After singing with the Tabernacle Choir for six years now, I definitely have compiled a list of my favorite songs. Fifteen of them, to be exact. I could certainly make a list of 30 if I really wanted to, but I figure the higher you go, the less meaningful the word "favorite" becomes, right? So, I keep it to 15. Every so often though, one of the songs on that list gets replaced by another song that, over time, has come to mean more and has caused me to feel more. And to be honest, that's really what my favorite 15 are all about. They are songs that have deeply meaningful and personal lyrics. And they are songs that directly connect with my feelings in a way that I often can't describe.
Some might look at this list and say "Wait a second...why in the world didn't [insert your favorite Tabernacle Choir song here] make it to his list?!" Well, to answer your question, I really couldn't tell you. But that's the beauty of music. Different songs touch different people. And the Tabernacle Choir certainly performs a diverse repertoire of songs that aims to appeal to a very diverse, worldwide audience.
Below, in part 1 of this "Top Tab Songs" series, I list the first seven in my list. You're invited to give these a listen, preferably in a quiet environment, where you can really listen, feel, and connect. As mentioned above, some of these actually might not be songs that you personally connect to. And that's completely OK. But it's my hope that at least a few of these do. Note that these are not listed in any particular order.
1. Brother James Air'. With scripture-based lyrics, such as "In pastures green He leadeth me", and "My soul He doth restore again," and "Goodness and mercy all my days will surely follow me", this song always speaks to me and whatever hard thing I'm going through at the time. The song tune is beautiful, as are the dynamics that seem to correlate with the dynamics experience in life. [More HERE]
2. Simple Gifts. One of the messages of this song never ceases to get old: each of us can use gifts God has given us which will, in the end, help us "turn round right" and come unto Christ. And as we come to Christ, we will not only experience a "valley of love and delight" here, but in the next life to come. This song also has such a fun, upbeat tempo and the flute steals the show. [More HERE]
3. Psalm 148. This song is different take on the tune of "All Creatures of Our God and King." I love the harmonies and orchestration and every time we sing the very last note, the orchestra cuts out and our voices just reverberate throughout the Tabernacle. It's glorious. [More HERE]
4. Standing on the Promises. Life is difficult for everyone. Sure, there are seasons of not-so-hard, but it's been my experience at least that usually something going on is just hard. But this song's message brings real hope to my heart. It tells me that although this life requires a lot of faith (whether one wants to exert it or not) and sometimes the "why's" remain a mystery, we can stand on the promises of God that He'll support us and deliver us if we stand firm on what we know to be true. [More HERE]
5. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. I realize this song has become a very popular one, especially among the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But I always love singing it. Who doesn't connect with the lyrics "prone to leave the God I love"? Honestly though, I think of a friend of mine who used this song week after week for years, to gain strength and courage and faith that God would answer her prayer as she put forth effort and sacrificed all she could. And answer He finally did. And oh! The strings, the crescendos, the sheer power at the end that just sweeps over those listening... It's incredible! [More HERE]
6. It is Well With My Soul. The story behind this song both breaks my heart and gives me a determination to keep the faith no matter what happens. "Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say it is well, it is well, with my soul." Musically, I love how this arrangement has the different parts echoing and re-emphasizing the messages this song contains. The women will sing a line, the men will then sing that same line and to me it helps me remember we're not alone in this journey. We have others around us to help us out. [More HERE]
7. Love Divine All Loves Excelling. I think I just have a soft spot for grand and glorious pieces of music. This one just builds and builds, adding more sound from the choir and the orchestra until at long last in a strong forte we sing about finally becoming pure and reaching heaven and having all of the experiences in this life be worth it. Tear factor: 10 out of 10. I often have to sit down after this song and take deep breaths just because it takes so much out of me. [More HERE]
Next week, numbers 8-15!
Until then, may God be with you.
