TCATS #308 - Welcome, Christmas Season!

The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square kicked off the Christmas season with a round of Christmas songs today for Music & the Spoken Word. Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, For Unto Us a Child is Born, The Holly & the Ivy and a few others rang through the choir loft and out into the audience testifying that Christ is truly the reason for the season.

And truly He is!

Unfortunately, sometimes it's difficult to stay reminded of that. 

Just last night, my wife and I were at the grand opening of the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Farmington and were trying to find a Christmas-themed picture book (we purchase one each Christmas season as a family tradition). We looked in one spot that a B&N worker pointed us to, but were disappointed to find that none of them were even remotely connected to the true meaning of Christmas. We then found another display of holiday books, only to be equally disappointed. Finally, we came across one small section of one bookshelf where lo and

behold! There were actually a few that DID have Christ as their theme. We finally settled on one titled SANTA'S PRAYER which had the following description: "Celebrate the real reason for the season with Santa as he takes time from a busy Christmas Eve to pause and offer a prayer to the Lord. On Christmas Eve, a brother and sister stroll through their town, excitedly discussing the gifts they hope to find under the tree. Then they suddenly spy Santa quietly slipping into the church. They follow him inside, where they witness his humble prayer at the altar crèche and hear his greatest holiday wish: that children understand that Jesus is the focus at Christmas . . . and always."

Perfect! 

Another example of Christ being hard to find in Christmas was mentioned by a member of a local congregation I worshiped with today. She stood to share her testimony and mentioned that last year, each time she'd get in her car, she'd turn on the Christmas radio station to enjoy Christmas music. She'd also hear that same music played at stores or shopping malls or on predefined Pandora or Spotify Christmas playlists. To her dismay, though, by December 25th, she was really sick of Christmas music! And then she realized why: almost none of the songs she had been listening to were true Christmas carols that spoke of Christ. (As an aside, if I'm out shopping and have to endure "Santa Baby" or "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time" or "Mele Kalikimaka" or "All I Want for Christmas" just one more time, I think I'll run out of the store like a crazy person!) Do non-Christ centered Christmas songs have their place? Sure. Who doesn't enjoy Jingle Bells or White Christmas or Frosty the Snowman sometimes? But I'd argue that the songs that endure in your heart and bring hope and peace won't have themes of roasted chestnuts or jingling sleighs. Rather, they'll connect you with the babe in the manger, who "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man," who lived and loved perfectly, and who gave his life for each one of us.

I hope we can all find ways to keep Christ in Christmas this year. It's unlikely the world will help with that. It'll be up to us to proactively make that happen.

Until next time, God be with you.

(A few pics from today's broadcast)

 

TCATS #307 - Atypical Thanks

I'm grateful I was back with my choir family Thursday and today after not singing in the Sunday broadcast for the past three weeks. Today, of course, was our "Thanksgiving Special" and the songs and the message all centered around the theme of gratitude. As such, I thought it would be fitting to express ten reasons I'm grateful for my continued time with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Keep in mind that these ten reasons aren't going to be your typical reasons--I have those reasons and have expressed them in this blog before (getting to sing, the people, the music itself, the guest artist experiences, etc). But these are some atypical reasons that go down to the tiny details.

10. I'm thankful for plastic water bottles that don't make those crinkly noises when you pick them up. I recently discovered the Evian brand water bottle and it's the perfect height, is QUIET, and has an easy to screw on cap. Does it cost more than the popular Kirkland brand? Absolutely. But a few Evian bottles can go for months by refilling them.

9. I'm thankful for the people who choose the background lighting and patterns and scenery that gets displayed behind us. We don't notice it at the time we're singing, but when I review the performance on Youtube or TV, I see what a great job they did.

8. I'm thankful that not everyone arrives at the Tabernacle for choir at the same time. I was getting dressed this morning in the blue suit and red snowflake tie and had plenty of room to do so. Getting back into "regular" clothes afterwards, though, isn't so roomy!

