Festive Band Music at Jewish Weddings
// January 5th, 2012 // No Comments » // Accessories
Even though the music played at Jewish weddings today is most often contemporary, the wedding ceremony and reception are likely to feature some traditional Jewish music. The choral song, “Baruch Chaba,” and the instrumental piece, “Eshet Chayil,” are the two most popular pieces that mark the entry of the bride. While these pieces are played by individuals at the wedding ceremony, bands take center stage for music at Jewish wedding receptions.
For most orthodox Jewish couples, a band for Jewish wedding music will play many traditional Jewish songs to commemorate the occasion. The hora is the most popular Jewish dance and includes a medley of traditional Hebrew songs. Popular Jewish tunes, such as “Siman Tov U Mazleltov” and “Hava Nagila,” are included in the medley. It is this medley that has evoked the conjured idea of Russian dancing at Jewish weddings. During this festive medley, wedding guests gather in a large circle and hoist the married couple into the air on chairs. The guests then hold the ends of a handkerchief and dance with each other around the circle.
Today, many unorthodox Jewish weddings do not include the hora. A band for Jewish wedding music at an unorthodox Jewish wedding will usually play klezmer music, which is a traditional style of Jewish folk music that is making a comeback.
