Sunday, December 28, 2014

MTC Week #52 - Looking Ahead

It was a bit of a rocky morning for the Choir today. Chalk it up to the holidays or the fact we didn't have a Thursday rehearsal or that everyone had to wake up early this morning or because we had over 80 members of the choir missing or maybe it was just a combination of all of those possible reasons. But suffice to say, we weren't quite "in the game" and it manifested itself in various ways. The women couldn't quite sing in tune on a particular song and after Mack observed us on camera during the run-through, he reported that we all "looked dead." He proceeded to give us a motivational speech of sorts meant to inspire us to look alive and be happy to be singing about the new year approaching. And I think most of us took it to heart and did better during the actual performance. 

After all, we need to sing our best and look our best for every performance. Those watching and listening are ready to be inspired. They are ready to find peace. They are ready to think more about Jesus Christ. And if we don't do our very best (regardless of fatigue or minds-prone-to-wander or being few in numbers), then we, by default, let someone down. And we don't want to do that.

I suppose there's a gospel principle in all of this which ties directly to enduring to the end. It's easy to keep going forward with a happy cheerful attitude when everything is going well in life. It's easy to live up to commitments and deliver on promises when trials are at a minimum. But when situations are less than ideal...well, then the test commences. Can we play the game of life with a smile then? Yes, yes we can.

Well...looking ahead to the rest of this year, I thought I'd just take a minute to let you all know what's in store for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. 2014 seemed like a whirlwind. A great, exciting, tiring and overwhelming whirlwind. But I'm sure that 2015 will have it's own challenges and rewarding opportunities as well.

Here are a list of events upcoming:

1) ACDA: As mentioned before, between now and the end of February, we'll be preparing for the ACDA Conference Concerts (February 26th-28th). 
2) General Conference: We'll then turn our attention to getting ready for General Conference in April
3) East Cost Tour: Next up will be lots of rehearsals for our New York tour (June-July)
4) Pioneer Day Concert: Right after the tour, we'll be performing our annual concert to commemorate the pioneers
5) General Conference: conference again in Oct
6) Christmas Concert: weird to think about preparing for this again so soon after just being done with the one this year.

And on top of this, the first year members, which, come January, will become second-year members, are required to re-attend Choir School to sing with/assist the new first-year members. This will be every Tuesday thru the end of April. It's strange to think that I won't technically be a "newbie" any longer (and it will be fun to see all of the new people). However, I realize that I still have a lot to learn. And I'm reminded of this all the time when Bro. Wilberg has us pull out a piece of music and says "Now this is one that we all know well...". I always smile at that comment because while that's not true for me today, perhaps someday, it will be.

Until next time, God be with you!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

MTC Week #51 - He is the Gift


Today's Music & the Spoken Word marked an end for singing (and thoroughly enjoying) Christmas music with the Choir. I think some of the most powerful songs ever written are the ones that testify of Christ's life and His importance in our own lives. And certainly a lot of the Christmas music does just that. I love to picture myself as one of the characters in these songs. Whether it's being one of the heavenly hosts praising God during the visit to the shepherds, or the little drummer boy who realizes his gift of playing the drums for the baby Jesus is gift enough, or one of the wise men determined to make a long journey to see the Christ child, or a shepherd boy testifying to a king that someone greater than him has a message to share to the world.... There are great feelings to be had when you liken all of those great songs to yourself. 

Yes, I'll miss those songs.

One other thought:

As I was sitting in Church today listening to the lesson, the instructor mentioned he had listened to the broadcast today and the song that touched him the most was "Come, All Ye Faithful." We've all heard that song dozens of times--but this
time, the title of the song really stuck out to him. Here is a plea from Christ to come. Come to Him. Come everyone who has faith and is trying to live a good life. Through HIM, you will find peace and hope and the abundant rewards of your faith. 

We come to Him when we live as He did. When we serve others. When we recognize, and give thanks for, blessings. When we go out of our way to help another in need. When we ponder the scriptures or spend time in prayer. When we realize we messed up and seek forgiveness through repentance. When we put our arms on the shoulder of someone needing a smile and kind word. When we shoot off a text of appreciation or give someone a call who could use some cheering up. 

What can you do today or this week?