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Sunday, February 9, 2020
TCATS #318 - Back to the Tab
After what seemed like a long time, the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra returned to the Tabernacle this week and will remain there until the summer time. It was good to be back. Yes, the benches are less comfortable for people to sit on. Yes, there are less seats in general. And yes, there's an adjustment period for both the choir and the orchestra (it's a much different experience to sing/play in the Tabernacle because of its acoustic properties). BUT, we are closer to our audience and our audience is closer to us--and in my opinion, that alone is worth any of the downsides.
The poor tenors had the hardest time adjusting as we all convened for our rehearsal Thursday night. I felt sad for them as they kept being asked to sing higher, sing with better vowels, and to sing with the rest of the choir. The sopranos had their moments too. Altos and basses won the award for the evening, though of course we weren't perfect. At any rate, it was good to be back and I felt that grateful feeling creep back into my heart for being able to be part of this musical missionary organization.
After the broadcast today (which included singing one of my favorites), we had an extra rehearsal to prepare for both the upcoming Easter Concert (Handel's Messiah) and our performance at the ACDA convention. The latter will include some new pieces we're working on, and that makes me excited. Particularly a new spiritual, as arranged by Ryan Murphy. Extra rehearsals will continue for the foreseeable future as we get everything ready for those two events, and then turn our attention to Conference music, a special Restoration Concert, and then music for the 2020 tour. So much going on!
Until next time, God be with you.
[From our YouTube audience today]
The poor tenors had the hardest time adjusting as we all convened for our rehearsal Thursday night. I felt sad for them as they kept being asked to sing higher, sing with better vowels, and to sing with the rest of the choir. The sopranos had their moments too. Altos and basses won the award for the evening, though of course we weren't perfect. At any rate, it was good to be back and I felt that grateful feeling creep back into my heart for being able to be part of this musical missionary organization.
After the broadcast today (which included singing one of my favorites), we had an extra rehearsal to prepare for both the upcoming Easter Concert (Handel's Messiah) and our performance at the ACDA convention. The latter will include some new pieces we're working on, and that makes me excited. Particularly a new spiritual, as arranged by Ryan Murphy. Extra rehearsals will continue for the foreseeable future as we get everything ready for those two events, and then turn our attention to Conference music, a special Restoration Concert, and then music for the 2020 tour. So much going on!
Until next time, God be with you.
[From our YouTube audience today]
Sunday, February 2, 2020
TCATS #317 - Strong, Positive, Hopeful
The title of this week's blog post comes from today's message from Music & the Spoken Word (see below). I use it because I wasn't able to attend choir this week and because the message itself both includes and expresses much of what I went through and felt these past few days.
It all started on Tuesday with my wife indicating that her chest and right side were hurting. As time went on, we realized that it wasn't something that was going to go away or something we could ignore. So, after a couple of initial doctor visits (we were hoping to avoid the ER) and an ultrasound, it was determined that she most likely needed her gall bladder removed. We were told to schedule a surgery consult and then get onto the surgery schedule. As my wife's pain continued to increase, I did this right away but was frustrated to find out that a consult couldn't be scheduled for two weeks! I called another hospital and got it down to one week. But it was clear my wife wouldn't be able to last that long. So calling the first hospital back and pleading my case as a desperate husband, a little miracle occurred and we got an appointment for the next day.
Unfortunately, the "angry" gall bladder was not wanting to wait even until the next day. I've never seen my wife in such pain. So, in a last ditch effort to avoid the ER, we went to the clinic again on Wednesday to see if the doctor could talk to the surgery folks for us and just get us onto the schedule. But alas, she said she did not have that authority.
