MTC Week #89 - The Ants Go Marching One by One. . .

I don't necessarily care for ants. Like all creatures, I'm sure there's a reason God created them--though I really don't know what that is. Despite not liking them, there ARE characteristics I admire about them. 

One of those is their enormous strength. 

Scientists have long stated and observed that ants can carry over 100 times their weight. 100 times! That would be like me carrying something that weighed 17,500 lbs. Impossible. But somehow, that ants do it. Some studies even suggest that certain species can lift up to 1000 times their weight (while their neck joints can withstand pressures up to 5,000 times greater than their body weight). However you slice and dice it, ants are very heavy lifters. 

Thursday night, our beloved conductor, Mack Wilberg, gave us a little talk about the topic of "heavy lifting." This was very timely, because in addition to preparing for our normal weekly broadcasts, the upcoming world-wide conference, and the annual Christmas Concert, we're starting work on a piece by Mahler (I don't even know what's it called, only that it's something like 80 pages and that we've been divided into two choir entities to cover the eight parts--which, incidentally, sometimes divide into more parts!). 

The temptation, Mack said, is there will be some of us who may not be excited about such a piece because of the work involved in learning it. There may be some of us who want to excuse ourselves from the concert that we'll be performing this piece at, not only because it's hard work learning the piece, but because it's taking 16 extra rehearsals to get it ready. 

He invited us not to give into that temptation. "Each of us need to do the heavy lifting," he said. 

And, indeed, we do. 

Along with ants being heavy lifters, they are also experts in team work. They each do their part to support their colony. Likewise, the team work mentality is an important part of this choir so that we can be successful in our mission. As we each do the heavy lifting, even in times when we're out of the glamour and spotlight, this piece by Mahler will sound extraordinary. And I suspect we'll learn a thing or two more about teamwork and becoming better musicians overall.

Choir members: let's lift!

Until next time, God be with you!

MTC Week #88 - Just Grateful

This morning's broadcast was just one of those that caused me to feel really grateful. 

I'm grateful that by climbing every mountain in my life, I can more effectively follow and achieve my dreams.

I'm grateful that God has, and continues to, help me choose the right road to take when two of them diverge and it's momentarily challenging to know

which one to pick. Choosing the right ones have, indeed, made all the difference.

I'm grateful that Jesus Christ is our song during the nights of both my life, and the lives of those I love. He may not take those nights away, either as quickly as I'd like or, at all, but He helps me, and all of His children, through them.

I'm grateful for what I learn when I run my race with

patience. Agreeing to God's timing helps me when the prize of peace and light.

And I'm grateful that despite all of the evil and heartache, tragedy and travail in this life, God's almighty hand continues to perform miracles and directs His most important work: the happiness of men, women, and children everywhere.

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One last thing: today was the last day for a friend, Brad Myler, who I got to know several years ago. What a great guy. Good luck Brad in all of your future endeavors! The basses (and your choir family) will miss you. And farewell to Spence Kinard as well. His 30+ years in participating in the Music & Spoken Word broadcasts is incredible. May he enjoy the next phase in his life and feel our gratitude for his devoted service.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #87 - I Scream, You Scream. . .

The Choir does not have a lot of socials throughout the year, mainly, I think, because there's always so much to do and so little time for such things. Aside from a dinner event during the Christmas season, I honestly can't think of any other social get-together. That is, except for Ice Cream Social--which we had Thursday night.

Because I missed the one last year, I was actually kind of looking forward to this event. A chance to mix and mingle, and have some yummy ice cream. What could be better? I envisioned a large, open area outside (maybe on top of the Conference Center) where we'd all congregate and either Choir Administrators or choir members from some committee scooping creamy ice cream from 5 gallon containers onto cones or into cups. 

However, I was a bit naive and unrealistic. I mean, really? Hello Ryan. Actually scooping ice cream for over 500 people? 

I realize that now.

Instead, we met on one of the top floors of the conference center--sort of off to one corner--and got to choose from a wide variety of ice cream novelties (ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, and the like). 

In no way am I trying to sound ungrateful because let's face it. Free ice cream, in any form, is a treat from heaven. So thank you Choir administrators! It just didn't quite match my vision. Nor was the amount of happy, social noise quite my thing. 

An inspired friend suggested we return to the Tabernacle and leave the noise behind, which was a good suggestion. We wandered out the front doors and enjoyed some quiet and cool night air while conversing about this or that. During a few of those moments outside, I also felt grateful in my heart for the blessings of being in the Choir, for having good friends, and for being able to sing beautiful and inspiring music every week. 

A good ending to a brief, if not interesting, ice cream social experience.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #86 - Of Least and Most

Hills.

Back in my cross-country days, our coach would supplement our regular training (running on relatively flat ground) with "hill training", which, just as its name describes, involves running up hills. You can imagine this was not a lot of fun. In fact, I don't remember anyone begging the coach that we could do more of such training. It was hard! And not only that, for us new to the sport, we failed to grasp the reasoning behind doing it since most of the courses we'd be racing on would be fairly flat. In the end, we had to simply have faith that the coach knew what he was doing. We had to trust that the upward climbing would pay off.

Thursday night we rehearsed a particular piece which looked deceptively easy. We quickly came to learn, though, that it was not--on multiple levels. It was a slow piece. It didn't move much. It was prone to intonation (pitch) problems. It required us to really think before singing any of the notes. I can't speak for the whole choir, only for myself and some around me, but we really didn't love the piece and didn't like how much it was extracting from us! It was very much like climbing a hill.

