MTC Week #104 - Of Endings & Looking Forward

Today's Music & the Spoken Word broadcast marked the last one for the year 2015. And with it, marked the last choir event of the year, as well. 

While I really don't like endings too much, I recognize that with each ending, there's a new beginning. And beginnings are a time to learn from the past, improve, and move forward.


This past year was a very full one for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Here are a list of highlights:

*Singing at the American Choral Directors Association conference
*Mini-concert at the Grand America to honor Gail Miller
*April General Conference
*The Chorale Concert, featuring 1st years and 2nd years (with a few other volunteers who joined us)
*Going on tour to the East Coast for two weeks
*Summer Celebration of Song (Pioneer Day) Concert
*Singing at Elder Boyd K. Packer's funeral
*Singing at Elder L. Tom Perry's funeral
*Singing at Elder Richard G. Scott's funeral
*October General Conference
*Singing for the World Congress of Families Convention
*Christmas Concert

I learned a lot from these events and singing every Sunday. One of the most important things I learned was the constant need to be "in the moment" and to focus on the messages of the songs we sing. It is easy to get into "coast" mode and work hard, but not go that extra step to be fully invested into the music's message and remembering how many people are listening. Can my voice, in a sea of 400 other voices, infused with the spirit of truth and peace and testimony of Jesus Christ, contribute to some listener's life in a positive manner? Can someone's life be changed, for good, if I work hard and do my part? Absolutely. I believe that. So in the spirit of improving, that it what I want to focus on for 2016.

Moving forward, here are a list of events that will occupy the time, attention, and dedication of the Choir for 2016:

*Tanner Gift of Music Concert, featuring Mahler's 8th Symphony
*The Messiah Concert, to coincide with the release of The Messiah, on CD
*April General Conference
*Preparing for, and going on a three-week tour to various cities in Europe
*Pioneer Day Concert
*October Conference
*Christmas Concert
*probably at least three or four other impromptu events that seem to get added to the calendar

I just want to end by saying how grateful I am for the opportunity to sing with the Tabernacle Choir. I mention this blessing often, but that's because I feel grateful for it so often! The songs, the words, the talents, the people, the music, the dedication, the emotion. It's all such an important part of my life. And I'm thankful for people everywhere, who use their God-given talents--in a great multitude of ways--to bless the lives of others. 

Until next time (year), may God bless you.
 

MTC Week #103 - Christmas Concert Review Top Ten!

What an incredible week! And what an incredible Christmas Concert that I was so happy to be a part of! Last year's Christmas Concert was really unique, and fun, and of the warm-fuzzy variety (Santino Fontana & the Muppets). But this year's concert was much more Christ-centered and spoke to the true meaning of Christmas on so many different and important levels.

Here is what I loved, specifically, about the concert this year:


10) I loved the set, the lighting, all the Christmas trees and other decor that helped give the concert its look and feel. I would say that I loved all the fog, too (which was a prominent part of this year's concert), but while it probably enhanced the concert, it wasn't too much fun to breathe! We basses, who were on the very edge of the wall, seemed to get a particularly large dose of the fog.

At any rate, thanks to those who put in countless hours in creating the set.

9) I loved the costumes. As we would go to rehearsal for the past couple of weeks, we'd pass lots of tables of sewing machines, not to mention racks and racks of costumes, wigs, head decorations, etc. I have no idea all the time it took to outfit the guest artists and the dancers, but their monumental efforts are much appreciated.

8) I loved the dancers. They have a hard job trying to fit into tight spaces and narrow stages since most of the area we have to work with is filled up by choir members, orchestra, and guest artists. But they did a beautiful job sharing their talents and certainly enhanced the music and the overall choir experience.

7) I loved our guest artists. Broadway singer Laura Osnes, Metropolitan Opera Soloists Erin Morley—Soprano, Tamara Mumford—Mezzo-Soprano, Ben Bliss—Tenor, and Tyler Simpson—Bass. And then Martin Jarvis, acclaimed British screen and voice actor, was the narrator. They all brought such warmth and talent to this program. I was grateful to see them up close, to see their winks, their smiles, and to see their gratitude of being a part of the concert this year.

