MTC Week #50 - Santino Fontana & the Muppets!

Wow. I'm not sure I'll be able to adequately describe how great of an experience these last four days have been (and actually, the last six). I feel so blessed to have been a part of the 2014 Christmas Concert featuring Santino Fontana and the Sesame Street Muppets. In keeping with concert tradition, I'll record my thoughts and feelings via "Top 10" style. But overall, it was an amazing experience. And before I start with the Top 10, I want to thank my wife and children for being without a dad and husband for a lot of hours during the past couple of months. I appreciate all they did to keep things moving along on the home front!

The Top 10 of What Made the Concert Amazing? (in no particular order)

10. Seeing how it all came together. As a choir, we had practiced our songs for months but were never sure of how those songs would fit into the overall production of the concert. On Tuesday though, as we came together for the first rehearsal with everyone involved, we witnessed the wonder the concert was going to give to all who would see and hear it. Whether it was the playful and fun dialogue from the Muppets or excellent solos from Santino, or the dancers adding movement and flair, or the incredible organ solo, I was in awe at how all of the individual pieces came together to create such a magical program.

9. Watching the puppeteers bring Elmo, Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, Grover, and the rest of the muppets to life. At first I thought that the "magic" would be ruined a bit by seeing what went on behind the scenes. But it was nothing short of incredible to see how these puppeteers put their whole heart and soul into these beloved monsters who have given us all lessons of kindness, love, and respect over the past many years.

8. Hearing comments made from other choir members. Everyone seemed to

have their favorite moments that inspired them or brought them joy. And hearing them talk about them not only gave me some great insights but made me feel all the more grateful. It was great, too, to stand next to a treasured friend as well as hear all of the commentary coming from my fellow basses occupying the top corner!

7. Having the younger kids recognized. This year those as young as 5 were allowed to come to the concerts and Santino took several opportunities during the concert to involve the kids and let them know how special they were. I'm positive that most of them won't forget it.

6. Getting to spend time with choir members. We were with each other A LOT this past week. And while most of that time was rehearsing, we did have some down time to mingle. I had some important, meaningful conversations with some and I was grateful for those opportunities. 

5. Hearing funny portions of dialogue that the muppets gave:
Bert: (upon being asked if he was ready to sing) "No, no, no, SantiNO."
Cookie: (talking about not having cookies) "Tis a disaster of epic proportions!"
Count: (during 12 days of Christmas) "Enough with the birds already!"
Grover: (after realizing they were all late to the concert) "When we go out, just act na-tur-al."
Big Bird: (after being asked if he needed any conducting tips) "no, that's OK. I'll just wing it."
Elmo: (wanting to hear the choir sing) "Please Santino, please, please, please, please..." [while moving around in various begging poses]

4. Looking down at the puppeteers who played Abby and Rosita near the end of one of our choir numbers testifying of Christ. They just had such a thankful expression on their faces--as if they were saying "We're so grateful to be here."

3. Hearing some of the puppeteers in the hallway backstage talk about their experience while being here in Salt Lake. They mentioned how much they had enjoyed it, how they had really been taken care of, and how they loved doing this concert.

2.  Hearing our Choir President say to the choir (paraphrasing) "You know, some people ask me if I ever miss singing in the choir. And usually I say 'no', I had my time and I've moved on and it's OK. But for this concert (getting emotional), you all have the best seats in the house."

1. Looking upon the faces of our guests at the very end of the last concert on Sunday. We had them all turn to face the choir, and then we sang to them "God Be With You Till We Meet Again". The Spirit was very strong and I noticed several of them wipe a few tears from their eyes. I know that they'll never forget this experience. Not only because it was fun and refreshing and it had a wonderful Christmas theme, etc. etc. But because they felt the love we had for them, the prayers that had been offered on their behalf, and felt the truth of this great work our Church is proclaiming to the world: that Christ lives, and He loves every one of us.

Until next time, God be with you!

PS: Some video/pic links here.

MTC Week #49 - The Spirit of Christmas

Christmas is an interesting time of year. Christians (and others) around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and expectations are that the Christmas season be synonymous with attributes Christ displayed during his lifetime: love, giving, service, and joy. It's also expected that we feel what has been termed as the "Christmas spirit" during this happy occasion. Individuals might differ in how they define that spirit, but we could probably all agree that such a spirit equates to feeling joyous and happy or some other positive, blissful feeling.

This can be a struggle for some for a variety of important-to-consider reasons. For some it's a time of financial heartache. For some, a time of increased stress. And for others, it's a time to become overwhelmed with parties and family gatherings or the lack thereof. For many, it's a time when Christmas expectations dictated by society are impossible to meet. And importantly, there are those who might not really know what it means to feel the Christmas spirit--as if it's an elusive, mysterious thing that they hope to experience but are not sure how to do that exactly.

To all of those who are struggling this Christmas time, my prayers are with you. Know that feeling the Christmas spirit is really just about feeling God's love for you through His son Jesus Christ. If you can't feel that right now, perhaps offering a prayer is in order. A specific prayer in which you give thanks for your blessings and give a plea that you can feel loved by Him who loves you immensely. He may not answer you right away. And He may not answer you directly. But if you look for His answer, I can promise you'll find it. And you'll feel it. If only for brief moment. But that moment can be enough. Hold on to it and let it help you get through the hardships that the season can bring.

