Bridal Processional

Hugh Blair (25 May 1864 – 22 July 1932) was an English musician, composer and organist. Born in Worcester, he was the son of Rev. Robert Hugh Blair, who founded Worcester College for the Blind in 1866. A chorister at Worcester Cathedral and a pupil at The King's School, Worcester, Blair was organ scholar at Christ's College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. 1886, Mus.B. 1887, M.A. 1896 and Mus.D. 1906.

He was Organist of Worcester Cathedral from 1895 to 1897, having been Acting Organist before that time. Edward Elgar dedicated his cantata "The Black Knight" to Blair, who was conductor of the Worcester Festival Choral Society.

Worcester Cathedral Library contains copies of Blair's compositions, and his splendid Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in B minor for double choir is in the repertoire of every cathedral choir, and is still often performed and recorded.

"Bridal Processional" was published in 1925 (only 7 years before Blair's death) by H.W. Gray as No. 331 in their very popular "St. Cecilia Series." I suspect it is an earlier piece, and is "fully Elgarian" in its swing. The processional is dedicated: "To my friend Reginald Silver, Esq."

I can't help but think that you'll get a chuckle out of thinking of this as a "wedding march!" It's rather "mysterious" opening, would probably thought of as "ominous" by most modern brides - which perhaps is a "good" tone for some weddings... ;-)

You might like it a bit faster, but I attempted to play this AS a grand wedding processional, so the I never rush it, keeping it "expansive."

While it probably won't find much use as a wedding piece, it still makes for a grand march, and I hope you'll like it and find use for it.

The score is attached, as well as a photo of Blair with the cathedral choir, the Hope-Jones organ console that Blair would have played, a photo of the Quire of Worcester (looking east), and THE famous photo showing the cathedral in majestic tranquility, perched upon the banks of the Severn River.