Weddings have been a part of many classic Disney animated features, and
the phrase “fairy tale wedding” often conjures up images of these gauzy,
gilded events. I’ve received wedding invitations embossed with iconic
Disney characters, and I know of several people who have gone to Disney
theme parks on their honeymoons. Hence, I wasn’t too surprised when a
library search for Disney music turned up Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Classic Instrumental Love Songs for Your Happily-Ever After,
a 2005 album produced and performed by Jack Jezzro and conducted and
arranged by Chris McDonald with executive producer Harold J. Kleiner.
Unfortunately,
the liner notes don’t provide much in the way of context. All we get is
a track list with writer credits, a list of participating musicians, a
short acknowledgment from Jezzro and a couple of advertisements for
Disney wedding planning services. Hence, it’s not clear in precisely
what capacity these songs are intended to be used, but I suppose that’s
up to the discretion of the listener. My cousin walked down the aisle to
an instrumental version of Storybook Love from The Princess Bride, so I wouldn’t find it inconceivable to imagine one of the tracks being used in place of Here Comes the Bride.
However, most of them would probably work better as ambient music prior
to the ceremony or slow dance music during the reception.
These
are mellow, easily recognizable instrumental renditions of Disney
classics with a romantic bent. The only track I tend not to think of as
having romantic associations is When You Wish Upon a Star, but it
certainly could, and given that I recently listened to another album of
“love songs” incorporating it, I wouldn’t say it feels out of place,
especially since Cinderella’s A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes is also included. After all, the two songs say practically the same thing; the only difference is that Cinderella is a love story, while Pinocchio is not.
Artfully
played acoustic guitar is very prominent on these tracks, and swelling
violins are common as well. The general sound is lavish and lush,
occasionally veering into over-the-top. To tell the truth, if I heard
this independent of the title, my first thought would probably be
“muzak.” I could easily see this being played in a family-friendly store
like Hobby Lobby or Hallmark. Played at a low volume, the instrumental
presentation of its familiar tunes could have a very mellowing effect on
customers.
The album incorporates songs from across the spectrum of years, spanning about six decades. The earliest song is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Some Day My Prince Will Come, which includes a lovely violin solo, while the latest is the African-tinged Endless Night, the only song unfamiliar to me, as I have yet to see the stage version of The Lion King. Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast have two songs each, as does The Lion King if you count the Broadway song. The remaining eight are from an assortment of Disney movies, with Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly) from So Dear to My Heart being perhaps the most obscure.
Among the tracks, I particularly like Lady and the Tramp’s Bella Notte, which incorporates mandolin and accordion, and Aladdin’s A Whole New World,
which captures the sense of exhilaration and wonder inherent in a magic
carpet ride. I’m not so crazy about the overblown production on the Pocahontas end-credits song If I Never Knew You,
especially once the saxophone solo kicks in, but then that song always
did feel a bit over-the-top. Still, generally speaking, the schlockiest
tracks are the ones that include a sax.
Given the choice, I
would prefer to listen to the original versions of these songs rather
than these instrumental renditions, but the production is generally
tasteful, and it makes a nice album to fall asleep to, with the added
benefit that the Disney magic of Fairy Tale Weddings may just seep into your slumber and enchant your dreams.
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