Lastly, I just want to say how grateful I am for a very busy, stressful, but miraculous year. Being in the choir has been marvelous and all of the hard work has paid dividends 100 times over. Each time I go to choir, I still think "Can this be? Am I really here?" New friends and soul-stirring music have been incredible. Life outside of choir has been stressful and busy as well but tender mercies from heaven have caused me to realize that without a doubt, the Lord loves me and my family, and He loves each of you as well. To all of you who have played a part in my life this year, THANK YOU.

And Merry Christmas!

Until next time, God be with you!

Sunday, December 14, 2014

MTC Week #50 - Santino Fontana & the Muppets!




Wow. I'm not sure I'll be able to adequately describe how great of an experience these last four days have been (and actually, the last six). I feel so blessed to have been a part of the 2014 Christmas Concert featuring Santino Fontana and the Sesame Street Muppets. In keeping with concert tradition, I'll record my thoughts and feelings via "Top 10" style. But overall, it was an amazing experience. And before I start with the Top 10, I want to thank my wife and children for being without a dad and husband for a lot of hours during the past couple of months. I appreciate all they did to keep things moving along on the home front!

The Top 10 of What Made the Concert Amazing? (in no particular order)


10. Seeing how it all came together. As a choir, we had practiced our songs for months but were never sure of how those songs would fit into the overall production of the concert. On Tuesday though, as we came together for the first rehearsal with everyone involved, we witnessed the wonder the concert was going to give to all who would see and hear it. Whether it was the playful and fun dialogue from the Muppets or excellent solos from Santino, or the dancers adding movement and flair, or the incredible organ solo, I was in awe at how all of the individual pieces came together to create such a magical program.

9. Watching the puppeteers bring Elmo, Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, Grover, and the rest of the muppets to life. At first I thought that the "magic" would be ruined a bit by seeing what went on behind the scenes. But it was nothing short of incredible to see how these puppeteers put their whole heart and soul into these beloved monsters who have given us all lessons of kindness, love, and respect over the past many years.

8. Hearing comments made from other choir members. Everyone seemed to
have their favorite moments that inspired them or brought them joy. And hearing them talk about them not only gave me some great insights but made me feel all the more grateful. It was great, too, to stand next to a treasured friend as well as hear all of the commentary coming from my fellow basses occupying the top corner!

7. Having the younger kids recognized. This year those as young as 5 were allowed to come to the concerts and Santino took several opportunities during the concert to involve the kids and let them know how special they were. I'm positive that most of them won't forget it.

6. Getting to spend time with choir members. We were with each other A LOT this past week. And while most of that time was rehearsing, we did have some down time to mingle. I had some important, meaningful conversations with some and I was grateful for those opportunities. 


5. Hearing funny portions of dialogue that the muppets gave:
Bert: (upon being asked if he was ready to sing) "No, no, no, SantiNO."
Cookie: (talking about not having cookies) "Tis a disaster of epic proportions!"
Count: (during 12 days of Christmas) "Enough with the birds already!"
Grover: (after realizing they were all late to the concert) "When we go out, just act na-tur-al."
Big Bird: (after being asked if he needed any conducting tips) "no, that's OK. I'll just wing it."
Elmo: (wanting to hear the choir sing) "Please Santino, please, please, please, please..." [while moving around in various begging poses]




4. Looking down at the puppeteers who played Abby and Rosita near the end of one of our choir numbers testifying of Christ. They just had such a thankful expression on their faces--as if they were saying "We're so grateful to be here."

3. Hearing some of the puppeteers in the hallway backstage talk about their experience while being here in Salt Lake. They mentioned how much they had enjoyed it, how they had really been taken care of, and how they loved doing this concert.


2.  Hearing our Choir President say to the choir (paraphrasing) "You know, some people ask me if I ever miss singing in the choir. And usually I say 'no', I had my time and I've moved on and it's OK. But for this concert (getting emotional), you all have the best seats in the house."

1. Looking upon the faces of our guests at the very end of the last concert on Sunday. We had them all turn to face the choir, and then we sang to them "God Be With You Till We Meet Again". The Spirit was very strong and I noticed several of them wipe a few tears from their eyes. I know that they'll never forget this experience. Not only because it was fun and refreshing and it had a wonderful Christmas theme, etc. etc. But because they felt the love we had for them, the prayers that had been offered on their behalf, and felt the truth of this great work our Church is proclaiming to the world: that Christ lives, and He loves every one of us.



