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Richard Wagner

Bridal Chorus

The "Bridal Chorus" () from the 1850 opera Lohengrin by German composer Richard Wagner, who also wrote the libretto, is a march played for the bride's entrance at many formal weddings throughout the

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.

    • Act III, scene 1: Treulich geführt: from Lohengrin, Wagner’s autograph manuscript in the Richard Wagner Foundation
Composer
Richard Wagner