I'm grateful each year to have music be the means in which I experience that moment of feeling God's love. Such moments literally become "my Christmas". Singing songs of the season with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir today hopefully helped others who listened, to feel some of that Christmas spirit (aka God's love). And if you're looking for a few other ways, may I suggest you view this video that can help God answer your prayer to feel that spirit.

Until next time, may God be with you.    

MTC Week #48 - Cum Sancto Miracle

Miracles happen every day. Through the years though, my definition of what constitutes a miracle has changed significantly. I used to think, when I was much younger, that all the "cool" miracles were over with. You know, the ones that the Bible is filled with: parting of the red sea, all of the Egypt plagues, the walls of Jericho crumbling, fire coming down from heaven to consume water-soaked wood, men of God being saved after being thrown into a fiery furnace...the list goes on. I remember longing to see one of those! 

While I have no doubt that such miracles could occur today if God wanted them to, I've come to adopt a less outwardly-dramatic definition of miracles: a personal expression of God's love. And perhaps I would add, an undeserved expression of God's love that gives way to deep gratitude.

This year has been full of such miracles for me and my family. Whether it was me being accepted into the choir; or our home in American Fork selling to just the right family; or my wife getting an employment opportunity to help us financially; or my kids making some very good friends; or receiving help just when we needed it; or going to choir with a sinus infection or an upset stomach only to have those ailments temporarily taken away; or even finding a perfect parking spot during a day of stress and fatigue. Such things happen all the time if we but recognize them.

And so it goes with learning and memorizing one of the pieces we sang today. This piece of music called "Cum Sancto Spiritu" was given to us probably two months ago and Bro. Wilberg mentioned to us new choir members that it was going to be a very challenging piece to learn. So, for weeks now, during the days I get on the elliptical to exercise, I'd pull out that piece and set to work memorizing it. It did not come easy. But with prayer and lots of practicing, it started taking shape-- little by little-- before finally having things really lock into place. Performing it today and only forgetting a few spots was, in my mind, a miracle. The red sea did not part, literally, but the obstacles to getting this thing memorized did part. And I was grateful.

Look for your own miracles. You'll be surprised at what you find.

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Today after the broadcast was extra rehearsal #7. #8 will be Tuesday....but we are nearing the home stretch. Rehearsal Tues, then Thurs, then again on Sunday. On Sunday, we'll not only have that extra rehearsal until 11:30, but then will come back at 4pm to rehearse for the First Presidency Christmas Devotional that evening. And THEN my friends, I might as well rent a hotel room in Salt Lake City because, well, look at this schedule:

Ah, the fun of it all (it is fun, it'll just be a tiring week).

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #47 - Take and Seal It

By far, the most beloved hymn arranged by Mack Wilberg is Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. If you were to go on to YouTube and search for "mormon tabernacle choir", one of the first videos to display would be the one for this song (currently at close to 880,000 views). Aside from it being an incredible song to listen to, those who know its lyrics become emotionally tied to this song and its message. While all of the words are great, two phrases seem to stand out:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;

Seal it for Thy courts above.

These words seem to perfectly describe what we all experience. We're prone to wander from God and His teachings; we're prone to leave the strait and narrow path from time to time. But despite our failings, we really do want to give God our heart and let Him seal it--let Him know that whatever happens, whatever heartache we go through, whatever soul-wrenching experiences we have, we'll still be true. We'll still love Him. We'll still choose Him no matter what.

As I was singing this today on our broadcast, I thought particularly about a good

friend my wife and I have named Melissa. This song helped her get through a very tough time in life and was instrumental in helping her faith remain strong amidst struggle and heartache. You can read her blog post on it HERE. For Melissa, and for thousands of others who have found solace from this song, I'm grateful for the message and testimony of righteous desire that this song conveys. 

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Following the broadcast today, we continued learning more Christmas songs for our upcoming concert. I think we're shooting for 12 songs (memorized) that the choir will sing (in conjunction with Santino Fantana and the Muppets) and there will be other performances as well by dancers and the orchestra and perhaps the Bells. I'm curious as to how everything will take shape when it's all said and done. 

A classic line from Bro. Wilberg today...  So he was reviewing notes with us and said that for one of the songs, we really needed to work on our intonation (singing in tune). Then he said, "You've got to fix it. I'd do it for you, but I can't. If I could, it'd be perfect every time!" Ha :)  That's probably true though.

Until next time, God be with you!

Thanks to Jeff and Siope on either side of me and my other fellow basses
for keeping me on track)

MTC Week #46 - 4,444

So today's Music & the Spoken Word broadcast marked its 4,444th performance. Rather remarkable I'd say. In fact, Brother Lloyd Newell, in his closing remarks (addressing the audience after the performance) asked that we pause for just a few seconds and consider that significant fact--also saying that it's going to be awhile before we reach #5,555. (Doing the math, that performance won't occur for another 20 years). I suppose as far as milestones go, the next one will likely be the 5,000th performance which will occur in little over 10 years. 

