Armstrong Gibbs

Bridal March

Armstrong Gibbs composed this 'Bridal March' for the wedding of his daughter, Ann to Lyndon Rust. They married on 14th February 1948 in Danbury Church in Essex. The organ in the church had been damaged by wartime bombing and was out of action, hence the 'Bridal March' had to be played on a piano. The pianists for the occasion were Armstrong Gibbs and Maurice Jacobson.
Gibbs was born in Great Baddow, a country village near Chelmsford in Essex on 10 August 1889. In the early 1920s, Gibbs and his family returned to Danbury, Essex, just a few miles from where he spent his childhood. Here, Vaughan Williams was their neighbour for a short time. Later, Gibbs had a house built in Danbury, named 'Crossings', where he lived until World War II. In 1921 he founded the Danbury Choral Society, an amateur choir that he conducted until just before his death in 1960.
During World War II, 'Crossings' was commandeered for use as a military hospital, so Gibbs and his wife, Honor, moved to Windermere in the Lake District. After the war, Gibbs and Honor returned to Essex to a small cottage near 'Crossings' called 'The Cottage in the Bush.' At the foot of the last page of the manuscript of the 'Bridal March' is written 'C in the B 29.12.47' - expanded in this published version to aid understanding!

'Duration 5 minutes'

Had the organ in Danbury Church been available, it is certain that Gibbs would have composed the 'Bridal March' for organ, so we have also published an organ arrangement of the work (arranged by Peter Lawson) - Goodmusic GM281.