6) I loved hearing stories of "ticket miracles". The Choir members received 12 tickets each this year, and most likely gave most of those out to family members and friends. But I heard several stories of choir members having a couple of tickets left over and how they were able to bless the lives of complete strangers who had wanted so much to come to the program--but hadn't been able to get tickets. These stories were filled with reactions such as "Thank you!!", "You are an answer to my prayer!", "I was hoping to find someone with tickets to share." And there was even one lady who was so happy, she gave the choir member a big hug, right there in front of the ticket office.

5) I love the devotion of the stage crew. I've said this many times before, but all

of the behind the scenes people deserve such a huge round of applause. I can't imagine putting on a concert of this magnitude, only to have the audience send back no applause at the end. Hopefully though, as the audience was clapping these past three nights, they were thinking of, and being grateful for, this "invisible" group of talented individuals who make all of the magic possible.

4) I loved seeing the audience react to Rick Elliott's organ number. Standing ovation every night! What can I say? That guy has an amazing talent.

3) I loved visiting with other choir members. Spending a whole week with them would make some think that perhaps we'd grow weary of each other. Just the opposite. These types of things bring us together. And I appreciate the 1x1 time I had with a few, and the group time I had with many.
  

2) I loved, loved the songs we sang. Thanks to Mack Wilberg for selecting such wonderful music, and adding new arrangements this year that were grand and spirit-filled. My favorites were Farandole, Angels from the Realms of Glory, and, probably most of all, The Wexford Carol. I'm not sure where that 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. I also was grateful for the part of the program that featured several works from Handel's Messiah. I had never heard the background of how The Messiah came to be, or how it impacted so many people at the time.

1) I love my Savior. I'm so grateful this concert was so focused on Him. He is the light of the world. And He makes it possible to feel happiness, to feel relief, to feel love, and to feel peace. 






I want to end with saying how much I appreciate my wife and kids. Their devotion and commitment to making our family "work" while I serve in this calling (and particularly during this past week) is amazing. And I'm so grateful to them. 

Until next time, God be with you! 

Thanks to members of Facebook, Deseret News, and The Salt Lake Tribune who are accredited for many of these photos :)

MTC Week #102 - 4,500th Broadcast!

History was made today as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir had their 4,500th broadcast of Music & the Spoken Word. It was a fitting day to reach that milestone, as not only the choir sang, but they were accompanied by the Orchestra at Temple Square and the Bells on Temple Square. And, given it was a Christmas special, there was a large number of people who attended and seemed to enjoy what they heard today. 

By my calculations (math was not my strong suit in school), the next milestone, the 5,000th episode, will occur on July 28, 2024. Or thereabouts.

Aside from making history, the choir is now (and has been) in full Christmas concert prep-mode. We're working hard to memorize the music and are anxious to see how it all comes together this week when the dancers and the guest artists combine with the orchestra and choir. 

A friend in the choir did a few calculations that I thought sum of Christmas week from a numbers perspective:

7 trips (120 miles) from Centerville to SLC in 8 days, 39 hours of Choir (including driving), 4 rehearsals, 5 performances, 1 recording session, 15 memorized songs (149 pages), including 8 new songs or new arrangements (78 pages), including 2 David Warner songs (23 pages): Welcome to Christmas concert week!

Numbers aside, we could start adding to that list in other ways: several spiritual experiences while singing beautiful Christmas songs, watching audiences be touched by the music and overall performances, hearing their clapping, feeling the energy and excitement of fellow choir members, seeing how the program affects the guest artists, and simply feeling the true meaning of Christmas. 

I'm thankful for this time of year, not for how busy things always are, but for those things that help keep me centered on Christ. One of those things is being in the Choir and singing these wonderful Christmas songs. 

Grateful!

Until next time, God be with you.
 

MTC Week #101 - For the Love of Christmas Songs

Christmas music, Christmas music, Christmas music everywhere! When the Choir starts meeting three times a week, with an extra rehearsal on Sunday as well, you know the Christmas season has fully arrived. We meet, we get right to work, we memorize, we internalize, and we enjoy. We also get tired and a bit overwhelmed at times. And I know our families miss us. But all in all, it's a wonderful experience. 

