You Are the New Day
Listener Submission: Most Meaningful Wedding Music Story

More Meaningful Wedding Music Stories Arrival of the Queen of Sheba Allegretto in Tandem Water Music Child No More Because Old Love Fools Rush In Moonlight Sonata The Lord's Prayer A Traditional Jewish Marriage Song Llef Susurro Rhosemedrye All Bach The Best Song in the World Perhaps Love A Mother's Blessing Memories Simple Gifts I Will Morning Song In Spite of Ourselves Salvation Army Singers Cats May Safely Sleep Give Yourself To Love How Can I Keep From Singing? Overture from Candide The Servant Song A Hebrew Blessing These Are For You The Lover's Waltz La Rejouissance Erev Shel Shoshanim Toccata You Are the New Day Dixieland Jazz Because Beauty and the Beast Beautiful The Lord's Prayer Somewhere Over the Rainbow How Can I Keep From Singing Devoted to You Promenade Days Together Stand By Me List of All Stories Odes to Joy home

OK, I'm going to do it! This is actually not my story, it's my daughter's. I know she's too busy with her baby & full-time job to do anything about it, though, so I hope it's OK for me to tell her wedding music story. It's such a nice one!

Sara and David planned their wedding in Minnesota carefully, although it was difficult, because they were living in Washington, DC, at the time and the wedding was to be at St. Mark's Church in St. Paul. Meanwhile, our family lives in Redwood Falls, Minnesota; the groom's family lives in Indiana. So things were a bit complicated. Naturally, none of the wedding party lived in Minnesota at the time, either.

Sara and David really loved a song the King Singers did, "You Are the New Day." The King Singers do it a cappella, and Sara really wanted it sung at her wedding by some of her friends. She decided to try it long-distance! She sent copies of the music to five of her friends and family who she knew could sing decently and asked them to learn it. She also sent tapes to them so they knew what it should sound like.

The morning of the ceremony all these amateur singers came together for the first time and sang the song in harmony, all having learned their part alone. They practiced once. They were hesitant about doing it a cappella, and Sara did agree to that condition. After all, none of these singers had ever done this before! They sang it as a prelude with accompaniment, and it was beautiful! I wish I could have taped it. To me, and to Sara and David, I know, it was one of the most memorable parts of their wedding. I hope you can play the song when you talk about these stories. It still makes me smile to think of the beautiful gift those people gave Sara and David.

Mary Gross
Redwood Falls, MN