Arriving at the ER around 5:15 or so, we were told it would be at least a 2-3 hour wait. They did the initial "triage" within the hour, but then we went back to wait on the chairs in the ER lobby for a bed to open up. The minutes felt like hours and I can honestly say the experience was one of the worst of my life. My wife was in immense pain and in tears much of the time and there wasn't a single thing I could do about it. All of the other people in the ER just made things worse: a young father wheeling in his wife on a wheelchair--his wife doubled over and crying in pain; a guy who couldn't even explain to the front desk why he was there because he couldn't stop sobbing; several in masks coughing and hacking; a guy who was suicidal; and the list went on. So many in severe pain and they couldn't get any help. After 4+ hours of hell, we were finally escorted back to where Jenn was finally able to get some pain killers and a CAT scan to confirm the gall bladder issues. Because of the amount of surgeries scheduled and the higher number of trauma patients that were coming in and needing surgery, we were told we'd have to wait for surgery until an OR opened up.
We waited and waited, the time moving from Wednesday to Thursday, being told it could be at any time. Amidst the crescendo of frustration, credit goes to my wife who finally just said we needed to turn all of this over to God and just submit to His will. As we had that conversation, I realized she was right. That it was time to let the negativity and frustration and anger leave, and replace those emotions with hope, with strength, and with a positive outlook. There were things to be thankful for, not the least of which was the myriad of friends and family who were texting and calling and showing love and concern. There were also great nurses and a friendly staff who showed genuine interest in making sure Jenn was taken care of. We had a prayer, we read scriptures, and things definitely took a turn for the better.
At 8:30 Thursday evening, we finally were told Jenn was going in for surgery. After I kissed her goodbye as they wheeled her away, I went to the waiting room which, interestingly enough, was completely empty. Just me, my thoughts, my prayers, and being able to respond to texts of support that "coincidentally" came right at that moment.
While the surgery didn't go perfectly, it went pretty well and Jenn embarked on her road to healing. We came home Saturday and I'll be privileged to help her take this next week to get better. Looking back on everything, was I justified in being frustrated and bitter and angry at a health care system that seems to be broken on multiple levels? I think so. Will I be submitting my constructive feedback to the hospital about things that can be improved? Absolutely. But as the Spoken Word points out, it's better in the end to be positive and hopeful that God will provide peace amidst the chaos, sweet amidst the bitter, and love to replace the anger. And in the end, isn't that "less traveled" path the better one to take?
Until next time, may God be with you.
The Spoken Word, 2/2/20
"Most of the time, life is pretty wonderful. The world around us is filled with beauty. We are surrounded by people who care about us. And we wonder how life could be any better.
But then there are other times when life seems overwhelming and gloomy, and those happier days are a distant memory. At those times the best thing to do—maybe the only thing to do—is hold on to hope. Not just wishful thinking. Not even mere positive thinking. But robust, fearless hope. This kind of hope is not for the faint of heart. It demands courage to believe, strength to carry on, and the resolve to not give up. If our hope is to get us through the truly dark days, through life’s real storms, it must be anchored to something stronger than we are, something deeper than what we see around us. Hope has power as we focus on everlasting things, on eternal principles, on trust in God.
Most of life’s darkness and dreariness is temporary. Things tend to work out in the end. Gordon B. Hinckley was known for these reassuring words: “It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. … Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake [you].”1 He is the reason for our hope.
Not long ago, a man learned that he needed a major operation to preserve his health. As he faced this sobering news, three words came to his mind over and over again: strong, positive, hopeful. Although he was concerned about the operation and his recovery, the man determined to go to the hospital with those three words in his mind and heart. In the months of recovery that followed, he repeated those three words as a kind of motto to live by: Strong. Positive. Hopeful.
As he did, he found strength within himself he didn’t know he had. He found that positive things happened every day that he could be thankful for. And he found that there was reason to hope that things would improve and work out for the best. Life wasn’t always easy, but he saw that it was pretty wonderful."
It all started on Tuesday with my wife indicating that her chest and right side were hurting. As time went on, we realized that it wasn't something that was going to go away or something we could ignore. So, after a couple of initial doctor visits (we were hoping to avoid the ER) and an ultrasound, it was determined that she most likely needed her gall bladder removed. We were told to schedule a surgery consult and then get onto the surgery schedule. As my wife's pain continued to increase, I did this right away but was frustrated to find out that a consult couldn't be scheduled for two weeks! I called another hospital and got it down to one week. But it was clear my wife wouldn't be able to last that long. So calling the first hospital back and pleading my case as a desperate husband, a little miracle occurred and we got an appointment for the next day.
