Traditional Jewish Wedding Music

No matter how technically developed we become and no matter how modernized our lives get, we still love to hear the pipe organ or the harp playing when the bride walks down the aisle. This is what traditional music does to us. Even though we have a great liking towards rock and pop music, we still like to listen to the soft and gentle music played during slow dances at a wedding. If you have to talk about one such style of music which is very rich with soulful sounds, I would definitely say Jewish wedding music. As Jewish culture and its music dates back thousands of years, the sounds which have originated vary greatly depending on the Jewish composers. Find some more useful information about traditional Jewish wedding music mentioned just for you in the following paragraphs.

Traditional Jewish Wedding Ceremony Music

As it is commonly unknown to many people, Jewish weddings are considered to be fun and special. The wedding music played, however, chosen for the ceremony is often traditional and has many similarities to the catholic weddings. Music plays a very important role in the Jewish life cycle, and more so than when it comes to weddings. Thus, Jewish traditional wedding music is played during every part of the wedding, throughout the ceremony. Find out what kind of music is played at what time, so take a look!

Jewish Wedding Processional Music
The first part of Jewish wedding traditions is, when the bride walks up to the chuppah or the wedding canopy to meet her groom. This is the processional part where, often there are two pieces of music which are played. This is when the traditional Jewish wedding music such as "Dodi Li," or "Erev Shel Shoshanim" is played. There can be other choices of songs for the bridal march as well like the popular "Lechi Lach,", or "The Wedding Song". Some more processional songs which can be played are:

• Hana'ava Babanot (The Fairest of Maidens)
• El Kabir (Mighty God)
• Y'did Nefesh (Beloved of my Soul)
• Nigun (tune)
• Erev Ba (Evening Comes)
• S'u Sh'orim (Look up to the Gates)
• Siman Tov (Congratulations - Good Luck!)
• Od Y'shama & Mazel Tov (The Voice of Gladness Shall be Heard Again / Good luck to the Bride and Groom)

Jewish Wedding Dance Music
There cannot be a Jewish wedding without a traditional Jewish dance which includes all the guests and the newly married couple. Therefore, dancing at the wedding is done in a circle which is known as a Hora. Usually, there is a basic grapevine step, and this step is done at times when everyone in the circle has to move together to the middle of the circle and then to the back. Another practice observed in almost all Jewish weddings is when the guests raise the bride and groom who are seated on chairs and dance them around the room. During this the groom holding one corner of a handkerchief and the bride holds the opposite corner, and while they move they cannot let go of the handkerchief. Some of the dance numbers for traditional Jewish wedding dance are:

• Yum Balalaika (Play Balalaika)
• V'ha'er E'ne'nu (Enlighten Our Eyes to Your Torah)
• Hava Nagila (Let's Rejoice)
• Waves of the Danube (The Anniversary Waltz)
• Rabbi Elimelech Medley
• Sunrise, Sunset (Fiddler on the Roof)
• Chava Ballet Sequence (Fiddler On The Roof )
• Shir Ha'Keshet (Alabina)

With these information about traditional Jewish wedding songs and music, you must have found some familiar tunes! This music is beautiful and full of celebration, so the next time you are at a Jewish wedding make sure you enjoy it.