The Artful Jurist

I'm not sure I can remember a wedding reception I've attended where they didn't play the song "Sunrise, Sunset" from the musical Fiddler on the Roof.  (It's almost as though the wedding isn't legally consumated until they play that song.)  Practically everyone expects it, and most know at least the beginning lyrics -- "Is this the little girl I carried?  Is this the little boy at play?"

But there have been changes to the legally sanctioned institution of marriage since Fiddler premiered in 1964, and now some states sanction same-sex marriages, leaving some gay couples to ask, "Where's our wedding song?"

Well, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, who penned those oft-sung lyrics to "Sunrise, Sunset," responded to a request for a gay-friendly version by doing a little tweaking to the lyrics.  According to a New York Times article, Mr. Harnick has made some minor changes to make it suitable for a female-female nuptial or a male-male nuptial.

Was it absolutely necessary for people to request Mr. Harnick's permission to do this?  After all, a wedding reception isn't all that likely to be picked up on the copyright infringement radar.  But, according to the article, the interfaith minister who made the request wanted the changes to be officially sanctioned by the copyright holder.  And so they are.