Metallica humanist and civil services music sets the tone for brenda every day
WEDDING singer and musician, Brenda Grealis, was once asked to feature a song by American heavy metal band Metallica at a church ceremony. While the lyrics were unchurchlike, she was able to oblige by playing the tune on the harp, writes Tom Gillespie.
Mother of four Brenda, a native of Callow, Foxford, was involved with music from a very early age. She grew up with music in the house and was encouraged by her father, Padraig Walsh, who was in the Foxford Brass Band.
She said: “I sang in Callow Church choir. That’s how I started out. I kept involved all through school and learned the flute, guitar and piano and had voice training. I kept it going until I started working in Davitt House. I left Davitt House about 10 years ago to rear the kids. But I always had itchy fingers to return to music and when the time was right I established the business in May 2011 and it all grew from there.”
Brenda has built up a reputation for being a much sought after wedding singer and musician and is a highly trained and experienced performer. As well as church ceremonies, she also performs at humanist, civil unions, blessings, and Church of Ireland weddings.
She said: “Humanist ceremonies are becoming very popular now. They have to have no religious reference in the songs. It suits the non-church goers where they can personalise the music and the readings. These ceremonies can be held in a hotel or outdoors or near a lake. I have had weddings in churches, by riversides, in a wood, on the verandas of hotels. The smallest wedding I have done was for four people and the largest was for 460.
“In selecting the music you have to be careful. But things are more relaxed in the church now where the priests are more inviting. But you have to have a mutual respect between religious and what you want. If I cannot sing a song because of the lyrics I can play it on the harp. I have played everything, when I cannot sing, even from the likes of Metallica. I can play it as the lyrics are the issue, so I can improvise with music.
“The ceremony is a very special part of a couple’s wedding day. Carefully chosen wedding music and songs will both enrich and add something very special to the wedding ceremony.'
Brenda had a very busy Christmas where she had six dates in a row and is taking a break for January.
She got into the final eight in the country in the Brides Choice Awards for Ceremony Singers in Ireland last year. She was also an All-Ireland Readoiri sole singing champion.
She said: “I never anticipated it would go so well. I have developed a network of friends in the business and I have gotten to know them. I do funerals and I describe my work as the circle of life, from the happiness of weddings to the sadness of funerals.”
Brenda can sing and perform traditional, contemporary, classical, traditional and folk. She is also a previous member of the Bunratty Castle and Knappogue Castle Singers in Co. Clare.
She prefers to meet couples in person four to five months in advance of ceremonies to go through and guide them with their music and song selection.
She continued: “I am doing what I absolutely love. I work an awful lot on YouTube. I record myself in the church and put it up on YouTube. It helps couples hear what I can do.
“I advise couples when choosing music not to do it all in the one night. They should do it over a couple of weeks. It can be a very daunting task and it is important to get it right. Music sets the tone for the day and they should not cram the selection into one night.”
Brenda, who lives in Turlough, Castlebar, is available as a wedding singer/musician, funeral singer/musician, civil ceremony singer/musician, corporate events harpist/pianist, church singer, or for pre–dinner receptions, and covers Mayo, Sligo, Galway, Roscommon, Clare, Leitrim, Longford, Donegal and surrounding areas. The instruments she has available for ceremonies are the harp, piano, flute, low whistle and guitar.