I should probably apologize for this post up front. Sometimes I just get a form of writers-block in the sense of not being sure what to write about. So, while I don't have anything cool or profound to say today, maybe you'll find something positive in just reading about my feelings and observations regarding today's broadcast experience.
The song line-up today included two songs we sing quite often, one that we sing sometimes, and two new pieces--which was rare. The two new ones were primarily on today's program because we'll be singing them this coming Saturday evening at the ACDA Concert. And what better way to get them ready for a concert, then to include them on a broadcast?! The two new ones were "Oh Watch the Stars" and "And God Said the Day Shall Dawn". The "Stars" one is a spiritual from St. Helena Island, South Carolina that was found by a guy named Alan Lomax who "discovered a treasure trove of singing
and story telling on these remote islands that echoed of the oldest
African American traditions." It's a very beautiful song and I can just imagine our African American brothers and sisters singing about the stars, the moon, the clouds, and the sky as they faced incredible hardships right after the Civil War. At any rate, it was very rewarding to sing and the flute and clarinet and harp made the accompaniment extra beautiful.
The second song "And God Said" which comes from a musical work called "King David", was also a very beautiful piece. The lyrics themselves really didn't "move me" all that much, but the song itself with it's intricate harmonies was quite impressive.
Our audience today, despite the terrible snowy weather, was quite large and filled most of the Tabernacle. I believe a lot of the audience this time was made up of various choral groups who were here for the ADCA conference which starts tomorrow. Of course one audience member who is always in attendance for these broadcasts was there today. He sits on the top balcony row opposite of where the basses sit which is why I notice him every time. One day I'm going to get up the courage and go ask him his name and why he comes every week! But that was not today.
During the break I spent some time hearing how the weekend went for Wes, Ryan, & Andrew, and then we got back in our seats and performed the program! It all went well and I felt grateful to be there.
Afterwards, we worked on songs for the upcoming Concert, and then at 11:15, I got changed as quickly as possible, went to the library to help put music away, and then sped home with Willy to get to my church meetings on time.
And that was the choir experience for today!
Until next time, God be with you.
Before continuing with my list of favorites, I want to mention two things about the broadcast today that were a bit unique.
First, our director Mack Wilberg complimented us on our sound today--using the word "beautiful" at least four times. He also mentioned he's never heard us sing "Alleluia" better than we did both Thursday night at rehearsal and on today's broadcast. To put this in context, Mack is very conservative in giving out praise in general. And that's why it means so much when he does. From my personal perspective, Alleluia really WAS beautiful and could honestly be described with one word: heaven.
Second, while rehearsing a two-verse hymn this morning, we were told (out of the blue) that we had 20 seconds to memorize it! Standard practice is that we are told on Thursday night which pieces we'll need to memorize (so we have the weekend to do that, if needs be). But apparently today was an exception. So, while some may have been able to do it in 20 seconds, I took the hymn with me on break before the broadcast and went over the words with a friend who wanted some extra time on it as well. Anyway, it went fine in the end. But given the realities of sometimes being on camera for thousands around the word, it's just a bit unnerving when you're asked to memorize something the morning-of!
OK. So on to the remainder of my Top Tab Songs. . .
8. Thou Gracious God Whose Mercy Lends. This beautiful song with its comforting lyrics is like a warm blanket on a chilly night. I love the woodwinds, the harp, and I love how we start out in unison and shift from harmony back to unison again near the end. With recent events in my life, I more fully appreciate the lyrics "For all the blessings life has brought. For all the sorrowing hours have taught." [More HERE]
9. Pilgrim Song. While I certainly love my life and all of the blessings God has given me, there are certainly days that I long to go home. This song beautifully expresses that desire with the lyrics "My soul doth long to go, where I may fully know the glory of my Savior." I'm grateful I get to sing the Christian song everyday and look forward to meeting loved ones on the other side at some point in the future. [More HERE]
10. His Voice as the Sound. From an earlier blog post: A
beautiful, somewhat haunting folk-song about the Lord's voice being the
sound we should hear--the sound we should follow. It's the sound that
should resonate within our heart and within our soul. One person who heard it during one of the church's General Conference
commented "Sublime, unexpected, for a moment I went to heaven...". [More HERE]
11. Battle of Jericho. We sing quite a few spirituals throughout the year, every year, and while I love a lot of them, I think this one is still my favorite. It's different, it's powerful, its rampageous, and each part has a standout moment that really shines and adds color and texture to the piece. Did they sing this song at the actual battle of Jericho? Well, no. But I like to think they could have!
12. Nella Fantasia (from "The Mission"). The song brings such emotion with it. Especially if you've seen the film it's tied to. It's triumphant in a sad sort of way, and it's a song that's crying out for peace. And speaking of crying, I do a lot of that when I listen to, or sing, this song. Lyrics that would be great if they were reality? (translated from Italian) "In my fantasy I see a just world, where everyone lives in peace and honesty. I dream of souls that are always free." [More HERE]
13. Carol of the Drum (Little Drummer Boy). Some might question why this one made my list. After all, it's a pretty standard Christmas song with probably a hundred different artists singing their own rendition of it. That said, there are very few themes that are as important as the one that is in this song: YOU matter. YOUR gifts matter. God loves you for who you are and the contributions you can make, big or small. (And I really like the arrangement of this song that the Tabernacle Choir sings) [More HERE]
14. The Wexford Carol. I'm not
sure where this carol has been hiding all of my life, but it's
beautiful. I love everything about it. It's one of those songs where the
notes and words and harmonies just fit together so naturally. And the video with a Prodigal Son theme that the choir produced with this song in the background, is really moving.
15. All People that on Earth Do Dwell. Sigh. This song. Too much to write about. For a post I wrote on it, see HERE.
For anyone interested in a Spotify playlist of these songs, you can find that HERE. (Apple Music playlist to follow)
Until next time, God be with you.
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.
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 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."
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.
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.