Do you think it's any coincidence that the holiday with the most incredibly moving music is the Christmas holiday? Yes, there are stirring patriotic songs and wonderful Easter ones as well. But I think Christmas songs take first prize.

So along Music & the Spoken Word today, we also participated in the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional, this evening. I loved how we opened with a piece from Handel's Messiah, "For Unto Us a Child is Born". It was perfect! We followed with "Noe! Noe!", "Carol of the Bells", and some others. "Carol of the Bells" was a special request from President Uchtdorf and he told about the history of the song in his address. If I remember right, the original title of the song was "Shchedryk" (Ukranian) which stands for "bountiful giver". 
 

Some basses singing "For Unto Us a Child is Born"

At any rate, it was a very fine evening, indeed. And intermixing the wonderful music with some spiritually uplifting messages was the perfect way to bring in the true spirit of Christmas.  

Not a very lengthy post for today, but it's time for me to get some sleep. Another week dawns soon, and with it, plenty more rehearsals and stresses of non-choir related life. 

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #100 - One Hundred Weeks!

Today's Music & the Spoken Word program officially kicked off the Christmas season with several Christmas songs that I really enjoyed singing. However, it was a rather rough morning preparing for the program. Perhaps it was coming off of a holiday break. But whatever it was, we had our intonation issues--particularly the poor tenors and sopranos who got hammered over and over and over again for not singing high enough. Fortunately, all of the loving criticism given to us by our directors during rehearsal, paid off, and the program itself went very well. My two favorite pieces were "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" and "Noe! Noe!". The former we sang acapella (which doesn't happen too often in the choir) and it really sounded beautiful--capturing the awe, wonder, and peace that the season brings through our Savior Jesus Christ. The latter was just a fun, lively Christmas piece that captured the energy and excitement that the season brings. I particularly loved the organ accompaniment for that song.   

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As this marks one hundred weeks in the Choir for me, I wanted to list 100 things I love about this choir experience. But while I could probably do that, it would make for a very long blog entry. So, I'm going to shave a zero off of the 100, and include 10 things I love about my choir experience. And you can just multiple each of those by 10, and have it all equal 100 in the end. Sound OK?

10. I love singing with talented musicians who, for the most part, do an exceptional job singing the correct notes, rhythms, and pitch. (We all make mistakes and have our moments)

9. I love being directed by Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy. They are extremely talented, they love what they do, and they have taught me so many things.

8. I love looking out at the audience each week, and at concerts, to see how individuals are affected by the music they are hearing and experiencing. 

7. I love singing at General Conference. Being there, in the same room as the prophet and the general authorities, while being able to add to the spirit of the conference through song, it a great blessing. 

6. I love that my official Church calling is "musical missionary".

5. I love singing the songs that we sing. Occasionally there may be one or two I don't care for too much. But those are the exception. The notes, the melodies, the harmonies of these great songs fill me with peace and happiness.

4. I love how being a part of the Choir has affected my family. Music was already a big part of our home, but now the sounds of the Choir, the talk of Choir happenings, and the way the Choir helps others feel peace and happiness have become a standard among our way of life.   

3. I love the opportunity of seeing how it all works behind the scenes. There are SO MANY people involved in this organization who are never recognized or shown on TV. But it's because of them that things fall into place and the Choir is able to accomplish its mission.


2. I love the dear friends I've made in the Choir. They are exceptional individuals who I not only get to enjoy singing with, but get to enjoy other friendship aspects both inside and outside the Choir.


1. I love being able to share my testimony, through music, with so many people. As my personal testimony of the Savior has been shaped and molded by music throughout my entire life, it's humbling and exciting to share that testimony through song, with so many people who listen.        

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #99 - A Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart

Music & the Spoken Word - Thanksgiving Special, 11-22-15

Many years ago when my kids were much younger, they used to watch a lot of Veggie Tales episodes. In one of these episodes, a character named Madame Blueberry was never content with the things she had. She always wanted more. Associates from the new department store "Stuff Mart" paid her a visit and fueled her desire to get more stuff. They even escorted her to the store where she picked out so many things that they had to deliver all of the items in a truck. Along the way, she ends up having several experiences (including this one) that make her realize that being happy is not related to buying things or having more than the next person, it's about being thankful for what you have already. 

