
With faith beside;
Grant us your keeping
In all our future,
Your love caressing
Bridegroom and bride. |
I Watch The
Sunrise
I watch the sunrise lighting the sky,
Casting its shadows near.
And on this morning bright though it be,
I feel those shadows near me.
But you are always close to me
Following all my ways.
May I be always close to you
Following all your ways, Lord.
I watch the sunlight shine through the clouds,
Warming the earth below.
And at the mid-day, life seems to say:
I feel your brightness near me.
For you are always . . .
I watch the sunset fading away,
Lighting the clouds with sleep.
And as the evening closes its eyes, I feel your presence near me.
For you are always . . .
I watch the moonlight guarding the night,
Waiting till morning comes.
The air is silent, earth is at rest
Only your peace is near me.
Yes, you are always . . . |
I Danced In
The Morning
I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. |
I Vow To Thee
My Country
I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.
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Immortal
Invisible God Only Wise
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish;
but naught changeth thee.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render: O help us to see
'Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee. |
Lead Us
Heavenly Father Lead Us
Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
O'er the world's tempestuous sea;
Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
For we have no help but thee;
Yet possessing every blessing,
If our God our Father be.
Saviour, breathe forgiveness o'er us:
All our weakness thou dost know;
Thou didst tread this earth before us,
Thou didst feel its keenest woe;
Lone and dreary, faint and weary,
Through the desert thou didst go.
Spirit of our God, descending,
Fill our hearts with heavenly joy,
Love with every passion blending,
Pleasure that can never cloy:
Thus provided, pardoned, guided,
Nothing can our peace destroy. |
Jesus Stand
Among Us
Jesus, stand among us at the meeting of our lives,
Be our sweet agreement at the meeting of our eyes;
O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here,
Join our hearts in unity and take away our fear.
So to You we're gathering out of each and every land,
Christ the love between us at the joining of our hands;
O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here,
Join our hearts in unity and take away our fear. |
Lord Of All
Hopefulness
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day. |
Love Divine
All Loves Excelling
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy grace receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Never more thy temple leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve thee as thy hosts above;
Pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
Glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation:
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation,
Perfectly restored in thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise. |
Make Me a
Channel of Your Peace
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love;
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord;
And where there's doubt, true faith in you.
Oh, master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved, as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there's despair in life let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, only light;
And where there's sadness, ever joy.
Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all men that we receive;
And in dying that we're born to eternal life. |
Morning Has
Broken
Morning has broken
Like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken
Like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing
Fresh from the Word!
Sweet the rain's new fall
Sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dewfall
On the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
Of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness
Where his feet pass.
Mine is the sunlight!
Mine is the morning
Born of the one light
Eden saw play!
Praise with elation,
Praise every morning,
God's re-creation
Of the new day! |
O Lord My God
When I In Awesome Wonder
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works
Thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed;
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze;
And when I think that God His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die - I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home what joy shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great
Thou art! |
O Jesus I Have
Promised
O Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end;
Be thou for ever near me,
My Master and my Friend:
I shall not fear the battle
If thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If thou wilt be my guide.
O let me feel thee near me:
The world is ever near;
I see |
O Perfect Love
O perfect Love, all human thought transcending,
Lowly we kneel in prayer before thy throne,
That theirs may be the love which knows no ending,
Whom thou for evermore dost join in one.
O perfect Life, be thou their full assurance
Of tender charity and steadfast faith,
Of patient hope, and quiet brave endurance,
With childlike trust that fears nor pain nor death.
Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow,
Grant them the peace which calms all earthly strife;
And to life's day the glorious unknown morrow
That dawns upon eternal love and life. |
One More Step
Along The World I Go
One more step along the world I go,
One more step along the world I go;
From the old things to the new
Keep me travelling along with you:
And it's from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.
Round the corner of the world I turn,
More and more about the world I learn;
All the new things that I see
You'll be looking at along with me:
As I travel through the bad and good,
Keep me travelling the way I should;
Where I see no way to go
You'll be telling me the way, I know:
Give me courage when the world is rough,
Keep me loving though the world is tough;
Leap and sing in all I do,
Keep me travelling along with you:
You are older than the world can be,
You are younger than the life in me;
Ever old and ever new,
Keep me travelling along with you: |
Praise My Soul
The King Of Heaven
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,
To his feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who like me his praise should sing?
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.
Praise him for his grace and favour
To our fathers in distress;
Praise him still the same as ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness.
Father-like, he tends and spares us,
Well our feeble frame he knows;
In his hands he gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely as his mercy flows.
Angels, help us to adore him;
Ye behold him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before him,
Dwellers all in time and space:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace. |
Tell Out My
Soul The Greatness of The Lord
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings, give my spirit voice;
Tender to me the promise of his word;
In God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his Name!
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
His mercy sure, from age to age the same;
His holy Name Ð the Lord, the Mighty One.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by.
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
The hungry fed, the humble lifted high.
Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
To children's children and for evermore! |
The Lord's My
Shepherd I'll Not Want
The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green: He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
My soul He doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness
E'en for His own name's sake.
Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me,
And in God's house for evermore
My dwelling-place shall be.
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