Music>SATB Choral
This Marriage
This Marriage is just a small and simple gift to my wife on the occasion of our seventh wedding anniversary.
This Marriage
May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.Jalal al-Din Rumi, 1207-1273
27 Comments
Ana Arias on April 13, 2010 at 8:45 pm
My choir sung this song in my wedding. I had many difficulties to contain the tears. It was so beautiful…
Ben on April 27, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Most likely, this is going to be played at weddings. Especially people who love Whitacre.
Dana on May 3, 2010 at 3:10 pm
I would have played it at my wedding had it been out at the time.
Cameron on May 5, 2010 at 10:58 pm
i just love this song. We had a small ensemble sing this at my best friends wedding two weeks ago. She couldnt help but shed a couple of tears.
Douglas Rodger on May 14, 2010 at 1:43 am
Our 30th was last week but I just discovered this wonderful work – so what – the best gifts are often a few days late..
pedro latas on May 21, 2010 at 7:06 am
if you are gonna do another Virtual Choir please i beg you to use this song its so beautiful
and add me on facebook PLEASE
pedro latas on June 2, 2010 at 9:07 pm
can you put the sheet music of this song i want to do a mulitrack video
PLEASE
Noah Sarid on June 12, 2010 at 7:59 am
So incredibly beautiful. Love you guys!
Sandra Milholland on June 20, 2010 at 9:16 am
I have been married 44 years and when I recently heard this stunning song, I knew I must find the composer and hear it again and again and again…marriage really can be just this beautiful.
Rebecca Hartsough on June 23, 2010 at 6:14 am
I'm having a quartet sing this during the unity candle lighting at my wedding in 3 weeks. I've always loved Rumi, sang with Whitacre in March, and then found this song! Thank goodness there's at least one only-4-part Whitacre! I couldn't afford more than a quartet :)
Christine Vincent on October 16, 2010 at 12:32 am
We chose 'This Marriage' for the wedding services of our sons Eddie, June 2010 and John, in Sep 2008, sung by the choir I sing in, 'The Renaissance Choir' of Emsworth, UK, as it is so beautiful and the words so apt. Thank you Eric Whitacre for making these services even more special! PS Renaissance has performed several of your pieces, including With a Lily and Of a Rose, and also Sleep, and we are doing Lux Aurumque, Water Night and Sleep for the next concert! Love them all.
Gary Buster on October 27, 2010 at 9:05 am
Your wife has been blessed to receive this as her 7th anniversary gift!! Whoa!
"more please!"
eva on November 14, 2010 at 10:03 pm
i love this song, the composer who this song was wrote for (well the mucical side of it) was amazing. Best guest director ever, she still pops around every once in awhole
Claudia on December 27, 2010 at 11:43 am
Hila must have been stoked when she received this beautiful song as her anniversary gift! So simple and yet sublime.
Brittany on August 3, 2011 at 9:04 am
I feel like crying every time I hear this song. It is so beautiful. This will be sung at my wedding. Its so simple but so majestic. Thank you for sharing your talent and creativity with the world.
Laura Miller on August 10, 2011 at 10:46 pm
I just heard this piece for the first time earlier this evening. It is so hauntingly beautiful!
Barbara Sletmoe on August 17, 2011 at 10:44 am
Two of our beautiful, and very talented, granddaughters (ages 18 and 20) sang this to us on our 50th wedding anniversary celebration. What a beautiful song!
Becky on August 19, 2011 at 12:31 pm
My daughter and I fell in love with this marvelous, breath taking piece when she sang it in her Sophomore year of High School. She always said that she wanted it sung at her Wedding. Because of timing and schedules, it appeared that we would not be able to make it happen. However, I was able to contact her High School Director and he and some of the students she sang with (several like she are Music Majors) are preparing to serenade her and her husband on their Wedding Day as a Surprise. I dare say there will not be a dry eye there! Thank you for such an amazing composition. As I sing classically also, yours and Lauridsen’s pieces are some of my absolute favorites!!!!
Ian on October 14, 2011 at 7:01 am
Simply a stunning piece of music. I had it as the communion reflection at my wedding 4 weeks ago, and am still moved anytime I hear it.
Keith Philips on October 16, 2011 at 4:56 am
My high school Madrigal Singers (including myself) sang this wonderful piece at our Fall Concert this past Tuesday. It was so beautiful! The audience seemed as if they were in awe, and was even hesitant to clap at the end of the song, because they were unsure if the piece was concluded or not. :) thank you so much for sharing your talent with the world Eric! P.S. I am planning on organizing a quartet to sing this piece and post it on YouTube, so keep your eyes open for it! (yes, you too Eric Whitacre!) :))
Amya Green on October 27, 2011 at 7:01 pm
You are amazing i cry to this song everytime i hear it!! :) keep workin hard and God Bless
Penelope Kenny on November 18, 2011 at 4:10 am
Would love to buy 40 scores of ‘This Marriage’ to perform with our Choir, The Wangaratta Choristers Inc, Victoria, Australia in mid 2012 at our Bishop’s daughter’s wedding in Albury, NSW. Bishop John Parkes AM is one of our ‘stellar’ Bass men and selected this beautiful piece for his daughter and son-in-law for us to perform!
We would begin learning this work in January at our annual Choir Workshop in Merrijig at Timbertop with Loris Synan OAM so it would be wonderful to buy these scores well before this please. Many thanks, Pen.
Eric on November 18, 2011 at 4:59 am
Pen, you should be able to find them at any local sheet music retailer. Please let me know if you are having trouble. Thanks for performing it, and congratulations!
Melanie on March 21, 2012 at 8:53 pm
I sang this with the St. Olaf Chapel Choir last year and it was an incredible experience. I would love to hear it at our wedding but we have a tenor soloist. Is there any way I can find an adaptation of this for tenor solo and maybe piano?
Eric on March 22, 2012 at 6:07 am
Melanie, I’m honored. (And congratulations!). What you might do: have the piano play all four choral parts, as written, and have the tenor sing the soprano line (down an octave). Should sound lovely!
Heidi on March 23, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Had the honor of singing this under your conduction in 2005. This recording is just beautiful. Hopefully I can catch you in Germany in the future. My Husband and I will be living there for the next three years.
Pam on May 2, 2012 at 9:41 pm
I used this also at my wedding during our sand ceremony! I had many compliments on the music I picked…much of which was Eric Whitacre! So THANK YOU!