I thought about that theme today as the Choir sang songs of being thankful. Bro. Wilberg mentioned at rehearsal that he struggles a bit each year, to come up with songs that truly reflect the Thanksgiving theme. But I thought he did a great job with the repertoire he put together. While I actually enjoyed singing all of them, I think my favorite was "Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends."  I particularly liked the last verse:

We thank thee, Father; let thy grace
our loving circle still embrace,
thy mercy shed its heavenly store,
thy peace be with us evermore.

Do we not all long for God's grace? His love? His mercy? Do we not all strive to live our lives so we can feel His peace? There's certainly nothing else like it.
 
Sometimes I struggle with Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the time off, the time with family, eating yummy food, and being able to relax from the regular stress of each week. I just hope I spend enough time being thankful. I think, in my head, that I should have this huge "thankful event" occur inside me, to mark the day. That rarely happens though. It probably doesn't happen for most people. I think, though, as long as we take at least a few minutes, perhaps in prayer, to express our gratitude, we'll be able to have that happy heart that Madame Blueberry was hoping to find--and did find, in the end.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #98 - Christmas Prep Begins

I don't have any first-hand Mormon Tabernacle Choir experiences to share with you this time, since I took both Thursday night and Sunday morning, to be with my family. My wife had a flute performance Thursday evening and I was excited to support her in that. Then, this morning, since my wife is Primary President and the Primary Program was today, I attended our ward to see that program and enjoy listening to lots of great primary songs. It was a great event and kudos to my wife and her counselors for having it work out so well! It was also nice just to attend my ward as that has been a rarity this year.

The Choir's upcoming Christmas Concert is only a month away and last week, we started extra rehearsals to start learning the music. While I can't disclose what we're actually singing for the concert (just to keep it a surprise for those who get to attend or watch it on DVD later), we've certainly enjoyed rehearsing the music. 

Speaking of rehearsing, just to get a feel for what it's like for Choir this time of year, below is a look at our schedule:

Busy, busy, busy. But despite it being busy, it's very rewarding and I'm constantly grateful for the opportunity. The Christmas Concert is the Choir's most popular concert of the year and millions end up seeing it. So it's both an opportunity and a serious responsibility to do all I can to help make this a heart-felt event--one in which people will feel peace, and hope, and the love of their Savior.

I'll end with a story.

So this past week, my wife and I decided to get a phone for my daughter (for her birthday). I went to the AT&T store and was helped by a guy named Matt. Since it was a new store, with new employees, there were lots of other guys observing the process of me getting a new phone. Anyway, Matt was from Nashville, Tennessee, and had just moved out a few weeks before to help open this store. He's a big music fan and when I asked if he had heard of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, his eyes lit up and he said that his dad was a big fan and had encouraged him to see the choir live while he was living out here. 

I told him I was in the choir and after Matt and the other guys responded with "No way!", "That's really cool,", etc. the other guys began telling Matt he needed to go to Temple Square and see all of the beautiful things that were there. I chimed in by telling him when the choir practiced, when Music and the Spoken Word was, and about our upcoming Christmas concert.  The other guys said it was impossible to get tickets to the concert, but I told Matt I'd give him two of my allotment so he could attend. 

While I didn't get any additional discounts on my phone, Matt was excited to get the tickets and really looks forward to going. Whether he ends up wanting to know more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or not, I hope he feels love and acceptance from not only his fellow Utah brothers and sisters, but from his Savior, too.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #97 - Paying Tribute

Keeping with tradition, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, and Bells on Temple Square, presented a program today to honor all of the veterans (in conjunction with Veterans Day, November 11). As such, all of the songs had a patriotic theme including This Land is Your Land, Flag of the Free, and one of my favorite patriotic songs, My Country 'Tis of Thee. 

My appreciation for those who once served in the military to defend our freedoms can't come from first-hand knowledge or experience of what war is like. But it can come from studying history and learning about the terrible price paid for the freedoms we enjoy today.

