TCATS #260 - End of Year #5

With the ending of 2018, my year #5 in the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square comes to a close. Year five is significant only because it's technically fulfilling the minimum requirement agreed upon when joining the choir. People often ask me how long I plan to stay in the choir and I'm never exactly sure what to say to that question. For now though, I plan to continue this journey as I still feel like I have things to contribute, experiences to go through, and people to influence (and be influenced by). So...on to 2019!

My blog post last week captured some interesting choir "stats" for 2018 and if that's something you might find interesting, you can click HERE to view those. In that post, I mentioned that Siope (fellow choir member) would be publishing his annual infographic, and sure enough, he did so today. Here's how it looks. Thanks Siope for the great job you always do in capturing the events of each year! (click to enlarge)

For some additional stats and tidbits, including how many songs we sung, the most worn tie, the most sung song, etc., click HERE.

With that, I just want to say again how grateful I am for the experiences I've had this year in the choir. Words seem to fail me when trying to adequately express all of my feelings and thoughts about this past year. But suffice it to say, I'm just very grateful. Grateful for the music, the people, the experiences, the opportunities, and the love I feel when singing. And I'm thankful for a very supportive wife and for my five kids who support me week in and week out. 

Until next time, God be with you.

 

TCATS #259 - The Year in Numbers!

With the year coming to a close, many businesses and organizations are winding down as people take time off and gear up for the year ahead. But the same cannot be said for The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. No siree. Things for the choir never wind down! There's always a weekly broadcast and some event in the near horizon. But, as far as 2018 goes, there is only one event left (Music and the Spoken Word for 12/30). The rehearsal for that event actually happened today so that the Choir can enjoy a break this coming Thursday when rehearsal normally would have happened.

So, as the year wraps up, I always like to "do the numbers." Long-time choir friend, Siope, does a much nicer job with this in a fun pictogram form which I'm sure he'll be publishing soon. I've had a sneak peak and it's going to be great! When he does publish it, I'll include it on my blog. 

But before we get to the numbers, I just wanted to make one comment about today's broadcast--which, of course, was all Christmas music. One of my favorite Christmas songs is Carol of the Drums (or Little Drummer Boy). I really like the song because I feel like we can all relate to the drummer boy. At least, I know I can. So many times in life, we may feel like we really don't have much to offer. Or we feel like what we do have to offer, isn't enough. We get wrapped into the heartache of comparison and think that everyone around us is better than we are. But just like the drummer boy came to the realization that his gift--his talent--was good enough (and drew a smile from the Savior), we can come to that realization too. Admittedly, it's sometimes not easy and a lesson that for me, I have to learn over and over and over again. But I'm grateful to be reminded of my worth and the worth of all my fellow brothers and sisters when singing this song.

OK. So now, with a drumroll please.... Here's the year by numbers.
 

Events: 14

• Thomas S. Monson funeral
• Go West Summit
• Messiah Concert
• Gen Conf (April & May)
• Recording session for 2019 CD
• Pre-tour Concert
• West Coast Tour
• Pioneer Day Concert
• Be One Concert
• USU (Logan) Concert
• Temple Pres. Seminar
• First Presidency Christmas devotional
• Christmas Concert

Extra Rehearsals: 36

Most Worn Tie (aside from the bowtie): Red Snowflake (9 times), followed by Red Diamond (7)

Most Worn Suit: Black (18), followed by the Blue Blazer (11) and tux (11)

Most Worn Dress: Fuchsia (11), followed by a 3-way tie--Blue, Creme, Raspberry (10)

Total Unique Songs Sung: 236

Total Songs Sung: 379*

And now, for the most popular (most sung) song of the year*! The winner goes to "HYMN OF PRAISE", which was sung six times. Followed by "Guide Us O, Thou Great Jehovah" & "Rejoice the Lord is King", both of which were sung five times.  

(*NOTE: In the case of multiple concerts and tour, songs were only counted once. For example, if a song was performed three times for the Christmas Concert, because the concert was held on three nights, the song was only counted once)

 

There you have it.

The other notable event, of course, was that the choir changed it's name!

On to 2019!

Until next time, God Be With You.

TCATS #258 - Christmas Concert - Chenoweth Style!

I always find it a little daunting when approaching the task of writing a review of the Christmas Concert each year. But in actuality, it's not a review, but rather a prioritization of my thoughts and impressions about the experience I had from the point of view of a choir member. (For an actual review, you can go HERE, and HERE. And for some cool video footage, HERE.)  That said, this year's concert was a grand event and the audience absolutely went crazy over the beloved guest artist, Kristin Chenoweth. 

For five nights, choir members had the opportunity to observe Kristin--which included time at rehearsals and at the concerts themselves. Here are the words that come to mind to describe her: Spontaneous, gracious, loving, happy, thankful, committed, confident, smiley, and funny! She's a very in-the-moment person and I don't know anyone who didn't fall in love with her as a person and as a performer. At age 50 (though looking much younger), one might think she wouldn't be as vibrant as she is--but she certainly lives up to her reputation as one who delights and who brings a smile to those watching and listening to her.

