A Concert with a Wedding Attached

Seventeen years ago today I got married. And as all of you who have visited this blog with any regularity know, when I got together with the man who became my husband, spouse, best friend, partner and daily companion, I gained a world of music. Of course, music was a big part of my life already and distinctly a contributing factor in our getting together in the first place; I worked in the university art building, right next door to the music building, and spent plenty of quality time there going to concerts, meeting with friends and all of that sort of happy thing, and when the nice Director of Choral Activities asked me if I’d be willing to help spiff up the aging auditorium for the annual Christmas concert festivities I gladly said yes. That was only the first time I made banners for an occasion of collaborative fun with that nice DCA man. Less than eight months later I was making bunches of banners to fill up a church nave for our wedding.scanNo surprise that, since under friendly pressure from them we gave up on the attractive idea of eloping and just having a party with our family and friends on our return, we decided that the best alternative was to have a celebration with lots of music and just party all the way through the event. Turned out it was easy to do so.scanAssembling our wedding’s participants was easy-peasy. Relatives and friends from work, home life and church lined up and pitched in as planners, greeters, acolytes, reception hosts and much more. Clergy? Well, as the daughter of a bishop I didn’t have far to go to hunt up someone to marry us. The church’s lead pastor presided and Dad officiated, and a dear sweet retired pastor friend served as lector. Witnesses? Having three sisters, I had no problem lining up a team; Richard’s backup was easy to arrange as well: his sole brother, our mutual beloved friend Jim, and Richard’s colleague and partner in choral crime, also named Richard (Nance). Musicians were easiest of all for us to arrange, unsurprisingly.scanWe had an outstanding pickup choir of students and members of Richard’s choirs, past and present, and friend-colleagues playing horn and singing the processional solo. Jim, getting in some exercise during the service, was organist as well as standing up for us. That, as well as having helped us plan the whole service and choose its music, and set one of my texts to music for our congregational hymn. Richard N, besides joining the altar party, pitched in (no pun intended) musically as well, conducting the choir for us in a lovely collection of pieces capped by the premiere of the exquisite anthem he composed for the occasion (now a best seller for Walton Music!).scanYes, this is a brag post. Happily, all true.photoHappy Anniversary, my Love.

23 thoughts on “A Concert with a Wedding Attached

    • Now I can say a very happy anniversary to *you* two! I can’t believe it’s already 7 years for you. Amazing how time races, no? Pretty cool that the four of us got so very lucky. Not to mention that we feel very lucky to know you! Hope you have a great day and a heap of further excellent years too!!

    • Thank you, my sweet, much love to you as well! We had a lovely day with a houseful of favorite grad students and still feel like goofy, happy newlyweds. Lucky us!

  1. Oh, Kathryn, I got shivers reading this … and after my own ‘failed’ marriage, I rarely do with wedding tales. But I feel so much of the unique love and friendship between you and your husband, not just in this post but also in the contentment and passion for life that you express at all times. What a blessing, and you looked wonderful! And of course, your love and involvement with music has been instrumental (sorry!) in making such a wonderful bond between you both.

    And may I say that July 6th is my birthday – and so a very good day for beginnings and continuings. Congratulations and blessings for a long lifetime of happiness together! Diane XO ♥

    • My dear Diane, I can say from the perspective of a third wife that ‘previous’ marriages can be a gift–part of what shapes who we are, what we become. I’m especially blessed, as R’s exes are both wonderful women; in both cases, the marriages ran their courses and then foundered, but the women are great ladies with whom we are both now friends. We are so lucky. I’m not surprised that my own wedding day came on the fortuitous occasion of such a grand and blessed day as your birthday!! Just further evidence of what riches you and I have in common. Lovely!

    • We had a delightful day. Had a bunch of grad students over for dinner before everyone was about to disperse for new jobs, summer workshops, and holidays. Heartwarming, appropriately enough. 😀

  2. Pingback: Brilliance Then and Now and Yet to Come | kiwsparks

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