I just finished reading a book called "All the Light We Cannot See," which took

me on an emotional World War II roller coaster. To be fair, this book was not a daily accounting of the details of how that war played out. Nor did it focus too much on all the soldiers and how things were on the front lines. Rather, the book focused on the lives of just a few individuals and how they endured all of the tragic consequences that came from the war. Family separations, sad living conditions, hopes and dreams shattered, lives forever altered. And at the inferred center of all of these consequences were the soldiers themselves. Called upon to not only endure these same consequences, but to be thrown into the heart of fear, of death, of duty, and a desperation to make sense of it all. 

In the end, it made me appreciate the life I have today. The freedoms I enjoy, the family I'm connected with, the food on the table, the shelter over my head, the opportunities to pursue goals and dreams, and the reminder to enjoy the little things we often take for granted.

So, I'm grateful for the program Sunday honoring our vets. Thankful for their sacrifices and dedication. Yes, sometimes the lyrics to a few of these patriotic songs can be a little contrived. But overall, they, along with the inspiring arrangements and notes and rhythms themselves, paint a picture of freedom that I'm very grateful for.

I end with the lyrics from the first and last verse of My Country 'Tis of Thee. When's the last time you really thought about these?

My country 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died!
Land of the Pilgrim's pride!
From every mountain side,
Let freedom ring!

Our father's God to, Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!


Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #96 - You Just Never Know

Dr. Andrew Crane

The basses and altos had another long Thursday night as we came at 6pm (instead of the normal 7pm) for another round of in-service. Dr. Andrew Crane (who conducts the BYU Singers) was our instructor this time and did a really fine job of reminding us of things we need to be doing to be good singers. Having enough breath, raising the soft palette, shaping the vowels, maintaining good posture, and listening, were all important things to cover. 

From there, we went up to the loft for a shortened rehearsal. As we rehearsed, members of the World Congress of Families (here for their convention in Salt Lake City)

started filing in and around 8:45, we ended rehearsal and went right into a mini-concert for them. 

There's been some divisiveness surrounding this convention, and plenty of criticism has been thrown around for the congress's position on this or that. But you know what? The mission of the Tabernacle Choir is not to judge people or get involved in any of that. We're here to sing to people. All people. And we sing with a prayer in our hearts that the Spirit of Truth will enter people's hearts and they'll feel uplifted and strengthened and pursue a path of goodness and love.

As we concluded the concert with Come, Come Ye Saints, Come Thou Fount, and Climb Every Mountain, I looked out into the audience and saw person after person wiping tears from their eyes. Sometimes, when we sing these big, rousing numbers so filled with power and emotion, I just bring all of the joy and happiness I have to bear, hoping that members of the audience will connect and feel something. Something that will linger. Something that will help them strive to live just a little bit better. Something that will help them recognize God's love for them. And I feel like the majority of the audience did, indeed, feel something uplifting and encouraging. 


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To end the post today, I want to share a special message, with permission, that came via text to a friend of mine, Ben, following our broadcast of Music & the Spoken Word today:

"Ben--the message, music, and scenery presented today in Music & the Spoken Word meant a lot to my parents who have suffered so much physically and emotionally this past summer and autumn. I am with them again this weekend and they were both brought to tears watching the program today. It inspired and lifted them at this time because they cannot be in Church (because of their compromised immune systems). So this is their "church" each Sunday and this is just the message and music they needed today. Please pass our gratitude on to your colleagues and the folks associated with the program."

You just never know, sometimes, what impact you'll have on others! God works His personalized miracles, behind-the-scenes, to affect so many. And often He uses others to accomplish those miracles. I hope we can all live to be someone's miracle this week.

Until next time, God be with you.



 

MTC Week #95 - Brushing Up, One Chance, & Guest Artists

Twice a year, regardless of the length of service in the Choir, Choir members are required to attend an "in-service" session to brush up on their singing skills. This might strike some as kind of funny since Choir members are singing all the time. Aren't such singing skills reinforced and emphasized during normal rehearsals?