Numbers aside, we had a special guest join us today, Mr. Stanford Olsen, who was a soloist for two pieces. One of those, Nella Fantasia (pronounced "Neh-lah Fahn-tah-zee-ah") is definitely a favorite of mine.  The song is sung in Italian and is based on the theme "Gabriel's Oboe" from the movie "The Mission". It's composed by Ennio Morricone. 

I must confess that the movie's details aren't very fresh in my mind as it came out back in 1986 (and I saw it around 1994 while in college). However, I remember the music against a background of love, injustice, and terrible loss of life. The melody is haunting and yet beautiful. As I sang it today and listened to Mr. Olsen give the song depth and emotion, I just felt tingly all over.  


Here's one of the verses, translated into English:

In my fantasy I see a just world,
Where everyone lives in peace and honesty.
I dream of souls that are always free
Like the clouds that float

Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.

Here are a few pics from this song:

Stanford Olsen

Full choir and orchestra, along with Mr. Olsen
performing Nella Fontasia. The oboeist is below.

In other choir happenings, we continue to prepare for our upcoming Christmas Concert and have rehearsed about 8-10 songs thus far--coming in on Tuesdays (in addition to Thursdays) and staying for an extra rehearsal on Sundays after the broadcast has ended. More pieces to learn are coming (they are in the process of being written/arranged) and things are shaping up nicely. Kudos to all of the spouses and families out there who are supporting us singers while we are away so much!

Until next time, God be with you! 

MTC Week #45 - The Christian Song

I really loved all of the pieces we were privileged to sing today. I could probably write a little blurb on each of them. But as I'm really tired at this moment, I think I'll highlight just one. It's simply called "THE PILGRIM SONG". Here's the first verse:

My brethren I have found, a land that doth abound
With fruit as sweet as honey.
The more I eat I find, the more I am inclined
To shout and sing, hosanna!

My soul doth long to go, where I may fully know
The glory of my Savior.
And as I pass along, I'll sing the Christian song:
I'm going to live forever.

I'm grateful for the fruit I've found in my life--that of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The more I partake of that Gospel and fully live it, the more happy I become. That doesn't mean that it's easy, or I don't have lots of unanswered questions. Living the good life can sometimes be difficult and often I have to take those questions and envelop them in faith so I can continue going forward. But all things considered, living the Gospel to whatever degree you choose, makes one happier than if he isn't living it at all. 

I think this song kind of kicks off the Thanksgiving holiday coming up and as such, I just want to express how thankful I am to a heavenly Father who loves me and is patient with me. As I try to sing that Christian song everyday (knowing where I want my journey to end up), I find that I'm grateful for a lot of things. Thankful for a great family; for great parents and siblings; for freedoms enjoyed; for cherished friends; and for good people everywhere who serve and love and do good.

Until next time, God be with you.

PS: This coming week officially kicks off "lots of extra rehearsals for the upcoming Christmas Concert". Lots of memorizing and lots of work ahead. All worth it though :)

Some pics from today's broadcast (11/9/14)

MTC Week #44 - Chords That Speak for Themselves

Back when I was in the BYU Concert Choir ('93 - '97), there were times when we'd be singing a piece of music and a particular chord combination would seem to match exactly what I was feeling. It was as if the very emotions or combination of emotions was "assigned" to those notes. I'm not sure how else to describe it. I remember one time in particular when I was at a rather low point in my life--frustrated with this thing and that thing--not knowing if God cared too much about my circumstances or not. It was then that during a rehearsal, we sang a combination of eight notes, somewhat minor and dissonant, and tears sprang to my eyes because it matched exactly what my soul was feeling. It wasn't the words--it was the notes themselves. I knew then that God did care and He was speaking through the notes to my heart.

I suppose that this phenomenon occurs in varying degrees with any fine, soul-stirring music. It can manifest itself with a general feeling one gets from hearing such music or it can be isolated to certain notes and chords. This happened today while we were singing Psalm 148 by Gustav Holst. What a beautiful choral or orchestral arrangement! It's heavenly. Other worldly. It's full of praise and

Gustav Holst

love and pure light. Walking up to the choir seats today, a choir member, Devin, commented that he had been so excited all week to sing this song. Indeed, I think many of us felt that way. One of the note combinations that caused a feeling of heaven coming down to envelop earth was at the very end. The choir and orchestra held out these notes--everyone putting their whole heart into them--and then Bro. Wilberg gave us the signal to cutoff. And what was left was a reverberation of heavenly sound that echoed through the Tabernacle. Perfect.

Until next time, God be with you!


PS: For all of those who weren't selected to get tickets for the upcoming Christmas Concert, I'm really sorry. The Choir is going to be singing several Christmas selections on the weekly broadcast and you are always welcome to come on Sunday morning to hear those. Also, you are welcome to come hear us rehearse for the Christmas Concert during the Thursday nights leading up to the event. I leave you with a poster one of our choir members made (Preston Tenney) which I thought was definitely worth posting for all to see. Great work!