What are the trending requests in chuppah songs you’ve been getting these days?

The world might be changing before our eyes, but Yiddishe simchahs, and the building of new Jewish homes, continue no matter what. As the crowd follows after the chassan while he makes his way to the chuppah, and watches as the kallah takes her steps to meet and encircle him, the music that accompanies these holy and sublime moments creates its own magic.

What are the trending requests in chuppah songs you’ve been getting these days?

SIMCHA LEINER

Chuppahs are seeing the addition of special songs such as “Shaarei Shamayim” — Pinchas Bichler’s composition that Zanvil Weinberger and Naftali Kempeh put on the charts, often sung after “Mi Bon Siach.” For the past year and a half, since the war broke out, some circles also add a tefillah for the chayalim.

YOILY POLATSEK, ZEMIROS CHOIR

Things don’t move so fast in the world of chuppah music. There’s a set of songs that are still the go-to songs for the majority of chuppahs. These include the Alter Rebbe’s “Daled Bovos,” “Kah Echsof” by Rebbe Aharon Hagadol MiKarlin, Chaim Banet’s “Machnisei Rachamim,” “Shaarei Shamayim” by Pinchos Bichler, and some of Moshe Goldman’s niggunim, such as “Ani Maamin,” “Pnei Le’elbon,” and “Maskil LeDovid.” For “Im Eshkacheich,” we’re singing Carlebach, Shwekey, or Rechnitz every night.

SHLOIME DACHS

I’m being asked to play “Shaarei Shamayim,” Miami’s “Tefillas Chuppah,” “Ana Melech” by TAI (Tai Gerszberg), “La’asos Retzoncha” by Yaakov Rosenblum, Shmuel’s “Tein Li Tefillah,” and “Basi Legani,” which was written by Eli Klein and performed by Yonatan Shainfeld.

RABBI SHLOIME TAUSSIG

I don’t see any major changes in chuppah song requests this season specifically. Of course, here and there a chassan and kallah mention that they want a song that isn’t typically sung, either because they really like it, or because they heard it somewhere and were inspired. For myself, if I don’t get specific song requests, I try to be a little creative so it’s not a repeat of the same every night. I recently used Rechnitz’s “Im Eshkacheich” tune for “Mi Adir.” Another idea I got from a friend was to sing “Mi Bon Siach” to the vintage “Racheim Bechasdecha.” When he suggested it, I said, “No, come on, that’s a typical Friday night song!” But he convinced me to try it, and I have to admit I gained a new perspective on the song. When you reach the high part, it’s so hartzig, maybe even more than on a regular Friday night.

YISROEL WERDYGER

“Veyiheyu Zari” (“Liros Bonim”), released by Yanky Daskal with the Malchus choir, is extremely big at chuppahs right now.

MEYER ADLER

“Veyiheyu Zari” is what goes today for chuppahs, all the time.

YANKY BRISKMAN

Some people want an additional song after “Mi Adir” and “Mi Bon Siach.” Most popular at the moment are “Veyiheyu Zari” (also known as “Liros Bunim”) and “Shaarei Shamayim.” In chassidish circles, the past couple of years have seen a resurgence of an old piece called “Reb Michel Zlotchover’s Niggun,” sometimes known as “Rachamim Rabim” — the Baal Shem Tov referred to this melody as “Hisorerus Rachamim Rabim Niggun” — and we’re playing that all the time as well.

MENACHEM HERMAN

Shmuel’s “Tein Li Tefillah” is a trending request right now. I play it a lot.

YIDI BIALOSTOZKY

Chuppah requests are usually either classics or songs that the chassan and kallah really feel connected to. So new songs are not the usual, although “Basi Legani” and “Liros Banim” are probably the most popular right now.

AVRUMI BERKO

The most requested tunes for “Mi Adir” and the other chuppah pieces remain Reb Moshe Goldman’s “Pnei L’elbon” and “Ani Maamin.” But of course, every night is different. At the more heimish simchas, the recently released “Mimkomcha” by Bentzion Shenker (from the Shirasa album) has become very popular. It has that solemn and momentous feel.

MENDY HERSHKOWITZ

The very traditional choices, like the Karlin “Kah Echsof” and “Pnei L’elbon,” seem to really work, and that’s why they get played night after night, especially in chassidish crowds. “Tein Li Tefillah” has taken off for chuppahs, and some people have their own original taste, like an upcoming couple who wants us to play Shloime Gertner’s “Hoshiva” from his first album. Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz’s “Im Eshkacheich” is picking up steam — it was always used a bit, but now we’re doing it a lot more.

Today, there are two types of chuppah clients: The ones who stick to the traditional “Mi Adir” and “Mi Bon Siach,” and the ones who want to extend the chuppah with more music. For them, my job is to build and package the music so well that it doesn’t feel like it’s dragging out, and no one looks at their watch.

As a musician, I like to customize the music and deliver what people actually appreciate. My ideal clients aren’t the ones who want to know what everyone else is doing, but who have their own preferences.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1049)