The answer to that question is "yes". However, there's not enough time during normal rehearsals to focus on any one skill. So, during in-service, a few skills are selected and our instructor assists us in applying those skills to our singing. We also get the opportunity to do some in-depth listening (imagine four sets of risers, each with five rows, facing into each other). As we sing, we hear each other a lot better than we do in the loft. They record us, as well, so we can listen and critique how well we're incorporating the skills being taught.  

This past Thursday, the basses and altos had their in-service turn (meeting separately). Our instructor was a gentleman from BYU who assists individuals in preparing to sing in Men's Chorus there (sorry I can't remember his name). He knew his stuff, and it was a good opportunity to remember, learn, incorporate, and improve.

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On the broadcast today, we sang some beautiful arrangements of the following: How Great Thou Art, Psalm 150, When You Wish Upon a Star, Simple Gifts, and O God, Our Help in Ages Past. I'll mention some quick thoughts on the first two. 

I really love the lyrics to How Great Thou Art. My favorite verse is

When Christ shall come,
With shouts of acclamation
And take me home
What joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And there proclaim,
"My God, how great Thou art!"

I can't wait for that day. I can't wait to go home.

As for Psalm 150, this song may have a somewhat boring title, but the music was absolutely terrific--and just in time for all of you Halloween fans out there. It starts off as something you might hear when watching a suspenseful scary movie. Give it a listen. 

As we were ending today's broadcast with the traditional "God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again," I looked out in the audience for someone to directly sing to (like I always do). My focus settled on a guy on the third or fourth row. His fingers kept going up to his eyes to wipe away tears--probably at least three times. I don't know his story, or if he'll be back, or if his circumstances in life will prevent him from ever returning. But it reminded me that every Sunday, the Choir has one chance. One chance to sing our testimonies and allow for the Spirit to impact the lives of those who listen and experience.

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To end the blog post for today, I wanted to mention that they announced the guests artists this week, for the Christmas Concert. You can read all of the fun details HERE. We're having not one, not two, but six guests join us on stage for what I'm sure will be a fantastic concert. For those of you who are wanting tickets, you can request to be added to the random ticket selection process HERE. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Until next time, may God be with you.

MTC Week #94 - And So It Goes

For whatever reason, some weeks (infrequently, thankfully) I just have an average Mormon Tabernacle Choir experience. I don't end up feeling a lot, even though I wish I did, and even though the music we're singing is more than enough to produce deep spiritual feelings. Such was the case this week, with both rehearsal and the Sunday performance.

The one thing that was a little different this week, though, was having some individuals from all over the world attend the broadcast. That happens every week, actually, but this time several of these individuals were from The Parliament of the World's Religions. From what I understand, their goal is to promote understanding, common ground, respect, and tolerance among the different religions of the world. How they do this, exactly, I'm not entirely sure. But they do hold conferences, and this year they chose Salt Lake City as the conference meeting spot.

As we sang our songs today, even though I didn't feel much, myself, I was

aware of them in the audience. And I knew that for most, this would be their first time (and perhaps last time) they'd hear us sing. I prayed for them. And I was grateful for them. Anyone who tries to promote peace and harmony in a world that is full of disrespect and hatred deserves  respect and gratitude. Hopefully they came away from the experience having felt God's love for them and knowing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints loves and appreciates them, too.

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This week, on Thursday, during the Doug Wright Show (radio station KSL), they will be announcing the guest artist for this year's Christmas Concert. The committee has worked hard and prayed hard for this year's artist to be the one the Lord wanted, and we'll soon get to learn who that is.

Oh, and by the way. If you're interested in getting last year's Christmas Concert on CD or DVD, you can find that here. Note that soon, I'm told, Amazon will be offering a digital download (in HD) of the concert. Not sure exactly when, or the price, but if you appreciate high definition like I do, you may want to adhere to the saying, "Good things come to those who wait."

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #93 - Of Red, Aussies, and Sylvia McNair

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has become good at being flexible. 

So was the case on Thursday morning (day of our weekly rehearsal) when we received an email from the Choir office saying that ESPN has asked the Choir if they'd do a recording of the University of Utah "Fight" song as part of their College Game Day segment that coming Saturday. Apparently, ESPN had ran a story on BYU's Tanner Mangum that featured the Choir singing “Hallelujah,” and had received a lot of positive feedback on it. As that story had put the music of the Choir in front of people who might not usually see it, the Choir Presidency approved this last-minute request by ESPN to record the Ute fight song.