Unfortunately, the "angry" gall bladder was not wanting to wait even until the next day. I've never seen my wife in such pain. So, in a last ditch effort to avoid the ER, we went to the clinic again on Wednesday to see if the doctor could talk to the surgery folks for us and just get us onto the schedule. But alas, she said she did not have that authority.
Arriving at the ER around 5:15 or so, we were told it would be at least a 2-3 hour wait. They did the initial "triage" within the hour, but then we went back to wait on the chairs in the ER lobby for a bed to open up. The minutes felt like hours and I can honestly say the experience was one of the worst of my life. My wife was in immense pain and in tears much of the time and there wasn't a single thing I could do about it. All of the other people in the ER just made things worse: a young father wheeling in his wife on a wheelchair--his wife doubled over and crying in pain; a guy who couldn't even explain to the front desk why he was there because he couldn't stop sobbing; several in masks coughing and hacking; a guy who was suicidal; and the list went on. So many in severe pain and they couldn't get any help. After 4+ hours of hell, we were finally escorted back to where Jenn was finally able to get some pain killers and a CAT scan to confirm the gall bladder issues. Because of the amount of surgeries scheduled and the higher number of trauma patients that were coming in and needing surgery, we were told we'd have to wait for surgery until an OR opened up.
We waited and waited, the time moving from Wednesday to Thursday, being told it could be at any time. Amidst the crescendo of frustration, credit goes to my wife who finally just said we needed to turn all of this over to God and just submit to His will. As we had that conversation, I realized she was right. That it was time to let the negativity and frustration and anger leave, and replace those emotions with hope, with strength, and with a positive outlook. There were things to be thankful for, not the least of which was the myriad of friends and family who were texting and calling and showing love and concern. There were also great nurses and a friendly staff who showed genuine interest in making sure Jenn was taken care of. We had a prayer, we read scriptures, and things definitely took a turn for the better.
At 8:30 Thursday evening, we finally were told Jenn was going in for surgery. After I kissed her goodbye as they wheeled her away, I went to the waiting room which, interestingly enough, was completely empty. Just me, my thoughts, my prayers, and being able to respond to texts of support that "coincidentally" came right at that moment.
While the surgery didn't go perfectly, it went pretty well and Jenn embarked on her road to healing. We came home Saturday and I'll be privileged to help her take this next week to get better. Looking back on everything, was I justified in being frustrated and bitter and angry at a health care system that seems to be broken on multiple levels? I think so. Will I be submitting my constructive feedback to the hospital about things that can be improved? Absolutely. But as the Spoken Word points out, it's better in the end to be positive and hopeful that God will provide peace amidst the chaos, sweet amidst the bitter, and love to replace the anger. And in the end, isn't that "less traveled" path the better one to take?
Until next time, may God be with you.
The Spoken Word, 2/2/20
"Most of the time, life is pretty wonderful. The world around us is filled with beauty. We are surrounded by people who care about us. And we wonder how life could be any better.
But then there are other times when life seems overwhelming and gloomy, and those happier days are a distant memory. At those times the best thing to do—maybe the only thing to do—is hold on to hope. Not just wishful thinking. Not even mere positive thinking. But robust, fearless hope. This kind of hope is not for the faint of heart. It demands courage to believe, strength to carry on, and the resolve to not give up. If our hope is to get us through the truly dark days, through life’s real storms, it must be anchored to something stronger than we are, something deeper than what we see around us. Hope has power as we focus on everlasting things, on eternal principles, on trust in God.
Most of life’s darkness and dreariness is temporary. Things tend to work out in the end. Gordon B. Hinckley was known for these reassuring words: “It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. … Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake [you].”1 He is the reason for our hope.
