Church wedding musicians in Catania and its province

Catania is the city of black baroque, of lava stone and of Etna watching over it from every street. Its province stretches from the sea of the Riviera dei Ciclopi to the villages on the volcano, as far as the hills of Caltagirone and the Val di Noto. If you are looking for church wedding musicians in Catania and its province, Maestro Ilarion, tenor, sings the Ave Maria and the nuptial Mass chants in the churches of the city and all the villages around Etna.

Picture a morning on Via Etnea

Picture guests walking along Via Etnea, with the volcano at the end of the street like a stage backdrop. In Piazza Duomo the lava-stone elephant, u Liotru, holds up its obelisk. Someone stops by the fish market nearby, just to hear the vendors calling out. Catania is always a theatre.

The ceremony is at the Cathedral of Sant'Agata. Inside, the cool air and silence contrast with the square. The Maestro has agreed the programme with the parish priest and the organist. The bride walks in, and the tenor's voice fills the stone aisles.

Catania is the city of Vincenzo Bellini, and music is at home here. The guests can feel it. When the Ave Maria comes, the cathedral seems to hold its breath. The couple stand before the altar, hand in hand, and everything else disappears.

Outside, sunshine on the pale stone of the façade, rice, applause. The reception is at a villa on the slopes of Etna, among vineyards and ancient lava flows, or on a terrace over the sea at Aci Castello.

The ceremony music

• Bride's entrance, with a piece chosen together.
• Alleluia and Mass chants, agreed with the parish priest and the parish organist.
• Offertory and communion: Panis Angelicus, Ave Verum or other sacred chants.
• Ave Maria by Schubert, Gounod or Caccini.
• Recessional with a joyful piece.
• On request, a surprise choir of friends and family, prepared by the Maestro.

The churches of Catania and the towns of the province

In the city: the Cathedral of Sant'Agata, the Badia di Sant'Agata with its dome, the Basilica della Collegiata on Via Etnea, the Church of San Benedetto on Via Crociferi and the great Church of San Nicolò l'Arena.

On the Riviera dei Ciclopi: Aci Castello with its Norman castle by the sea, Aci Trezza with its sea stacks, Acireale with its Cathedral and the Basilica of Santi Pietro e Paolo, Santa Maria la Scala, Aci Sant'Antonio, Aci Catena, Riposto, Giarre, Mascali and Fiumefreddo di Sicilia.

On Etna: Zafferana Etnea, Viagrande, Trecastagni, Pedara, Nicolosi, San Giovanni la Punta, Sant'Alfio, Milo, Linguaglossa, Castiglione di Sicilia, Randazzo, Bronte, Adrano and Paternò.

In the Calatino and Val di Noto: Caltagirone with the Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, Militello in Val di Catania, Grammichele, Vizzini and Palagonia. Further south, Syracuse and Noto.

From the church to the reception

Maestro Ilarion is a tenor and pianist: after the ceremony he can accompany the aperitif and reception with elegant live music, in villas on Etna, estates among the vineyards or terraces on the Riviera dei Ciclopi.

Where to find wedding musicians near Catania

If you are looking for professional wedding musicians near Catania, Maestro Ilarion, tenor and pianist, sings in person in Catania and its province: Acireale and the Riviera dei Ciclopi, Zafferana Etnea and the villages of Etna, as far as Caltagirone. In church, whether it is the Cathedral of Sant'Agata or the Badia di Sant'Agata, a single musician brings voice and organ to the whole celebration, and the pieces are agreed with the parish priest.

Live wedding music does not stop at the church: voice and piano can also accompany the aperitif, dinner and first dance, in the estates on Etna or on the terraces of the Riviera dei Ciclopi. To choose calmly, read the guide Live wedding music: how to find professional musicians.

Surprise flash mob in Catania

Friends and family can prepare a surprise choir for the couple: Maestro Ilarion creates the sung flash mob in Catania, writes the parts, leads rehearsals remotely too and arranges things with the parish priest. There is also a page on the wedding flash mob in Catania. He also organises flash mobs for marriage proposals, anniversaries, birthdays, companies and events: read the guide Sung flash mob organiser.

For your date, fill in the request for church ceremony music.

Looking for wedding musicians near another town? Find yours in the full list of places where I sing.