Until next time, God be with you!

PS: Some video/pic links here.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

MTC Week #49 - The Spirit of Christmas


Christmas is an interesting time of year. Christians (and others) around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and expectations are that the Christmas season be synonymous with attributes Christ displayed during his lifetime: love, giving, service, and joy. It's also expected that we feel what has been termed as the "Christmas spirit" during this happy occasion. Individuals might differ in how they define that spirit, but we could probably all agree that such a spirit equates to feeling joyous and happy or some other positive, blissful feeling.

This can be a struggle for some for a variety of important-to-consider reasons. For some it's a time of financial heartache. For some, a time of increased stress. And for others, it's a time to become overwhelmed with parties and family gatherings or the lack thereof. For many, it's a time when Christmas expectations dictated by society are impossible to meet. And importantly, there are those who might not really know what it means to feel the Christmas spirit--as if it's an elusive, mysterious thing that they hope to experience but are not sure how to do that exactly.

To all of those who are struggling this Christmas time, my prayers are with you. Know that feeling the Christmas spirit is really just about feeling God's love for you through His son Jesus Christ. If you can't feel that right now, perhaps offering a prayer is in order. A specific prayer in which you give thanks for your blessings and give a plea that you can feel loved by Him who loves you immensely. He may not answer you right away. And He may not answer you directly. But if you look for His answer, I can promise you'll find it. And you'll feel it. If only for brief moment. But that moment can be enough. Hold on to it and let it help you get through the hardships that the season can bring.

I'm grateful each year to have music be the means in which I experience that moment of feeling God's love. Such moments literally become "my Christmas". Singing songs of the season with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir today hopefully helped others who listened, to feel some of that Christmas spirit (aka God's love). And if you're looking for a few other ways, may I suggest you view this video that can help God answer your prayer to feel that spirit.

Until next time, may God be with you.    

Sunday, November 30, 2014

MTC Week #48 - Cum Sancto Miracle

Miracles happen every day. Through the years though, my definition of what constitutes a miracle has changed significantly. I used to think, when I was much younger, that all the "cool" miracles were over with. You know, the ones that the Bible is filled with: parting of the red sea, all of the Egypt plagues, the walls of Jericho crumbling, fire coming down from heaven to consume water-soaked wood, men of God being saved after being thrown into a fiery furnace...the list goes on. I remember longing to see one of those! 

While I have no doubt that such miracles could occur today if God wanted them to, I've come to adopt a less outwardly-dramatic definition of miracles: a personal expression of God's love. And perhaps I would add, an undeserved expression of God's love that gives way to deep gratitude.

This year has been full of such miracles for me and my family. Whether it was me being accepted into the choir; or our home in American Fork selling to just the right family; or my wife getting an employment opportunity to help us financially; or my kids making some very good friends; or receiving help just when we needed it; or going to choir with a sinus infection or an upset stomach only to have those ailments temporarily taken away; or even finding a perfect parking spot during a day of stress and fatigue. Such things happen all the time if we but recognize them.

And so it goes with learning and memorizing one of the pieces we sang today. This piece of music called "Cum Sancto Spiritu" was given to us probably two months ago and Bro. Wilberg mentioned to us new choir members that it was going to be a very challenging piece to learn. So, for weeks now, during the days I get on the elliptical to exercise, I'd pull out that piece and set to work memorizing it. It did not come easy. But with prayer and lots of practicing, it started taking shape-- little by little-- before finally having things really lock into place. Performing it today and only forgetting a few spots was, in my mind, a miracle. The red sea did not part, literally, but the obstacles to getting this thing memorized did part. And I was grateful.

Look for your own miracles. You'll be surprised at what you find.

---------------------------
Today after the broadcast was extra rehearsal #7. #8 will be Tuesday....but we are nearing the home stretch. Rehearsal Tues, then Thurs, then again on Sunday. On Sunday, we'll not only have that extra rehearsal until 11:30, but then will come back at 4pm to rehearse for the First Presidency Christmas Devotional that evening. And THEN my friends, I might as well rent a hotel room in Salt Lake City because, well, look at this schedule:


Ah, the fun of it all (it is fun, it'll just be a tiring week).