Not long ago, a man learned that he needed a major operation to preserve his health. As he faced this sobering news, three words came to his mind over and over again: strong, positive, hopeful. Although he was concerned about the operation and his recovery, the man determined to go to the hospital with those three words in his mind and heart. In the months of recovery that followed, he repeated those three words as a kind of motto to live by: Strong. Positive. Hopeful.
As he did, he found strength within himself he didn’t know he had. He found that positive things happened every day that he could be thankful for. And he found that there was reason to hope that things would improve and work out for the best. Life wasn’t always easy, but he saw that it was pretty wonderful."
Sunday, January 26, 2020
TCATS #316 - Remembering
If I'm honest (and I truly strive to be), I'd have to say that Choir has been a struggle for me for the past few weeks.
It's been difficult to find the excitement.
It's been easy to become cynical.
It's been challenging to bring life and light into some of the songs we're singing.
It's been hard not to let out a long sigh in anticipation of going through yet another rehearsal full of the exact same feedback we get week after week.
It's hard not to let the little things bother me and become annoyed at various things that are usually a part of every choir experience. Sometimes I even look at my watch Thursday nights and think "What? We have over an hour to go?"
Yes, I know what you're thinking. Or at least what some of you are thinking. That I need to take a deep breath, readjust my perspective, and truly realize how many people would absolutely LOVE to take my spot in the Choir. But you know what? Sometimes it just doesn't work. I try and try and try and I don't make much headway.
I still feel, in my heart, and when I pray about it, that I should stay in this truly grand calling for the unforeseeable future. I still have a work to do. I still have people to influence. Basically, God's not done with me being in the Choir....yet. So because I know and feel these things, I'm left with the task of trying even harder to get the love of this calling back. I've had that love for years and years, only occasionally needing to stave off the complexities of complacency. But now as I start year 7, the complacency battle has reached a new level. I need to attack it from multiple angles and it's going to take a lot of work.
I've come to realize that the one thing that helps me the most in this battle is REMEMBERING. Remembering how I felt in year #1. Remembering the magic of each song and how I felt when I sang each of them for the first time. Remembering that people around the world are counting on me (which I believe is true). Remembering that there is growth and there are opportunities to improve with repetition. Remembering that I am far, far from perfect and to apply constructive criticism from my directors directly to me. Remembering those times that certain songs have touched me so deeply that I can't imagine my life or my testimony without them. Remembering that at least half of a good attitude is tied to gratitude.
So. That is my plan. To remember. And if anyone would like to join me on my "Remembering Journey", I'd love to have you along.
Until next time, God be with you.
It's been difficult to find the excitement.
It's been easy to become cynical.
It's been challenging to bring life and light into some of the songs we're singing.
It's been hard not to let out a long sigh in anticipation of going through yet another rehearsal full of the exact same feedback we get week after week.
It's hard not to let the little things bother me and become annoyed at various things that are usually a part of every choir experience. Sometimes I even look at my watch Thursday nights and think "What? We have over an hour to go?"
Yes, I know what you're thinking. Or at least what some of you are thinking. That I need to take a deep breath, readjust my perspective, and truly realize how many people would absolutely LOVE to take my spot in the Choir. But you know what? Sometimes it just doesn't work. I try and try and try and I don't make much headway.
I still feel, in my heart, and when I pray about it, that I should stay in this truly grand calling for the unforeseeable future. I still have a work to do. I still have people to influence. Basically, God's not done with me being in the Choir....yet. So because I know and feel these things, I'm left with the task of trying even harder to get the love of this calling back. I've had that love for years and years, only occasionally needing to stave off the complexities of complacency. But now as I start year 7, the complacency battle has reached a new level. I need to attack it from multiple angles and it's going to take a lot of work.