Felix Mendelssohn -  Composer of one of the songs
we sang today "O Thou the True and Only Light"

At one point, Bro. Wilberg (amidst some loving frustration) told us that he knew it was a hard piece. "But it's a beautiful piece, and we're going to do it," he said. That caused me to reflect. Our wise and talented director was finding beauty in something I was not. Furthermore, he wanted us to do this piece not only because it was beautiful, but also (making an assumption here) because he knew we'd be a better choir by rehearsing it, working at it, and perfecting it. He knew it would pay off--not just for today when we performed it, but when we applied what we learned to rehearsing other songs in the future.

It was then I decided to not let the hill get the best of me. I tried looking for the beauty and began noticing how pretty the orchestration was and how great the lyrics were. In fact, the lyrics spoke of God having mercy on those who had lost their way and about Him working to get them back--certainly a theme we can all relate to in one degree or another.

While the piece will probably not rank anywhere near the top of my favorites, I'm glad for the lessons I learned: trust in your leaders; if something is hard, do it anyway because it will pay off; look for the good in everything; and know that something you may like the least, may, just possibly, turn out to benefit you the most in the long run.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #85 - Abide With Me

Alex Sharpe - Guest Artist on Music & the Spoken Word, 8/16/15

We were privileged to be able to sing, this morning, with guest artist Alex Sharpe. Alex is from Ireland and is most known for performing with Celtic Woman (an all-female Irish musical ensemble) from 2008 to 2010. Alex has performed in various musicals, has sung with numerous orchestras and ensembles, but the thing she loves most is singing hymns. 

And singing a hymn is exactly what she got to do today.

While I have enjoyed the hymn "Abide With Me," it has never been considered one of my favorites. However, the arrangement we were able to accompany Alex on today, was simply amazing. The choir acted as "heavenly background angels" and the piano accompaniment was so very pretty. Part of the arrangement included the familiar verses from Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." and I think that was one of my favorite parts of the song. Words don't quite do justice to what I'm trying to describe, but I was really moved by this song today and was glad to revisit the lyrics to it.

Abide with me! fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens. Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!


I don't care who you are--you're going through something. Everyone is. Everyone is fighting a personal battle. And even though we sometimes get a small break from it (or rather, something good happens to offset the hardship temporarily), it still remains. And once it concludes, if it concludes, there's always another one to take its place.

But this song helps remind me that even when the darkness deepens and comforts flee, our Savior Jesus Christ is there to be with us. He's there to comfort us. Indeed, He's there to abide with us.

And that makes all the difference.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #84 - Farewell to Andrew

So aside from the once-a-year ceremony when choir members officially leave the choir, we have occasional off-cycle moments too, when choir members need to leave for various reasons. 

Today was one of those days for fellow bass, and friend, Andrew Walker. 

When his name was read by President Jarrett, Andrew stood and waved, which solicited clapping, but also some "boo's" from the bass section, simply because we didn't want him to leave. He's become a part of the choir family--part of the bass family--and there's a real emotional response when you realize that part of the family is leaving. 

The whole broadcast, I kept thinking how it must feel to be Andrew. How can you make your last singing experience with the choir all that you want it to be? That's a tall order--almost impossible. I remember my last concert with BYU's Concert Choir. I was determined to take as many mental and emotional snapshots as possible. I remember walking on the stage, where I was standing, looking at the audience, treasuring the songs, feeling an overwhelming sadness, but an equally overwhelming sensation of having been part of something great, something wonderful. 

Remembering that final experience of my own, I thought that maybe Andrew was having a similar experience. My heart was sad for him, but glad for him too. Glad that he had the opportunity to sit in a choir seat for as long as he did to make a wonderful contribution to the choir. His testimony was literally felt by hundreds of thousands. I hope he knows that, and I hope he knows how grateful we all are for his optimistic, insightful, and friendly nature. 

Farewell Andrew (B-100!). Until we see you again, may God be with you.

Andrew, from today's broadcast

A snapshot while on our recent tour

MTC Week #83 - Enjoying "Normal"

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a normal week in the Choir. But this past week was one of those--and I'm grateful. Grateful, in particular, for the songs we sang today on Music & the Spoken Word and being able to simply feel the Spirit as I sang them and pondered their words.

There are three songs today that touched me the most. 

The first was "When the Saints Go Marching In." This traditional American song, for me, captures the excitement of when Christ will come again and how those who have prepared themselves will rejoice in that experience. 

On that hallelujah day
On that hallelujah day
O Lord, I want to be in that number
When the Saints go marching in

I don't know when that "hallelujah day" will come, but I hope to be part of it and maybe, just maybe, be able to sing at that grand event (how cool would that be?!)

The second was called "My House" from the musical Peter Pan. I don't believe I

had ever heard this song before but it's incredibly beautiful. The lyrics can apply to not only each individual, but to the work parents do to build their families on a firm foundation of love, trust, faith, and truth. I'm grateful for my wife as she and I have tried hard to do just that. The journey isn't over and will never be over, but I'm so blessed to feel like our home and family is centered on these attributes and principles. And even though, like every family, we go through hard times and trials, we know we can get through them if we stay centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But build my house of love.
And paint my house with trusting.
And warm it with the warmth of your heart.

Make a floor of faith.
Make the walls of truth.
Put of roof of peace above.
Can you build my house of love.

The third was "Standing on the Promises" which has always been a favorite of mine ever since I first sang it a year or so ago. When things are tough and trials abound, you are desperate to feel God's love and to know in your heart that the promises God has given are true, they are real, and you can firmly stand on them. 




Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who always keeps His end of the bargain. And I'm grateful, again, to sing praises to Him every week. It is a deep abiding blessing, the height and width of which I have no words to describe.

Until next time, God be with you.