7.  I'm thankful for multiple bathrooms that are available to use when nature calls. Yes, the Conference Center men's bathroom could use more stalls (there's typically a line for those during break), but it's just nice that there's one there.

6. I'm thankful for friends to talk to during breaks and even friends who wait for you as you exit the stage or as you pick up your music and have a long walk ahead of you to the Conference Center or the Tabernacle. The conversations that ensue are usually uplifting and bring a smile to my face.

5. I'm thankful that I'm not always on ROW #6. Even though I'm assigned to row #6, I often get moved down to #5 or #4 because someone else is absent and the spaces need to be filled in. Row #6 is the most crowded row out of them all. Someone felt a need to stick an extra seat into that row when there really wasn't enough space to begin with. 

4. I'm thankful when I'm walking to and fro and other members of the choir that I pass in the hallways look me in the eyes and with a smile, say "hello Ryan". 

3. I'm thankful for family members and friends that say how much they enjoyed another performance of ours, even when they've already heard the songs a million times.


2. I'm thankful for the organ solo that occurs AFTER the broadcast each Sunday. I don't get a chance to just sit there and hear it too often, but when I do, I'm always thankful because it's always so moving.


1. I'm thankful every time I finally make it to my seat and have about 5 minutes before rehearsal starts. I love to just sit there, look around, notice people, enjoy the familiarity, and count all of my blessings for being able to be there in the first place.    

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #306 - Noticing the Other Person

I recently returned from a vacation to Jamaica which was absolutely wonderful. It did, however, cause me to miss two Thursday night rehearsals, plus a Sunday performance/rehearsal. As such, I was again in "observing mode" today. Thankfully, my friend Ryan was also in observing mode so we observed together--enjoying five great pieces that the choir performed for Music & the Spoken Word. My favorite of the bunch was Standing on the Promises. That song never gets old and never disappoints. There's so much of life that takes a toll on your faith and distracts you from what's most important. And this song always reminds me that things will be OK (actually, more than OK) if we stand on the promises that God has given us. And by standing, I mean living each day relying on those promises to be delivered as we strive to follow Christ.

As I was contemplating what to write about today, my wife gave me a good idea--so I'm going to go with it. :) During the past six years I've been in the choir, my wife and I will find ourselves at family events or going out with friends. And inevitably, the topic of conversation will either start with, or gravitate to, the Tabernacle Choir. The questions might be directed to me ("Ryan, so how's the choir going?") or when my wife is without me, she'll get the questions ("So how is Ryan enjoying the choir?"). When I get the questions, my good wife patiently smiles and listens--sometimes contributing experiences or insights. And when she gets the questions, she is obviously nice and answers those questions the best she can.

I am, of course, grateful for the interest people have about the choir and I recognize it's an easy and obvious topic to ask about. Their sincere desire to learn more is something I appreciate. However, I often feel bad that my wife repeatedly gets the short end of the stick. How I've wished that at least some of the time, people would come up to us and ask how she's doing. Or, at the very least, ask "So Jenn, how is it supporting Ryan in the choir? What are some of the highs and the lows you've been through?"

Like I said, people mean well and neither my wife nor I hold any sort of grudge towards anyone asking about the choir. It just illustrates an important principle that we all need to be aware of more often: sometimes it's the other person who could use the attention.

So, next time you're in a situation where you have the opportunity to talk to the less-noticed person--the one who may not, for example, be singing with a world-renowned choir that travels the the globe and sings to millions each week--take it! I guarantee that the person will be very grateful. And then, afterwards, when the conversation is needing a new direction, the obvious topic at hand is always one you can turn to. 

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #304 - Players on a Stage

I missed rehearsal for the week, so I was on the sidelines to watch the broadcast today. Sometimes when this happens, I actually get a little sad that I'm not singing. But today I was content to just sit and watch, next to my good friend Jason-- who was also content to just enjoy the observation experience. 

There were a few moments when I just looked around and noticed all of the "players" in this Tabernacle Choir experience. And as I did so, I thought about the famous words that Shakespeare once penned: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances." 

