MTC Week #17 - Small Group Performances

April 27 - 2014  This week's post may be a little shorter as there wasn't a lot of Mormon Tabernacle Choir-related activities going on this week (I don't think I've been able to say since this journey began in January!). 

As I've already mentioned previously, 
we took our final written exam a couple of

weeks ago. Then last week was full of Messiah rehearsals and performances, and this week we had our 2nd to last Choir School class in which we sang, in small groups, in front of Ryan and Mack. Basically, we were divided into three groups, given a hymn to sing (which we've been aware of for a few weeks now), and then listened/replied to feedback that our director and associate director gave us. The whole point was to think about everything we've learned and directly apply it, real-time. After singing in through once, they had us re-sing a few sections, had us try and sound more unified, and asked us about any traps/trouble spots we observed (and tried to fix) while singing. Along the way, they gave us advice and instruction and told us the things to always focus on when we joined the choir. They also congratulated us on making it through Choir School and expressed their confidence that we'd be a valuable addition to the choir. Mack cautioned us that we'd have a steep learning curve this first year as we learned music each week and were asked to memorize some of it for the performances each Sunday. While I completely agreed with his comment about learning curves, I was thinking that those of us who already did the CD recording and The Messiah performance have already been exposed to that curve and now have somewhat of an idea of how challenging each week can be. For that, I'm grateful. 

The hymn we sang for Ryan and Mack was "Lean on Thy Ample Arm"--which certainly is not one that most congregations sing. In fact, I'd wager to say that most have never sung it. Period. As I was rehearsing it with my group, I finally realized that I hadn't taken the time to really hone in on the lyrics. They are actually very comforting so I thought I'd share them hear.

Lean on my ample arm, O thou depressed!
And I will bid the storm cease in thy breast.
Whate'er thy lot may be On life's complaining sea,
If thou wilt come to me, Thou shalt have rest.

Lift up thy tearful eyes, Sad heart, to me;
I am the sacrifice offered for thee.
In me thy pain shall cease, in me is thy release,
In me thou shalt have peace eternally.

The line about the storm really resonated with me. Recently it seems like life has been so very busy and stressful, that's there's been a storm within me that often seems to smother the peace I long for. But the hymn is clear: come unto Christ who loves you, who is interested in you, and who has the ability to comfort you. And He will provide you with some rest and peace. Just as he calmed the raging sea of Galilea, He can and does calm us.

It reminds me of a beautiful scripture from Moroni in the Book of Mormon: 

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

Until next time...God be with you!