Until next time, God be with you.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

MTC Week #47 - Take and Seal It

By far, the most beloved hymn arranged by Mack Wilberg is Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. If you were to go on to YouTube and search for "mormon tabernacle choir", one of the first videos to display would be the one for this song (currently at close to 880,000 views). Aside from it being an incredible song to listen to, those who know its lyrics become emotionally tied to this song and its message. While all of the words are great, two phrases seem to stand out:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;

Seal it for Thy courts above.

These words seem to perfectly describe what we all experience. We're prone to wander from God and His teachings; we're prone to leave the strait and narrow path from time to time. But despite our failings, we really do want to give God our heart and let Him seal it--let Him know that whatever happens, whatever heartache we go through, whatever soul-wrenching experiences we have, we'll still be true. We'll still love Him. We'll still choose Him no matter what.

As I was singing this today on our broadcast, I thought particularly about a good
friend my wife and I have named Melissa. This song helped her get through a very tough time in life and was instrumental in helping her faith remain strong amidst struggle and heartache. You can read her blog post on it HERE. For Melissa, and for thousands of others who have found solace from this song, I'm grateful for the message and testimony of righteous desire that this song conveys. 

==============

Following the broadcast today, we continued learning more Christmas songs for our upcoming concert. I think we're shooting for 12 songs (memorized) that the choir will sing (in conjunction with Santino Fantana and the Muppets) and there will be other performances as well by dancers and the orchestra and perhaps the Bells. I'm curious as to how everything will take shape when it's all said and done. 

A classic line from Bro. Wilberg today...  So he was reviewing notes with us and said that for one of the songs, we really needed to work on our intonation (singing in tune). Then he said, "You've got to fix it. I'd do it for you, but I can't. If I could, it'd be perfect every time!" Ha :)  That's probably true though.

Until next time, God be with you!



Thanks to Jeff and Siope on either side of me and my other fellow basses
for keeping me on track)

Sunday, November 16, 2014

MTC Week #46 - 4,444

So today's Music & the Spoken Word broadcast marked its 4,444th performance. Rather remarkable I'd say. In fact, Brother Lloyd Newell, in his closing remarks (addressing the audience after the performance) asked that we pause for just a few seconds and consider that significant fact--also saying that it's going to be awhile before we reach #5,555. (Doing the math, that performance won't occur for another 20 years). I suppose as far as milestones go, the next one will likely be the 5,000th performance which will occur in little over 10 years. 

Numbers aside, we had a special guest join us today, Mr. Stanford Olsen, who was a soloist for two pieces. One of those, Nella Fantasia (pronounced "Neh-lah Fahn-tah-zee-ah") is definitely a favorite of mine.  The song is sung in Italian and is based on the theme "Gabriel's Oboe" from the movie "The Mission". It's composed by Ennio Morricone. 

I must confess that the movie's details aren't very fresh in my mind as it came out back in 1986 (and I saw it around 1994 while in college). However, I remember the music against a background of love, injustice, and terrible loss of life. The melody is haunting and yet beautiful. As I sang it today and listened to Mr. Olsen give the song depth and emotion, I just felt tingly all over.  


Here's one of the verses, translated into English:

In my fantasy I see a just world,
Where everyone lives in peace and honesty.
I dream of souls that are always free
Like the clouds that float

Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.

Here are a few pics from this song:

Stanford Olsen

Full choir and orchestra, along with Mr. Olsen
performing Nella Fontasia. The oboeist is below.



In other choir happenings, we continue to prepare for our upcoming Christmas Concert and have rehearsed about 8-10 songs thus far--coming in on Tuesdays (in addition to Thursdays) and staying for an extra rehearsal on Sundays after the broadcast has ended. More pieces to learn are coming (they are in the process of being written/arranged) and things are shaping up nicely. Kudos to all of the spouses and families out there who are supporting us singers while we are away so much!

Until next time, God be with you! 


Sunday, November 9, 2014

MTC Week #45 - The Christian Song

I really loved all of the pieces we were privileged to sing today. I could probably write a little blurb on each of them. But as I'm really tired at this moment, I think I'll highlight just one. It's simply called "THE PILGRIM SONG". Here's the first verse:


My brethren I have found, a land that doth abound
With fruit as sweet as honey.
The more I eat I find, the more I am inclined
To shout and sing, hosanna!

My soul doth long to go, where I may fully know
The glory of my Savior.
And as I pass along, I'll sing the Christian song:
I'm going to live forever.