As you can imagine, there were plenty of comments from choir members regarding this "opportunity" as we congregated that evening in the choir loft. I, personally, am not a huge football fan. (Ok, what am I saying? I'm not really into football whatsoever) So I was fairly neutral about the whole thing, even though I did get my bachelors degree from BYU and I do cheer for them whenever I find myself in that rare moment of watching a game. For the die-hard BYU fans however, it was a hard thing. But we can do hard things, right? While I can't say for complete certainty that everyone saw the bigger picture of what this was all about, I feel good about saying that the majority probably did.

So, with 15 min of rehearsal time, the words on the big screen in front of us, and ESPN cameras ready for action, we sang the Ute Fight Song and hoped it would help ESPN viewers get exposure to the Choir and maybe even look us up to get more information. Who knows?

[As an aside, upon conclusion of the recording, a bunch of the men started singing "Rise and shout, the cougars are out...", just for the fun of it.]

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Guest artist Sylvia McNair was back with the Choir today and sang two numbers on Music & the Spoken Word: This Little Light of Mine, and Climb Every Mountain. We were honored to accompany her and she sounded wonderful. We're always excited when guest artists come and sing with the Choir and we hope that they feel the Spirit and know how much we love and appreciate them. Sylvia was last with us when she performed at concerts we did for the ACDA convention last February.

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Lastly, we had a small team of three (that I noticed), from Australia, with us today on the broadcast. One of them was singing with the choir and the other two were filming the choir. Apparently they are doing a "Faith" documentary for a news station and had come up to experience the choir first hand. I'm sure things like this happen all the time--whether we know about them or not. People are interested and want to know more...

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #92 - The Spirit of God

The last two days have been very spirit-filled, uplifting, and peaceful. I just want to express my appreciation for being in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir which is the musical face of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A church that is led by living prophets and apostles; a church that is likened to a hospital, where members and non-members alike can come and work on being made whole; a church that has, at its foundation, the gospel of Jesus Christ--a gospel that does not change and is not influenced by the philosophies or practices or the opinions of men; a church that holds on to its values and doctrine and teachings, all of which bring real peace and hope to anyone and everyone who wants to step out of this dark world into a place of light and love.

Singing at General Conference twice a year is always a privilege. And this time was no different. What was different was being able to witness three new apostles being called to fill the vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It was a special experience to hear their testimonies today, and I certainly support them in the great work they are involved in--the work of loving and serving others.

Since this blog is about the MUSIC though, lets get to it!

The songs we sang for the three sessions of conference we were involved in, were

Press Forward, Saints 
Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah 
I Know That My Savior Loves Me
Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer
Come, Come, Ye Saints
Arise, O God, and Shine 
Redeemer of Israel 
If the Savior Stood Beside Me 
There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today
The Spirit of God
Praise the Lord with Heart and Voice
Our God Is a God of Love
Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel

Love One Another

Each of these songs contains a sermon of its own and I really enjoyed singing

them all. For me, for this conference, it was the "bigger", familiar numbers that seemed to affect me the most. Come, Come Ye Saints, Redeemer of Israel, and most especially, The Spirit of God.

I can honestly say, that in all my days of singing--which are quite a few--I've never been so affected by any song as I was with this one today. Yes, there have been songs that have caused me to inwardly weep and to deeply ponder. Particularly a few that we sang both at ACDA and on our most recent tour. This was different though. When we sang The Spirit of God, today, it was as if there were literally angels from the other side joining in with us. The whole experience left me trembling and emotional. 

When I got home to my family, and we were talking about the music at Conference, before I even mentioned that song, they mentioned it! I was glad that what I had felt was being felt by those listening. I asked another choir member what his experience with that song had been, and he, too, said it had been an amazing experience. 

So anyway, I'm grateful for all of the songs we sang today and hope that all who listened were uplifted and strengthened. That is our mission. That is our calling. And I always pray for that to happen.

And now, I'm off to bed. I'm beyond tired. Thanks for reading. And until next time, God be with you!