I created this painting for a romance book novel named “Three Weddings & A Kiss.”

For more stories, recordings and performance: SONG OF JOY

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Song of Joy Home Recording 7-20-16

SONG OF JOY INSTRUMENTAL

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Although I was legally married in November, my formal wedding was on June 21, 1981. Tomorrow is my anniversary. My divorce is not final yet.

Two months ago, I began working on the song that I sang at my wedding in 1981.

I composed my wedding song named “Song of Joy” in 1980. At that time, my mother was adamant that I not perform at my own wedding. But in a rare display of strength, I overruled her. However, I had to satisfy my mother’s requirement that my song fit into a religious Jewish ceremony. At the suggestion of our rabbi, I gleaned my lyrics from “the seven blessings.” According to Wikipedia, “The Seven Wedding Blessings” or Sheva Brachot are a mosaic of interwoven Biblical words, phrases and ideas.

When I began to rediscover and record my songs from thirty years ago, I loved the melody and chords for “Song of Joy.” I was pleased that I hadn’t forgotten my song.

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The original lyrics included my husband’s name. In 2010, I changed the lyrics to make the song less personal and renamed it “Together.” Although the arrangement for “Together” was quite beautiful, when I went to record a new vocal for it I decided my song would benefit from a fresh new arrangement.

With this new arrangement, I expanded my song to include an additional verse. I was about to revise the existing lyrics, but then I remembered that I had followed the seven wedding blessings. I liked the idea of my song being a template for a wedding using those blessings even though I disliked the line about “perfect joy.” It sounded like a set-up for marital failure with high expectations. But because it was used in the seven biblical blessings, I decided to leave it there.

My new verse did not use any biblical words and simply came from my heart. I felt great emotion with the words “Together they hope only goodness fills their lives.” It was because I remembered my wedding day. My husband and I began our new life and had no idea of the future challenges we would face together. The words of “As the years go by, this day they’ll remember,” are especially poignant for me. My parable about the Princess below certainly sheds more light on this.

Recently, I decided to change the song’s title from “Together” back to “Song of Joy.” I preferred to focus more upon joy, because “Together” was a reminder that my husband and I were no longer together.

I love the idea of having a wedding song in my repertoire.

For me, I feel like I am starting a new life. It is simply a beautiful start in a different way.

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SONG OF JOY

Together they are

partners and best friends

they create perfect joy

like first lovers in Eden

Together they will

create life in god’s image

and so with the blessings above

They begin their new life today

Oh Lord, my God, may this song of joy for them

Play through the streets of Jerusalem

Oh Lord, my God, on this sacred day they’re wed

We celebrate their future ahead

Together they stand

with fingers intertwined

as the years go by

this day they’ll remember

Together they hope

only goodness fills their lives

Facing their future

and dreams they look forward to

Oh Lord, my God, may this song of joy for them

Play through the streets of Jerusalem

Oh Lord, my God, on this sacred day they’re wed

We celebrate their future ahead

Oh Lord, my God, may this song of joy for them

Play through the streets of Jerusalem

Oh Lord, my God, on this sacred day they’re wed

We celebrate their future ahead

Oh Lord, my God, may this song impart

wishes for their beautiful start

for their beautiful start

for their beautiful start

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When I was married in 1981, only a few people knew that I had already been married six months earlier. I wrote about this when I first arranged my wedding song three years ago. Below are links to posts I wrote at that time:

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TOGETHER

A BEAUTIFUL START

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I carry a lot of trauma surrounding my wedding day. It was not the beautiful start that I had envisioned, because I had been forced by my mother to marry six months earlier. On the day I was legally married, I was too ill with a stomach upset to even stand up. The six-month period where it needed to be kept a secret before my big wedding was awkward and fraught with stress.

But when I sing my song, I am healed from all of my sadness.

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© 2013 by Judy Unger http://www.myjourneysinsight.comUnauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Judy Unger with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.