I'm grateful for the fruit I've found in my life--that of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The more I partake of that Gospel and fully live it, the more happy I become. That doesn't mean that it's easy, or I don't have lots of unanswered questions. Living the good life can sometimes be difficult and often I have to take those questions and envelop them in faith so I can continue going forward. But all things considered, living the Gospel to whatever degree you choose, makes one happier than if he isn't living it at all. 

I think this song kind of kicks off the Thanksgiving holiday coming up and as such, I just want to express how thankful I am to a heavenly Father who loves me and is patient with me. As I try to sing that Christian song everyday (knowing where I want my journey to end up), I find that I'm grateful for a lot of things. Thankful for a great family; for great parents and siblings; for freedoms enjoyed; for cherished friends; and for good people everywhere who serve and love and do good.

Until next time, God be with you.

PS: This coming week officially kicks off "lots of extra rehearsals for the upcoming Christmas Concert". Lots of memorizing and lots of work ahead. All worth it though :)



Some pics from today's broadcast (11/9/14)

Sunday, November 2, 2014

MTC Week #44 - Chords That Speak for Themselves

Back when I was in the BYU Concert Choir ('93 - '97), there were times when we'd be singing a piece of music and a particular chord combination would seem to match exactly what I was feeling. It was as if the very emotions or combination of emotions was "assigned" to those notes. I'm not sure how else to describe it. I remember one time in particular when I was at a rather low point in my life--frustrated with this thing and that thing--not knowing if God cared too much about my circumstances or not. It was then that during a rehearsal, we sang a combination of eight notes, somewhat minor and dissonant, and tears sprang to my eyes because it matched exactly what my soul was feeling. It wasn't the words--it was the notes themselves. I knew then that God did care and He was speaking through the notes to my heart.


I suppose that this phenomenon occurs in varying degrees with any fine, soul-stirring music. It can manifest itself with a general feeling one gets from hearing such music or it can be isolated to certain notes and chords. This happened today while we were singing Psalm 148 by Gustav Holst. What a beautiful choral or orchestral arrangement! It's heavenly. Other worldly. It's full of praise and
Gustav Holst
love and pure light. Walking up to the choir seats today, a choir member, Devin, commented that he had been so excited all week to sing this song. Indeed, I think many of us felt that way. One of the note combinations that caused a feeling of heaven coming down to envelop earth was at the very end. The choir and orchestra held out these notes--everyone putting their whole heart into them--and then Bro. Wilberg gave us the signal to cutoff. And what was left was a reverberation of heavenly sound that echoed through the Tabernacle. Perfect.


Until next time, God be with you!


PS: For all of those who weren't selected to get tickets for the upcoming Christmas Concert, I'm really sorry. The Choir is going to be singing several Christmas selections on the weekly broadcast and you are always welcome to come on Sunday morning to hear those. Also, you are welcome to come hear us rehearse for the Christmas Concert during the Thursday nights leading up to the event. I leave you with a poster one of our choir members made (Preston Tenney) which I thought was definitely worth posting for all to see. Great work!

  




Sunday, October 26, 2014

MTC Week #43 - Seating 101

Today's Music & the Spoken Word broadcast was great. I probably sound like a broken record sometimes-- but in all seriousness, each week is full of soul-inspiring music and lots of audience members to sing to. I'm just grateful for this experience. It was particularly fun to see a whole group of Japanese students who were in the audience today and I directed my singing and spiritual thoughts to them in hopes they'd come away from the experience uplifted. I have a special place in my heart for the Japanese people.

Today I got to sit next to Ryan Withers who is a good 1st year choir friend--a classy guy who always has a smile and something to say that will bring a smile to your face. We were a bit amazed we had that opportunity in the first place since he's a baritone and I'm a bass (so odds are quite against us). But I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell you how the seating works in the choir. You may very well find this to be a boring topic so you're welcome to move on to whatever you wanted to browse next! Those of you who have their interest piqued, read on.

