TCATS #324 - Empty Chairs and Empty [Benches]

This will probably be one of my shortest blog posts to-date as I honestly don't have a lot to report. Due to COVID-19 and social distancing efforts and recommendations given by the United States and the State of Utah, the Choir did not meet Thursday night for rehearsal. Nor did it meet in the Tabernacle this morning to do the traditional Music & the Spoken Word broadcast, either. Instead, at 9:30 this morning, I tuned into WATCH the broadcast (a rerun was being shown). I savored the music and the very timely spoken word, and also enjoyed being able to see my fellow choir brothers and sisters--if not in person, than on the screen :).  In fact I texted my carpool group during that time saying it was good to see them on the broadcast!

What's strange is that it seems like a LONG time since I've been to choir, when in reality, it's only been a week. But not just any week. A week of time being slowed way down (seemingly) and one in which it's felt like a whole month has passed! 

The Choir's Facebook group was alive and well with choir members posting their thoughts about the pandemic and how it's affecting us. President Jarrett suggested we send out words of hope and encouragement and link to choir music to help spread that message of hope. I was grateful for that suggestion. As choir members, we are, after all, musical missionaries, and there are a lot of people out there who could use the hope and inspiration that our music provides. 

As for this coming week, it'll be more of the same. More empty [choir] chairs and more empty [Tabernacle benches]. And for anyone that might have missed it, the music that will be provided at the upcoming Conference in April will be pre-recorded (we recorded the music awhile ago as a contingency plan). 

That's it. Stay safe and be extra loving and kind. Everyone could use a extra dosage of kindness as we move forward in these trying times.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #323 - COVID-19 Flexibilty

Little needs to be said about how the realities of COVID-19 has changed all of our lives already. Over the span of just 36 hours last week, instruction from our church and civic leaders caused the shutdown/suspension/closure of almost too many things to count. 

Until further notice...

No more church meetings or activities.

No more school for K-12 and colleges (online only).

No more professional or school-related or local-league sporting events.

No group meetings or gatherings of over 100 people.

No more temple work (except for live ordinances).

No more missionaries in the MTC (missionaries will learn via video conference from home).

As for the Tabernacle Choir, the leaders of said organization issued THIS statement which basically informed the public that The Messiah concerts were cancelled; the Chorale Concert was cancelled; and until further notice, the weekly Music & Spoken Word broadcasts would be cancelled (though previously-recorded broadcasts would be aired instead). 

Suddenly, the choir went from very busy to not very busy. It was a weird feeling. 

Several people have asked me what, exactly, ARE we doing. Well, a statement issued by the Church some time ago regarding the upcoming April General Conference included the following verbiage: "We plan to conduct all five sessions of that conference at the Conference Center. General authorities, general officers and their spouses, musicians, choirs, technicians, and others will participate as assigned. But, proceedings of the conference will be distributed throughout the world via technology only."

As such, we are still preparing to participate in General Conference (three weeks away)--at least for the time being. Obviously things could change. But for now, we are still preparing for that event.

"But Ryan," you say, "what about heeding the Governor's counsel to not gather in groups of over 100 people for the next two weeks? The Choir is obviously over 100 people...".

Good question. 

In order to better comply with that two-week guideline, the choir, for the next couple of weeks, will not be rehearsing altogether. They'll be rehearsing in smaller groups, and will be spread out among the seats so as to not be too close to other choir members. Obviously, if choir members are not feeling well, or have been traveling internationally, or don't even want to attend just to be extra safe, they will remain at home. The rest of us will use Thursday night rehearsals to prepare for General Conference and will also enjoy some extra time with our families--particularly on Sunday mornings. (Wait...I get to sleep in next Sunday? What? Woohoo!)

During these most interesting times, our prophet President Nelson reminded all of us of that "we should be comforted by this promise from the Savior: He said 'I the Lord am bound when you do what I say.' I promise you that joy is always within the reach of everyone who will hear Him and obey His laws. Please take good care of yourselves and your loved ones. And look for opportunities to help those around you near and far. We have the great privilege of ministering to our neighbors wherever they live."

I hope we call adopt the important characteristic of being flexible and remember how important it is to be nice, kind, and helpful to all of those around us--not only during this unique time, but always. 

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #322 - ACDA 2020

Well, we've been working very hard as of late for a particular payoff moment and that moment came on Saturday night, March 7th. The Western Region of the American Choral Directors Association held their conference in Salt Lake City this year and the ending capstone event was a concert that featured the choir, the orchestra, the bells, AND the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble. Preparation for this concert demanded different amounts of time and effort from each individual involved. And, as is usually the case, the longer a choir member had been in the choir, the less outside-of-choir time that person had to spend. Prayers were definitely said for the ultra newbies who needed to spend the most time, and comments to the choir's private FB group by these newbies testified of their stress levels. It's one thing to learn the notes to over 15 pieces of music, but it's another to learn all of the words (the concert was completely memorized). 

At any rate, all of the preparation certainly paid off! The concert was a huge success and performing in it helped bring back some of the joy and excitement that I've been struggling to find in choir as of late. One of the unique things about this concert, for me, was that I really enjoyed every single song we sang (usually there are at least 2-3 that I don't really care for too much). Another cool thing was that my good friend Ryan, who's retiring from the choir in April (he's reached his 20 years), had one of the best concert experiences he's ever had and I was so grateful to hear that because one day, when I'm on my way out, I would hope that such an experience happens to me. The audience loved it too and, in fact, couldn't stop clapping at the end. Unfortunately, we didn't have any sort of encore number to sing to them. But finally after what seemed like at least five minutes of clapping, the audience recognized we accepted their generous show of appreciation and then started departing.On the way back to the locker room to get changed, everyone was making post-concert comments and observations which is always a fun experience to be a part of because you get to hear how various songs impacted this person, and how other songs impacted others. You also hear insights gained, spiritual experiences had, and even admissions of a slight mess-up here and there. 

Good times.

With ACDA done with, we continue our preparation of Messiah pieces, as well as songs for the upcoming General Conference in April. Always so much to do. And we get tired.

Speaking of getting tired, today's Music & the Spoken Word broadcast probably featured several of us looking like we had just experienced a long week of rehearsals and a concert, PLUS losing an hour of sleep due to daylight savings time! That said, the broadcast went well and I even got to sit next to one of my favorite friends in the choir :).  

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #321 - Another Day, Another Spiritual Dollar

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.

TCATS #320 - My Top Tab Songs, Part 2

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.
 

TCATS #319 - My Top Tab Songs, Part 1

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.

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]