Bridal Chorus
composition by German composer Richard Wagner
The "Bridal Chorus" (German: "Treulich geführt") from the 1850 opera Lohengrin by German composer Richard Wagner, who also wrote the libretto, is a march now played for the bride's entrance at many formal weddings throughout the Western world. In English-speaking countries, it is generally known as "Here Comes the Bride" or "Wedding March", but "wedding march" refers to any piece in march tempo accompanying the entrance or exit of the bride, notably Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March". Wagner’s piece was made popular when it was used as the processional at the wedding of Victoria the Princess Royal to Prince Frederick William of Prussia in 1858.
The chorus is sung in Lohengrin by the women of the wedding party after the ceremony, as they accompany the heroine Elsa to her bridal chamber.
Text
Although the chorus is usually played on an organ without singing at most weddings, in Lohengrin, the wedding party sings these words at the beginning of act three.
Eight women then sing a blessing to a separate melody.
The chorus then gradually proceeds offstage, repeating a slightly modified version of the previous words.
Religious attitudes
Some Christian churches disagree with the use of the "Bridal Chorus" at wedding ceremonies. In an FAQ on the website of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, it was explained that opposition to the piece dated from before the First World War, when Lutherans were opposed "to any sort of theater", and Wagner's operas were seen as "depict[ing] pagan stories and themes." A pamphlet issued in 2003 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego said that the "Bridal Chorus" was "not to be used", again because it is a theatrical piece, but also because it is not a processional to the altar in the opera, and because its frequent use in film and television associate it with sentimentality rather than worship.
The public source identifies “Bridal Chorus” as composition by German composer Richard Wagner. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Bridal, Chorus and composition.
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