My music educator friend, Sarah Stevens watched in horror as the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded but felt moved to put her emotions to verse. I'm posting both versions of her song "Just One Planet" today to not only remember the tragedies that happened that day but also pay tribute to Sarah who died in 2006.
The first version of "Just One Planet" was recorded by Rachel Caswell a week after that tragic day.
Writing this song was very cathartic for Sarah Stevens as she dealt with her feelings about the events of that day. It did such a great job of capturing the anxiety and raw emotions we all felt that is was too painful to listen to for many; so Sarah wrote the more hopeful and uplifting version based on the theme presented in the aria at the end of this piece.
Co-written by Catherine Marchese, the song has done so much to help heal the hearts and souls of everyone who hears it. It has been performed by children's choirs, symphony orchestras and is included in elementary music textbooks. It is especially popular at Martin Luther King Day celebrations and has been performed at the United Nations Children's Day.