I often get asked by family and friends where my assigned seat is--so that they can try and spot me on TV. That's a hard question to answer because I am usually not in my assigned seat each week. In general, if you look at the choir seats, we're arranged S-A-T-B (from left to right). But, in more detail, here's how it works:

Our seating assignment is given by Dave and Deb Gheris. What they say, goes.
The seating czar!
A few times each year, we're given a seating chart and when we come to rehearsal on Thursdays, we sit in that assigned seat. Two side notes on that: First, while the shorter individuals are usually placed near the front, the rest of us who range from about 5' 9" to over 6' are somewhat randomly placed. Second, a few individuals don't have an assigned seat since there are more choir members then there are seats. Which, of course, sounds crazy. But it all works out due to 30-40 choir members not being in attendance any given week because of life's various demands.


Anyhow, we either sit in our assigned seat, or stand near the seats waiting to be seated. After rehearsal begins, Dave (for the brethren) assesses the situation, notices which seats are empty, and then starts moving people around to get those seats filled. The goal is to fill from the bottom up. More times than not, this ends up in many of the choir members getting a new spot to sit in. And sometimes, it means sitting by someone other than who you were sitting next to originally. 

On Sunday, this may all change AGAIN. If there are choir members who, for whatever reason, were at Thursday rehearsal but don't show up on Sunday, then there are more holes to fill and more rearranging. Flexibility is the name of the game.

I for one am glad about the opportunity to be rearranged week to week. My permanent seat is 2nd row from the top, at the end of the row. While this affords me more space and a clear line of sight to our conductor, it's more helpful to me to be in the middle somewhere, surrounded by basses. (It's especially helpful when I don't quite know every note of the song we're singing because I can glean off of what I'm hearing all around me!)

Plus, sometimes it's just nice to sit next to someone you know, or who's voice is of the same timbre, or who sings at a perfect volume for you, etc. etc. While all choir members are talented singers, personalities, friendships, and voices themselves are certainly not created equal :) 

So that is Seating 101. 

As an aside, I have to mention that the missionary who I've referenced before as the "standing ovationist" (see Week #39) was recognized today by Lloyd Newell since his mission was ending. Lloyd thanked this enthusiastic elder for his devotion to the choir and wanted him to know he'll always be considered part of the "choir family". I'm sure that meant a lot to him. It'll be strange not having him stand right up after the broadcast is over each Sunday to give his rousing applause. 

Until next time, God be with you!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

MTC Week #42 - To the End

Each week during our Thursday night rehearsals, visitors on Temple Square come into the Tabernacle to listen. Many are lined up and ready to enter as soon as the doors open at 7:30. For the next 45 minutes or so, additional visitors wander in--they having perhaps heard the music from a far and come to join the others. 

As time marches forward, and as the 8:30 mark rolls around, many have already left. And by 8:45, there is only a fairly small group remaining. But that small group consists of individuals who are "committed to the end." They have come prepared to stay. I can only assume that they just love listening to the choir so much that they want to be there until the entire rehearsal is over.

Interestingly enough, Bro. Wilberg waits to greet our visitors sometime during the 8:30 to 8:45 time frame. This admittedly troubles me a bit because I always think "Why doesn't he turn around to the visitors around 7:45 when the population is at its largest?" (Even asking this question, I already know the answer because I know how Bro. Wilberg operates. After he starts us rehearsing, he doesn't want to lose any momentum! He wants to utilize every precious minute with the choir and orchestra preparing us for our future performances.) 

That all said, this whole situation parallels the great parable of the Ten Virgins which the Savior taught during his ministry (watch a depiction of this parable, here). By no means am I wanting to imply that those who leave our rehearsals before we're done are foolish or not prepared! Certainly not. We are honored they are even there and love all who come and listen, if only for a few minutes. We hope their lives are uplifted and blessed for the better (and we know they have things to get to). But in the spirit of this parable, those who wait until the final hour are rewarded by an official greeting by Bro. Wilberg and they are invited to our Sunday performance--which, compared to our rehearsal, is a more enjoyable experience with out all of the starts and stops.

Likening this to our own lives, are we prepared? Are we committed to living a Christ-like life until the end? Do we love Christ enough to put other things aside and follow Him?

As an aside, everything about today's Music & Spoken Word rehearsal and performance was near perfect. I loved being there, loved where I got to sit, loved those I got to interact with, and even the post performance rehearsal was rewarding. Add to that a beautiful day outside with wonderful Fall weather and all of the trees turning various colors....well, I just felt grateful and blessed.

Until next time, God be with you!


