Tafelmusik (German: literally, "table-music") is a term used since the mid-16th century for music played at feasts and banquets. Table music could be either instrumental, vocal, or both. As might be expected, it was often of a somewhat lighter character than music for other occasions.[citation needed] In solemn banquets, starting with wedding dinners, the presence of singers and instrumentalists is customary and almost obligatory.