I've come to realize that the one thing that helps me the most in this battle is REMEMBERING. Remembering how I felt in year #1. Remembering the magic of each song and how I felt when I sang each of them for the first time. Remembering that people around the world are counting on me (which I believe is true). Remembering that there is growth and there are opportunities to improve with repetition. Remembering that I am far, far from perfect and to apply constructive criticism from my directors directly to me. Remembering those times that certain songs have touched me so deeply that I can't imagine my life or my testimony without them. Remembering that at least half of a good attitude is tied to gratitude.
So. That is my plan. To remember. And if anyone would like to join me on my "Remembering Journey", I'd love to have you along.
Until next time, God be with you.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
TCATS #315 - It's the Little Things
In preparing for today's broadcast, I was reminded of how important simple words or small phrases of words can be. This was because even though many of the songs we sung contained several verses and choruses of repetition, remembering the first few words of each of those verses were key in singing the songs accurately. For example, in the first piece, "Down by the Riverside", the key phrases were "Lay down my sword and shield", "Put on my travelin' shoes", "Put on my long white robe", and "Put on my starry crown." If you remembered those, you were almost set with the singing the rest of the song. For "Peace Like a River", it was just "faith", "hope", and "love". ("I've got faith like a river, I've got faith like a river...." switching to "I've got hope like a river, I've got hope like a river...", etc). For "I'm Runnin' On", the phrases were "Ain't you glad," "Pressin' on", and "Won't turn back."
The point is, singing these songs by memory became much easier (at least for me) as I just focused on remembering the small and simple "key words". Which illustrates an important principle in life: it's often the little things that mean the most!
From a religious point of view, this can easily be seen by faithful church followers reading the scriptures for a few minutes every day, or taking just a couple of hours to go to church each week, or taking a few minutes to ponder and pray each day. Those who do these things can testify that they make a big difference in being able to resist temptation and adhere to the way of life they are trying hard to live.
From a simple humanity point of view, a smile, a "hello", sending an unexpected text of appreciation, holding the door open for someone, or simply treating each other with kindness and respect can go a long way in lifting the level of happiness in people. Much of life is filled with routines of repetition--like the songs we sang today. But what can make all the difference in more easily going about that day of routine is to interject the "little things". Little things that will inspire, uplift, and bring greater satisfaction for all involved.
My hope is that we don't discount the little things and have faith they'll make a difference.
Because indeed they will.
Until next time, God be with you.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
TCATS #314 - Calm Before the Storm
January is traditionally a "down" time for the Tabernacle Choir, and January 2020 has been no different. It's nice, really, to just go to rehearsal Thursday nights, prepare for Music and the Spoken Word on Sunday, and get to go home a bit early! It's simple. Even today's broadcast would, in my opinion, fall into the "simple" category. The songs we sang really weren't hard to sing (yes, they took practice, but they were all pretty familiar) and the whole experience just seemed to flow like honey.
Of course our director is telling us to really enjoy this time because the rest of the year will be back to normal (i.e. crazy busy) starting in February. And in looking at our calendar, he's absolutely right. There is an event to two I can't announce yet, but the ones that have been announced include an ACDA performance, an Easter Concert (singing "The Messiah" again), a special General Conference as announced by President Nelson, and a tour to get ready for in June. All of these events will take considerable effort to prepare for and extra rehearsals will start up in earnest very soon.
As we were about to sing God Be With You to our audience today, I scanned the individuals who had come to the Conference Center to see us and tried to figure out WHO to sing to. This is sort of my weekly routine I do. It's easier to do it in the Tabernacle because the people are closer and I can see faces and I get more promptings. But I found a guy who was sitting near the back, alone, and felt to sing to him. So I did. It's kind of funny, really, what goes on in my head when I sing to each of these people. I think that one day I'll get to meet them. One day in heaven, maybe, when all is said and done. I'll get to meet this rather large group of people, each one having attended at least one Music & the Spoken Word broadcasts, each one having been sung to. Chances are very high they don't even know they were sung too! But that would be cool, nonetheless.
Until next time, God be with you.