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square will continue moving forward year after year as it's always done since 1847 (1929 began Music & the Spoken Word). The singers, the choir leadership, even the conductors will play their part for a time and then they will make their exit. Their replacements will then make their entrance. Those new players will contribute what they can, enjoy the marvelous experience it is, enrich others' lives, and then move on to something else. 

On the one hand, such an observation makes me feel rather unimportant. After all, one day some other individual will join the choir as a new addition to the bass section and he will inherit "my" number: B-108. All of my music markings--especially all of those arrows I drew pointing upward to help encourage me to sing just a little higher--will be his now. He might even sit where I sat, adding his voice to the voices of many others.

On the other hand, because I know that at some point that day will come, it's important not to minimize anything in "the now." No one understands this more right now than my friend Ryan, who only has six months left in the choir (having served all of his allotted 20)! He's been experiencing several last moments for months now and each time we have a concert or some other performance, it's usually the last of that type, for him. Who can even count all of the hours put into 20 years of service? It's unbelievable. And it definitely means something. He has been but one player on the stage. But all of those hours have helped to change him--and to change so many others. That's what consecrated service does to the giver and receiver. It changes them for the better. 

So, far be it from me to change Shakespeare's quote. But if I did, I would substitute the word "merely" for "vitally important". 

For truly, everyone is.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #303 - What Choir Gives Me

Nothing too out of the ordinary happened this week--either at rehearsal on Thursday or on Sunday for Music & the Spoken Word. I did, however, get to miraculously sit next to my good friend Wes (which usually doesn't happen), and, they did announce the guest artist for this year's Christmas Concert (which you can read all about HERE). Other than that, a fairly "normal" choir experience this week. 

As such, I just thought I would selfishly reflect on what choir gives me--what it gives me today and what it has given me during these past almost six years.

<>Face-to-face Social Time: Because of my work from home employment situation, I'm secluded in my home office a lot and often feel socially starved. I talk to several people on the phone throughout the week, but I really miss face-to-face time with people. Choir provides that for me. There isn't a lot of social time at choir, actually, but I take what I can get. And through the years, some of my fellow choir members have become cherished friends.

<>Spiritual Experiences: my spiritual experiences aren't limited to choir, of course, but there are many to be found at choir. The music we rehearse and perform always has a positive, uplifting message and those messages, combined with the actual music, feed my soul.

<>Quality Singing: when I graduated from BYU and performed my last concert with the BYU Concert Choir, I thought that my time of being able to sing with really talented singers (on that scale) was probably over. From that point, up until the time I joined the choir, I have been able to enjoy several small-group performances (mostly at church) that were made up of truly talented singers. But there's nothing quite like being surrounded by 90+ basses who know how to sing. We all make our fair share of mistakes, but overall, it's a heavenly experience.

<>Sharing the Stage with Guest Artists:  Just within six years, I've been able to perform on the same stage with many, many professional singers. Heck, I even got to be on the same stage as the Muppets! From Santino Fantana, to Laura Osnes, to the King's Singers, to Rolando Villazon, to Hugh Bonneville and Sutton Foster, to Matthew Morrison and Laura Michelle Kelly to Kristin Chenoweth to Sissell and many others. Just wow.

<>Gospel Insights: when memorizing songs and studying the lyrics, I've been taught a lot of insights about how to live the Gospel better. My personal strength has been renewed and my testimony deepened. My desire to follow Christ has been increased. And my love of family and friends has sweetened. 

I don't know how much longer my choir journey will be, but I'll continue to enjoy the blessings it gives me each and every week!

Until next time, God be with you.

Some pics from today's broadcast

TCATS #302 - Tears + Surprise Visit

The choir arrived a half-hour early Thursday night to join the orchestra in rehearsing a bit, and then performing for a group of newly called temple presidents and their wives. It was a rather small audience (<100), but there was nothing small about our performance. We really tried to sing with our hearts and give these good brothers and sisters an experience that would not only help them feel God's love, but also give them courage as they began their labors at various temples around the world. After we sang our final number "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling", I looked out and noticed the majority of them wiping tears from their eyes. After standing and clapping, several put their hands on their heart and looked up to us as if to say "Thank you--we received what you wanted to give."

