Halloween Wedding Music

Several years ago, before my husband-to-be did goodness-knows-what to our computer bookmarks, I had found a brilliant streaming radio program from NPR that was nothing but Classical Music fit for Halloween. It was brilliant, it was amazing, it was perfect. And now that I *really need it* to plan my wedding playlist I can't find it to save my life.

So that sucked, but I'm moving onward and upward in my quest for brilliant Hallowedding music. I'm already considering phonograph recordings as the ambient music before the ceremony (so beautifully creepy).

But we're open to suggestions in the process, and that one chick has recently gotten me thinking about appropriate music for a Halloween wedding. TIME FOR THE RESULTS OF MY RESEARCH!

Associated Content has a great article on Sophisticated Halloween Music. Go there for full details, but here are the highlights I found appropriate:

• Witchcraft - Frank Sinatra or Nancy Wilson
• Bewitched - Peggy Lee
• Spooky - David Sanborn (umm... I personally prefer the Classic IV version of this song)
  
• This Masquerade - David Sanborn
• I Put a Spell on You - Queen Latifah
• Sing You Sinners - Tony Bennett and John Legend (romantic? maybe not, but lots of fun)
  
• That Old Black Magic - Sammy Davis, Jr.
• Voodoo - The Neville Brothers (not my style, personally, but the lyrics are cute)
  
• Theme from Bewitched - The Hit Crew
• Halloween - Donald Rubenstein

Also from the AC: Songs with a Blues Theme, Songs with a Witch Theme, Songs with a Devil Theme. Then there are the 50 Pieces of Classical Music for Halloween. Some stand-out pieces:

• Bach, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (which we all know an love)
• Chopin's Funeral March
• DeFalla, Dance of Terror
• Liszt, Mephisto Waltz No. 1
• Mozart, Requiem in D minor

Umm... okay. I got distracted. There is a John Williams' piece on that list. It made me giggle.

Anyway, About.com has even more Classical Music for Halloween. And then some more. And then some more again (though much of it is also on the AC link above). And then some Classics for Halloween from the movies.

If this is all too much classical for you to sift through, there is also a page with some instrumental soundtrack summaries to be found here. Looks like mostly tracks from movies/tv. Or you could take a suggestion from Naxos on good Halloween listening (they are a classical music label).

Finally, still haven't found my NPR streaming music for Halloween, but they do have a list of classical music selections for the season.

...Now. If you want my advice for a truly beautiful, haunting sound to your wedding that floats ghostly quiet in the background of your event, I like dark violin ... try Paul Mercer. Here's his myspace music page.

Finally (PREPARE TO LOVE ME FOREVER if you want Popular Music or something weird, say, Marilyn Manson but are wanting to set a more elegant, wedding-appropriate tone): THE STRING QUARTET. Also on Last FM. (Gothic Wedding Collection, anyone?)