Of course our director is telling us to really enjoy this time because the rest of the year will be back to normal (i.e. crazy busy) starting in February. And in looking at our calendar, he's absolutely right. There is an event to two I can't announce yet, but the ones that have been announced include an ACDA performance, an Easter Concert (singing "The Messiah" again), a special General Conference as announced by President Nelson, and a tour to get ready for in June. All of these events will take considerable effort to prepare for and extra rehearsals will start up in earnest very soon.
As we were about to sing God Be With You to our audience today, I scanned the individuals who had come to the Conference Center to see us and tried to figure out WHO to sing to. This is sort of my weekly routine I do. It's easier to do it in the Tabernacle because the people are closer and I can see faces and I get more promptings. But I found a guy who was sitting near the back, alone, and felt to sing to him. So I did. It's kind of funny, really, what goes on in my head when I sing to each of these people. I think that one day I'll get to meet them. One day in heaven, maybe, when all is said and done. I'll get to meet this rather large group of people, each one having attended at least one Music & the Spoken Word broadcasts, each one having been sung to. Chances are very high they don't even know they were sung too! But that would be cool, nonetheless.
Until next time, God be with you.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
TCATS #313 - The Cycle Begins Again
Thursday night as Ben, Willy and I rode into the Conference Center for rehearsal, we planned on a few extra minutes needed to get our music from our music lockers at the Tabernacle. Normally we take the underground tunnel from the two buildings, but we were told that the tunnel would be closed starting Jan 2nd, and we'd need to travel above ground. So we did that. Then at rehearsal, President Jarrett stood and told us that the tunnel was actually still accessible! So we all took the tunnel back after rehearsal was over, glad to be out of the cold of the night.
As I was getting my music, one of the choir leaders was giving all of the new choir members a tour of the various facilities underneath the Tabernacle. Signs were posted on how to get into their lockers, and instruction was being giving on various other things that they needed to know. As I looked into their eager, excited eyes, I felt very happy for them. And a bit envious too. Envy because I remember how exciting it all WAS! Am I still excited to be a choir member? Absolutely, but it's a different kind of excitement. The new-ness, the "what's around the corner", the meeting of new people, the figuring out how things work, the realization of millions of people seeing me on camera....all of that is not a big thing anymore. And I genuinely miss it.
That said, while the new people are starting their Tabernacle Chorale experience in preparation to join the Choir in May, the rest of us did the first broadcast of the year, today, and were told on Thursday about how busy this year would be for us. I had already known it would be busy looking at our advanced calendar for 2020. But as Mack reiterated that fact verbally, I realized more fully just how busy it would all be. Particularly with an ACDA concert and the tour coming up.
Thankful to be part of it all and as I thus begin my 7th year with this organization, I'm excited for the continued adventures I'll get to be a part of.
Until next time, God be with you.
As I was getting my music, one of the choir leaders was giving all of the new choir members a tour of the various facilities underneath the Tabernacle. Signs were posted on how to get into their lockers, and instruction was being giving on various other things that they needed to know. As I looked into their eager, excited eyes, I felt very happy for them. And a bit envious too. Envy because I remember how exciting it all WAS! Am I still excited to be a choir member? Absolutely, but it's a different kind of excitement. The new-ness, the "what's around the corner", the meeting of new people, the figuring out how things work, the realization of millions of people seeing me on camera....all of that is not a big thing anymore. And I genuinely miss it.
That said, while the new people are starting their Tabernacle Chorale experience in preparation to join the Choir in May, the rest of us did the first broadcast of the year, today, and were told on Thursday about how busy this year would be for us. I had already known it would be busy looking at our advanced calendar for 2020. But as Mack reiterated that fact verbally, I realized more fully just how busy it would all be. Particularly with an ACDA concert and the tour coming up.
Thankful to be part of it all and as I thus begin my 7th year with this organization, I'm excited for the continued adventures I'll get to be a part of.
Until next time, God be with you.
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