Deborah Chan
Richard Wagner's Bridal Chorus from his 1850 opera Lohengrin is commonly played as the bride walks down the aisle at weddings. The song, also known as Here Comes the Bride or Wedding March, is often played on an organ without vocals, though in the opera, it is sung by the bridal party after the wedding. Wagner's notorious anti-Semitism has led to controversy surrounding the song, with some Christian churches and Jewish couples opting not to include it in their wedding ceremonies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | "Here Comes the Bride", "Bridal Chorus", "Wedding March" |
| Composer | Richard Wagner |
| Origin | Opera "Lohengrin" |
| Year | 1850 |
| Language | German ("Treulich geführt") |
| English Translation | "Faithfully Guided" |
| Lyrics | Yes |
| Instrumentation | Organ |
| Vocals | No |
| Popularity | Played at many formal weddings throughout the Western world |
| Notable Supporters | Victoria, Princess Royal of England |
| Controversy | Wagner was anti-Semitic and held antisemitic views |
What You'll Learn
- Here Comes the Bride was originally performed at the wedding of Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise and Frederick William IV of Prussia in 1858
- The song was written by German composer Richard Wagner
- It was originally the Bridal Chorus from Wagner's 1850 opera, Lohengrin
- Wagner also wrote the lyrics, but the song is usually played without them at weddings
- The song is secular, and some churches advise against playing it during the procession
Here Comes the Bride was originally performed at the wedding of Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise and Frederick William IV of Prussia in 1858
The song "Here Comes the Bride", also known as the "Bridal Chorus", was originally composed by Richard Wagner for his 1850 opera "Lohengrin". Wagner also wrote the libretto for the opera. In the opera, the "Bridal Chorus" is sung by the women of the wedding party after the ceremony, as they accompany the heroine Elsa to her bridal chamber. The marriage depicted in the opera is doomed to fail.
The song was made popular when it was used as the processional at the wedding of Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise (Victoria, the Princess Royal) to Prince Frederick William of Prussia in 1858. Queen Victoria chose Wagner's piece for the entrance of the bride and Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" for the exit of the couple. In modern times, it is normally used the other way around.
Wagner was a notorious anti-Semite, and his music was embraced and promoted by the Nazi Party in 1930s Germany. As a result, the song is rarely played at Jewish weddings. Some Christian churches also disagree with the use of the "Bridal Chorus" at wedding ceremonies.
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The song was written by German composer Richard Wagner
The song that people often hear at weddings, "Here Comes the Bride", was written by German composer Richard Wagner. It is also known as the "Bridal Chorus" or "Wedding March". The piece is from Wagner's 1850 opera Lohengrin, where it is sung by the bridal party after the wedding of Elsa and Lohengrin. The marriage in the opera is doomed to fail.
Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" 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. It is traditionally played on an organ without vocals, though in the opera, there are lyrics that accompany the music. The song is often used in weddings as the bride's entrance music.
Some people dislike Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" because of the composer's antisemitic views and his stated lack of respect for Jewish music. As a result, the song is rarely played at Jewish weddings. Wagner's music was also embraced and promoted by the Nazi Party in 1930s Germany. Some Christian churches also disagree with the use of the "Bridal Chorus" at wedding ceremonies, as Wagner's operas were seen as depicting pagan stories and themes.
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It was originally the Bridal Chorus from Wagner's 1850 opera, Lohengrin
The song that is commonly played at weddings and known as "Here Comes the Bride" or the "Wedding March" was originally the Bridal Chorus from German composer Richard Wagner's 1850 opera, Lohengrin. The opera features the bridal chorus as the prelude to a short-lived, doomed marriage between the characters Elsa and Lohengrin. Wagner's piece was popularised when it was used as the processional at the wedding of Victoria, the Princess Royal, to Prince Frederick William of Prussia in 1858.
In the opera, the bridal chorus is sung by the women of the wedding party after the ceremony, as they accompany the heroine Elsa to her bridal chamber. The lyrics, in German, are as follows:
> Treulich geführt ziehet dahin,
> Wo euch der Segen der Liebe bewahr'!
> Siegreicher Mut, Minnegewinn
> Eint euch in Treue zum seligsten Paar.
> Streiter der Tugend, schreite voran!
> Zierde der Jugend, schreite voran!
