Wagner: Bridal Chorus 'Treulich geführt' (from Lohengrin)

Everyone attaches particular importance to the music for their wedding ceremony. It is, after all, the key ingredient essential for intensifying the emotional level of a very special day which is to be shared not only by the happy couple but also with all their guests. Choosing the music for one’s wedding is an intimate thing, a second declaration of love between bride and groom. But it is also a bid to express and convey to the young couple’s nearest and dearest, who will be present with them at the wedding, all those feelings of joy and love which cannot be expressed by a mere exchange of "I do’s" and of rings.

And so, whatever your musical tastes and temperament and no matter how you choose to say "I love you" or "I do", you’ll find music to suit you on this double album: from favourite classics to rare gems of the repertoire, from music for festive occasions to more intimate, soulful and reflective melodies, this compilation brings together the most beautiful masterpieces to help you make your wedding an occasion of pure emotion and shared happiness and ensure that you never forget the most beautiful day of your life.

The music on the two CDs has been selected with four key stages of a wedding ceremony in mind. CD 1 is a selection of popular music for the entry of the bride and music for the exit of the bride and groom. CD 2 includes music for setting the scene and suggestions for the signing of the register.

Volume 4 of CAPRICE’s series of unpublished ‘live’ recordings from the archives of the Royal Swedish Opera is a 2-CD set designed to showcase the art of Brita Hertzberg, a house stalwart who left few commercial recordings and rarely appeared outside Sweden. Here, she sings Amneris in an almost complete ‘Aida’ (the first scene is lost) and Elsa in extracts from ‘Lohengrin’, while her husband Einar Beyron features in a short scene from Parsifal, and many world-famous singers appear in the cast lists.

Released for the Wagner bicentenary in May 2013, the first disc by a British organist entirely devoted to Wagner, and a major contribution to the small discography of Wagner transcriptions for a solo instrument.

Wagner’s major orchestral works, including the Overture to Mastersingers and Ride of the Valkyries, in virtuoso transcriptions for solo organ by Edwin Lemare.

Played by Jonathan Vaughn on the 1911 Harrison and Harrison organ of St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol – regarded as one of the finest high Romantic organs ever built.

Jonathan Vaughn is a former organ scholar of St John’s College, Cambridge, and is most often heard accompanying the world-class choir of Wells Cathedral in his capacity as assistant organist of the Cathedral.

This debut solo recording from Jonathan Vaughn demonstrates his supreme virtuosity in powerfully dramatic repertoire, as well as the immense range of tone colour of the Redcliffe organ, and will capture the imagination of all lovers of Wagner’s music.

CD 1 rolls off with The Ride of the Valkyries, CD 2 with The Flying Dutchman Overture – there’s over 150 minutes of Wagner on this star compilation.

Of course, Wagner also wrote big ballads as well, so there’s the Siegfried Idyll, the Tristan Prelude and Liebestod and the ethereal Prelude to Lohengrin

The big names are there, above all Karajan, Böhm, Kubelik and Jochum. It’s a mainly orchestral set, with just the Lohengrin Bridal Chorus and two extracts from The Ring (conducted by Karajan) to remind you that Wagner was writing operas.

The perfect Wagner starter-set!

recorded in Bayreuth, July-August 1936

The best-loved and most popular works by Richard Wagner, performed by the world’s leading artists, in an accessible format at budget price.

A collection of music traditionally played at wedding ceremonies, with an elegantly British twist

The Great British Wedding Album encapsulates not only the most popular classical music played during wedding ceremonies and celebrations, but also the most quintessentially British classical music.

The album is the perfect souvenir soundtrack for the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Katherine Middleton, which takes place on the 29th April 2011. With street parties up and down the country and a national bank holiday, the Royal Wedding is shaping up to be the biggest Royal occasion since the marriage of Prince Charles to Princess Diana.

Full of highly recognisable themes, this album is unique in capturing both the celebratory and ceremonial aspects of weddings, but also the sense of patriotism and occasion that will no doubt be prevalent around the time of the Royal Wedding.