PS: congrats to my new good friend Ryan Bateman who is marking his 15th anniversary with the choir. Wow.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

MTC Week #41 - Cheering Beams of Hope

We sang some very beautiful music this morning including a piece called "Thou Lovely Source of True Delight" which is one of those majestic pieces with grand orchestration to bring the text to life. There was a verse in particular that spoke to me:

Tis here, whenev’er my comforts droop 
And sin and sorrow rise 
Thy love with cheering beams of hope 
My fainting heart supplies, 
But ah! Too soon the pleasing scene 
Is clouded o’er with pain 
My gloomy fears rise dark between 

And I again complain

Don't we all go through such an up and down cycle? We have a hard time, we mess up, and then we feel God's love sustain us and help us and give us hope. Only to have something hard come again and we can't help but complain about the lot we've been given, or the weaknesses we have to overcome, or the trial that doesn't seem very fair. 

It reminds me of some verses from a prophet Nephi, in The Book of Mormon:

And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?  Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.  O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever.

Hopefully, you, and I, can trust that our trials are for a purpose and the Lord is in control and as such, we'll be OK if we just keep going forward. Hold on to those cheering beams of hope! 

Switching topics, Thursday night we received more details about the upcoming 2015 tour and were given some handouts going over the itinerary, costs for guests, physician signoff, etc.  There was an audible gasp over the price to bring a guest ($3500). But then again, it is to New York and staying there is not cheap. Especially when it's for two full weeks. At any rate, it should be a very fun and exciting opportunity. 

Until next time, God be with you.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

MTC Week #40 - 184th Semi-Annual General Conference


I was grateful to be a part of conference this weekend. The Choir worked hard to perfect nearly every note sung and our conductors were pleased with the result. Aside from the technical aspects of how we sounded, there were many songs that really did touch my heart and inspire me to be a better person. I hope that those who listened around the world felt the same way.

There's much I could say about this event but I thought I'd do a "top ten" to mark this event.

I enjoyed...

10) rehearsing in the Conference Center when all the 22,000 seats were empty and then seeing all of those seats get filled up with anxious individuals ready to listen to the prophet speak (and us sing of course)

9) sitting at the end of the 2nd to the top row (in the corner) which allowed me to peer over the edge and watch the prophet and the apostles enter and leave the podium area (and see them wave to the audience--including younger kids whose faces showed light and happiness)

8) munching on some snacks being passed around the bass section while we were listening to the speakers and waiting to sing (thanks to whoever provided the stay-alert goodies :)

7) getting to talk to fellow choir members during the breaks (since, as I've mentioned before, some opportunities are fairly rare)

6) seeing all of the MANY people who contributed the conference experience. There were hundreds of volunteers doing everything from ushering, setting up teleprompters, cleaning the seats, doing the floral arrangements, coordinating the broadcasting aspects, feeding us lunch between sessions, and, well, I'm sure I've just scratched the surface.

5) having bathrooms nearby (this may sound funny, but until just recently, the nearest bathrooms for the men were 5 min away)

4) walking right past David Archuleta, who must have been back stage to be escorted to some place where he could enjoy conference without getting accosted (I should have told him thanks for his latest song but I was so taken back by him actually being there, I was at a loss for words)

3) hearing all of the speakers give their messages (and, in particular, those who delivered them in their native tongue)

2) singing so many wonderful songs. Some of the ones I enjoyed the most were "Praise to the Man", "Softly and Tenderly", "How Firm a Foundation", and "Lo, the Mighty God Appearing". 

1) feeling inspired, warm, comforted, and wanting to follow the counsel given by modern day prophets and apostles. Also, having a prayer in my heart for those I know need particular peace and guidance in their lives.

Until next time, God be with you! (and enjoy some pics below)

Conference Center - Empty


Conference Center - Full



The basses in the corner section.




Bass Section




Sunday, September 28, 2014

MTC Week #39 - The Standing Ovationist (& Conference Prep!)

So each week as we perform Music & the Spoken Word, the Tabernacle typically fills to capacity. Visitors literally come from far and near to be a part of the program and they often get our their smartphones to take pictures or video of the choir rehearsing before the performance. We have distinguished guests from time to time, general authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pastors and ministers from other faiths, and even ward and/or stake groups from across the valley. I'm a bit overwhelmed each week at the sight of it all. 

Among those who attend EACH week, are the Elder and Sister missionaries who have been called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those in this area. And among those, is one elder who is, I dare say, one of our biggest fans.

