TEN QUESTION INTERVIEW
Monday, January 17, 2011 at 10:35PM 
SBC: When did you begin playing the violin?
Ray: By todays standards I was a late starter - in 4th grade I signed up to play in our school orchestra but today many students start at 5 or 6 years of age.
SBC: Who are the members of the Highland Chamber Players and what instruments do they play?
Ray: Our "original" members are Wayne Krigger, Lisa Weaver, and Jane Halliday. Wayne is our cellist who is a fantastic teacher in the prep department at U of L. Lisa is a gifted artist in many areas besides music but she plays both the viola and the harp. Jane actually joined us a couple of years after our founding but she's been with us so long she qualifies as an original.
SBC: What are the three most popular selections for music for the bride’s processional?
Ray: The Pachelbel Canon is still the single most frequent request. Sometimes it can seem a little too "tired" but I still love it when we can use the harp - it adds such a completely different beauty and depth to the piece so that I never tire of it.
Nowadays the Clarke "Trumpet Voluntary" has replaced the older Wagner "Bridal March" for most weddings as the bridal processional. When people listen to our website recordings many choose "The Wedding" by Larry Unger which is a beautiful, flowing complement to both the "Canon" and the "Voluntary" which works great for mothers or bridesmaids.
SBC: What are the three most popular selections for music for the wedding recessional?
Ray: The most popular wedding recessional seems to be the "Allegro" (sometimes called the Hornpipe) from Handel's Water Music. Either with or without trumpet it is both grand and energetic. Handel "Royal Fireworks" are also energetic and exciting. Finally, "Spring" by Vivaldi from "The Four Seasons" is a very virtuosic display for the first violin. I believe we are the only group in town that actually performs the real version, not a simplified version that make it less challenging but also less powerful. The arrangement we use went out of print some years ago - a number of our arrangements are either out of print our unique to our ensemble.
SBC: Any suggestions for brides that would like a unique piece of music to play during their wedding processional?
Ray: There are so many to choose from. One recent bride used the theme from "Life is Beautiful" (Buon Giorno Principessa) which is very lovely and nostalgic.
SBC: What websites do you suggest for brides and grooms to use for reference when selecting music for their Louisville wedding?
Ray: Our own of course...but generally I simply suggest going on youtube or itunes to listen to titles they may not be familiar with.
SBC: Describe the most memorable Louisville wedding of 2009?
Ray: For sheer beauty we played at Goshen Crest Farm and the location, weather, and the bride's musical choices made the entire celebration a joy.
On another date we played at Yew Dell Gardens and the rains alternated with sunshine every five minutes so the wedding was out, then in, then out, then in with us running through downpours to set up again and again. Ultimately it was still a beautiful wedding but we were very damp as was some of our music!
SBC: What advice do you have for brides and grooms to help them choose the perfect Louisville music ensemble for their wedding?
Ray: My advice would be to find an ensemble that is both professional and talented with years of experience but also that still plays music for the sake of music and not just as a job. One of the reasons we constantly update and enlarge our repertoire (which I believe is unequaled in our state) is so we will continually be challenged to learn new music, not only to keep up with current tastes and popularity, but also to keep us looking forward to the next opportunity to make music together. The difference between a group in it for the money and a group in it for the music cannot be overstated!
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