noun
- hymns or pieces of music sung or played while the clergy and choir withdraw from the chancel after a religious service
Usage: religious; liturgical
Examples
- The organist played beautiful recessionals as the wedding party left the church.
- The choir practiced several traditional recessionals for Sunday’s service.
- After the benediction, the congregation stood for the recessionals.
- The church’s music director selected uplifting recessionals for the Easter service.
- Classical recessionals echoed through the cathedral as the ceremony concluded.
- The wedding program listed both processionals and recessionals for the ceremony.