I don't know his name, but each week he sits on the front row and eagerly takes
in the rehearsing and performing. As we finish singing the last song and the organ plays a short fade-out number (and Lloyd Newell completes his concluding words), this elder enthusiastically jumps to his feet and starts clapping with more vigor than I've seen from anyone else in my entire life. People in the choir give short chuckles of laughter every week upon witnessing this, and of course the rest of the audience follows suit shortly after his unashamed gratitude. While some might say he does this just for fun, I think he does it because he's really showing what he feels. 

Thank you, standing ovationist, for your enthusiasm, courage, and support.

Two other things to mention...

First, my favorite song today was "Love Divine, All Love Excelling" which was arranged by Bro. Wilberg and reminded me of the feeling I get when singing "Come, Thou Fount". My favorite lyrics in "Love Divine..." are

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation

Perfectly restored in Thee;















Lastly, we're spending the week preparing for General Conference this upcoming weekend. I hope you all are planning to tune in. Along with the excellent talks, you'll be able to hear some inspiring music as well. 

Until next time, God be with you!

Sunday, September 21, 2014

MTC Week #38 - From the Halls of Montezuma


The Choir had the honor of performing today with the “The President’s Own”
United States Marine Band, directed by Lieutenant Colonel Jason K. Fettig. As you can probably guess, our repertoire included several patriotic pieces--some of which we knew very well and others that we had to spend considerable time learning and memorizing. In fact, on that point, even many of those who have sung with the choir for years had to dust off their memorization skills for this performance. 

Lt. Col. Jason Fettig
One of the pieces was a collection of the theme songs for each branch of the United States military. Some of those lyrics are familiar to almost everyone, most notably the Air Force theme (c'mon now...here we go..."Off we go, into the wild blue yonder, climbing high into the sun.") Anyhow, I mention this collection in particular because it marks the first time since I joined the choir that everyone around me was scrambling a bit to remember all of the words. It was rather comforting!

Aside from the fact that I had all of the songs-to-be-memorized running through my head 24x7 for the past week (and I'm afraid it'll take several days to remove them from my mind's auto playlist), today's performance was a great tribute to our veterans and it was neat to hear this band play (they sounded near-perfect). As was mentioned on the broadcast: Every generation has the opportunity to be as great as the one that preceded it. We measure the value of a veteran’s service not by the length or the location of the conflict but by the heart and character of the soldiers. Every time brave soldiers respond to the call of duty, they have the opportunity to leave a legacy of honor for those who follow.

May that legacy of honor continue!

For me, amidst all of the great singing and performing, the thing that impacted me the most was when we sang "God Be With You" at the end as we normally do. This time though, I turned slightly and picked out one of the band members to focus on (I always like to single out an individual). Midway through the piece, he brought his hand up to wipe away some tears. While there are many in today's world who would like to separate God from this great nation, it cannot be done. And I think that band member (with many others hopefully) felt the Spirit in remembering that.

Until next time, God be with you.






Sunday, September 14, 2014

MTC #37 - Birthday Gift

So it's my birthday today. Normally I don't go around letting others know that, but I mention it because one of the nicest gifts of today was getting to sing with the Choir and associate with the many people I've gotten to know over the past nine months. I picked up Ben this morning (carpooling buddy) and he wished me happy birthday. I got to choir and Ryan Withers came over and gave me some happy birthday wishes. Siope Kinikini shared a big smile with some congratulatory words, and later during one of our breaks Ryan Bateman put his arm around me and gave me a "happy birthday" as well. How great to be so loved :)

The broadcast itself went very well. I remembered most of the words to the three we sung by memory and put all I had into "They, the Builders of the Nation" because I finally feel like I OWN that song (what a good feeling!). 

L to R: me, Ryan Bateman, Tyler Stoehr, & Siope Kinikini

Two of my favorite lines from that song are "Stepping stones for generations were their deeds of everyday." In other words, their daily deeds made way for generations of good, righteous people to follow. 

My parents gave a talk today during our church service and emphasized that it's all about the little things. A smile, some encouragement, a pat on the back, being friendly, and being loving & interested. If what we know makes us happy, share it by your everyday deeds!

Thanks to everyone for a great day. Hats off to my wife and kids who, once I was home from choir, made the rest of the day a happy and special one. I love them very much.

Until next time, God be with you!