A really great experience.

Afterwards, we launched into regular rehearsal thinking the night would play out like any other Thursday night rehearsal. But about 1/2 way through, Ryan Murphy stopped and said that we had a surprise. On cue, Kristin Chenoweth came walking out on stage (along with her manager and some others in her party). We arose and started clapping as she made her way to the conductor's podium to say a few words. You can read all about the experience HERE, but there were two things that impressed me. First, she said that out of all the experiences she's had performing (and you can imagine she's had A LOT of performing experiences), performing with the Tabernacle Choir was in her top THREE. Wow. Second, as she sat down on one of the benches in the Tabernacle to watch a little bit of the rehearsal, you could tell just how excited and happy she was to be here. Her face had a permanent smile on it while we sang the piece she heard the most of: When the Saints Go Marching In. 

She's just a great person. Period. Rick Elliott summed it up best when he said “She’s the kind of performer that just exudes so much love and warmth that people just respond. When you’re performing with somebody like that, it affects the whole performance. We love Kristin and it is a real treat to work with her.”


Other than that, today's performance of Music & the Spoken Word went really well. My favorite song of the five was a piece called "The Ground". I've never loved that title. But then I got to thinking about it. We owe a lot to the ground. Our food comes from the ground. Our cities are built upon the ground. All of the beautiful trees and plants are rooted in the ground. And it can be so beautiful--just like this song is! You're invited to click the link above and give it a listen. Three minutes of peace.

Until next time, God be with you. 

PS: Our Christmas CD and DVD just went on sale recently (featuring Kristin Chenoweth) and you can find them HERE. Also, if CDs aren't your thing anymore, you can stream the music from Spotify HERE and Apple Music HERE.

TCATS #301 - Of Anton, Capacity, & Christmas

Today we were pleased to welcome Anton Armstrong as a guest conductor for two of the songs we sang on Music & the Spoken Word. Anton is the music conductor at St. Olaf's College in Minnesota (read more about him HERE) and while I don't know much about the art of conducting, I sure thought he did a really great job. Sure, I love Mack's and Ryan's style, but it's always refreshing to have someone else at the helm for a bit! At the end of the run-through, after having called us friends several times during the rehearsal, he let us know how much he looks up to us and how grateful he was for the opportunity to conduct us. It was a heartwarming moment. His personal philosophy regarding music is right in line with the mission of the Tabernacle Choir: "I want the power of music — that Spirit — to transform those who perform and those who will hear the message. For me, that is a very powerful reason for doing what we do."

Following the broadcast, we turned our attention to....yep! You guessed it. Christmas music. Nothing like Christmas music in October :).  My family is especially smiling about this because they know how much I'd rather save Christmas music for the month of December. But, that's just not possible in this case. At any rate, we looked over three pieces of music and then did some recording of one of the songs so we could start to memorize the words and the notes. 

Some people have asked me who the guest artist is for this year and when tickets will go on distribution. Well, the guest artist has not been announced yet, but will be announced on KSL radio at 9:00AM on October 25th. I've heard absolutely zero rumors about this year's guest, so your guess is as good as mine. 

As for tickets, the choir leadership decided it best to go back to the random selection process for tickets. Check out the Choir's website for more details on how that works.

Lastly, I wanted to mention a good problem that we seem to be having each week. It's called FILLED TO CAPACITY. As early as the start of this year, I don't remember so many people coming each week to watch Music & the Spoken Word. I mean, there would be weeks where it would be filled, yes. But not so consistently--until now. It's great to see that so many people are interested and come to be uplifted. But at this rate, I'm not sure where they are going to start putting everyone :)

Oh, and lastly lastly, I got called today to officially serve in the library. Several weeks ago, I posted about my subbing in the library and now I get to serve there week in and week out. It's all great though. Lots of friends in the library and it's actually kind of fun. I guess God had a plan all along regarding this.

Ok. I think I'm done.
Until next time, God be with you.