> Rauschen des Festes seid nun entronnen,
> Wonne des Herzens sei euch gewonnen!
> Duftender Raum, zur Liebe geschmückt,
> Nehmt euch nun auf, dem Glanze entrückt.
> Treulich geführt ziehet nun ein,
> Wo euch der Segen der Liebe bewahr'!
> Siegreicher Mut, Minne so rein
> Eint euch in Treue zum seligsten Paar.
In English, these lyrics translate to:
> Faithfully guided, draw near to where the blessing of love shall preserve you!
> Triumphant courage, the reward of love,
> Joins you in faith as the happiest of couples!
> Champion of virtue, proceed!
> Jewel of youth, proceed!
> Flee now the splendour of the wedding feast,
> May the delights of the heart be yours!
> This sweet-smelling room, decked for love,
> Now takes you in, away from the splendour.
> Faithfully guided, draw now near
> To where the blessing of love shall preserve you!
> Triumphant courage, love so pure,
> Joins you in faith as the happiest of couples!
At weddings, the bridal chorus is usually played on an organ without vocal accompaniment. However, Wagner's anti-Semitic views have made the song controversial, and it is rarely played at Jewish weddings. Some Christian churches also disagree with the use of the bridal chorus at wedding ceremonies due to its theatrical nature and its association with sentimentality rather than worship.
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Wagner also wrote the lyrics, but the song is usually played without them at weddings
The song that Wagner made that is often heard at weddings is the "Bridal Chorus" from his 1850 opera Lohengrin. In English-speaking countries, it is generally known as "Here Comes the Bride" or "Wedding March". Wagner wrote the lyrics to accompany the music, but at weddings, it is usually played without them.
In the opera, the "Bridal Chorus" is sung by the bridal party after the wedding ceremony, as they accompany the heroine Elsa to her bridal chamber. The lyrics begin:
> Treulich geführt ziehet dahin,
> Wo euch der Segen der Liebe bewahr'!
> Siegreicher Mut, Minnegewinn
> Eint euch in Treue zum seligsten Paar.
> Streiter der Tugend, schreite voran!
> Zierde der Jugend, schreite voran!
> Rauschen des Festes seid nun entronnen,
> Wonne des Herzens sei euch gewonnen!
Which translates to:
> Faithfully guided, draw near to where the blessing of love shall preserve you!
> Triumphant courage, the reward of love,
> joins you in faith as the happiest of couples!
> Champion of virtue, proceed!
> Jewel of youth, proceed!
> Flee now the splendour of the wedding feast,
> may the delights of the heart be yours!
Wagner was a notorious anti-semite, and as a result, the song is rarely played at Jewish weddings. Some Christian churches also disagree with the use of the "Bridal Chorus" at wedding ceremonies due to its association with sentimentality rather than worship, and because it is not a processional to the altar in the opera.
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The song is secular, and some churches advise against playing it during the procession
The "Bridal Chorus", more commonly known as "Here Comes the Bride", is a secular piece of music. It was written by Richard Wagner in 1850 as part of the opera Lohengrin. In the opera, the chorus is sung by the women of the wedding party after the ceremony, as they accompany the heroine Elsa to her bridal chamber. The marriage in the opera falls apart immediately following this scene.
Some churches advise against playing the song during the procession, due to its secular nature. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, for example, has opposed the piece since before the First World War, when Lutherans were against "any sort of theatre". Wagner's operas were seen as depicting pagan stories and themes. A pamphlet issued in 2003 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego also advised against the use of the "Bridal Chorus" at wedding ceremonies, because it is a theatrical piece, not a processional to the altar in the opera, and because its frequent use in film and television associates it with sentimentality rather than worship.
Many Jewish couples also choose to avoid the piece, due to Wagner's antisemitic views and his stated lack of respect for Jewish music. Wagner's music was also embraced and promoted by the Nazi Party in 1930s Germany.
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Frequently asked questions
Richard Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" from his 1850 opera Lohengrin.
"Here Comes the Bride" or "Wedding March".
In the opera, the "Bridal Chorus" is sung by the bridal party after the wedding of Elsa and Lohengrin. However, their marriage is doomed to fail.
Wagner was a notorious anti-Semite and his music was embraced by the Nazi Party. As a result, the song is rarely played at Jewish weddings.