There were several laugh-out-loud moments with her during rehearsals. Just

one: after singing one of her numbers, she went up to Mack Wilberg to give him a high-five. Not anticipating that that is what she'd do, Mack's first response was just to hold out his hand. To which Kristin laughed, took his hand, and then came right in to give him a big hug. Reserved, Ms. Chenoweth is not :)

For me personally, along with enjoying our guest artist, this concert had become a project of upping my game. This was due in no small part to being completely inspired by several of the "1st years." The two in my carpool, Alan and Willy, and then the great friend I sat by during rehearsals and the concerts themselves, Wes, were completely dedicated to learning the music. And not just learning the notes and

Me and great friend Wes

the rhythms, but learning the words themselves--despite the fact they would have a teleprompter to lean on. I quickly came to the mindset of "gosh, if they can do this and be so dedicated, then why can't I?" So, more than I had for the last couple of concerts, I spent oodles of outside time memorizing and memorizing the 15+ pieces, all the while thinking of my 1st-yr heroes. And, to be honest, having everything memorized without having to rely on the prompter is a huge payoff because then, you are more likely to hone in on the meaning of the lyrics and truly enjoy the moment. 

What was my favorite concert moment? I think it was the ending. I mean, there wasn't a song I didn't enjoy singing (OK, well, maybe I was a little tired of singing "Hymn of Praise"), but "Angels from the Realms of Glory" is such a magnificent finale. The choir members are singing, the dancers are beautifully and physically expressing the grand Christ-centered feelings we're all feeling, the orchestra is going all out in divinely playing, the guest artist is putting her whole soul into singing and expressing, the bell ringers are ringing.....and it all just culminates into a few minutes of pure grandeur. I get chills every time! Add to that all of the delightful, smile/laugh-producing Kristin moments and you get a Christmas Concert that I will always remember.

As a runner-up, the song "Angels Among Us" was a stand-out to me. Mainly because of the people I thought of, and the feelings it invoked. There have been so many awesome, loving people who have helped me and my family this past year through various challenges, and I truly consider them angels. I also know that my sister Mary, beyond the veil, is also an angel who continues to comfort and uplift many. So as I sang that song,  I enjoyed thinking about all of these angels who have been such a source of strength and love.

Until next time, God be with you. And Merry Christmas!
(some photos above courtesy DeseretNews)

PS: Some photos below for your viewing pleasure.

Steve, Me, Wes, after the Fri Concert

Some of the dancers waiting to go on

Carl, Wes, and me waiting in the "bunker" before the concert

The brethren standing in seating order waiting to go on

Giving the dancers high-fives as they go to their waiting spot

My great carpool friends! Alan, Willy, Me, Ben

Having dinner after Sat recording session

 

Wes, Me, and Ryan B.

My awesome, supportive family!

TCATS #257 - Results

Thursday night's rehearsal was a complete workout as we went through every Christmas song not only for Sunday's broadcast, but for the upcoming Christmas concert. The idea was to not only learn the music more, but to also test our memories to see if all of our extra rehearsals and outside-of-choir memorization time, had paid off. 

I'm glad to say that it indeed has paid off.  By the time 9:30 rolled around, Mack mentioned how pleased he was with the progress we've made and how he feels like we are prepared for next week's Christmas Concert adventure. That isn't to say the songs are perfect. We each have some work left to do to clean up a few notes here, and a couple of rhythms there. But at least for the majority of us, the hours of rehearsing, of listening to rehearsal tracks in the car, and utilizing the power of repetition, has given way to relishing in that really nice prepared feeling.

A friend at choir reminded me of an important principle in regards to preparation: if you put in the time and work hard, you are entitled to the blessings of those efforts--with anything in life. You get out largely what you put in, and from a religious standpoint, you're also entitled to God's grace--which can (and does) make all the difference.

Looking to the week ahead, I'm not just excited for the concerts themselves, but I'm really, really excited for the Tuesday and Wednesday rehearsals this coming week. It's so fun and magical to see the whole concert come together. We choir members are never really told much about what the concert will include (which seems funny, I know). We have the songs we're learning--and that's about it. What the visuals will be like--what will be happening on stage and all around the Conference Center--is still very much a mystery until that Tuesday rehearsal where we finally see how it all comes together. 

Before ending my post today, I just wanted to give a shout-out to my good friend (and fellow bass) Wes, who became a daddy this past week. So great! Best of luck to him as he grows into this new and exciting role.

Until next time, God be with you. 

PS: Some great Christmas videos from last year's Christmas Concert were posted this past week by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Check them out here. (My favorite of the bunch, here)

TCATS #256 - In the Moment

I've never been very good at living in the moment. Either I'm looking ahead at the next thing planned or the next event to happen, or I'm looking at the past often wishing I had done things differently. Ironically, some of those past regrets have to do with not taking advantage of the present!

To add to these "living in the moment" thoughts, I'm reminded of what my wife brought up the other day about happiness. Happiness is not the absence of hard things. It's not being free from trials. But rather it's recognizing who you are, who you're trying to become, and recognizing the many, many blessings you have that you can enjoy along the way--and that give you strength to follow the perfect and unique path that a loving Heavenly Father has put you on.

Putting these two thoughts together--living in the moment and recognizing all of your blessings--go hand in hand I believe. After all, how can you recognize blessings and who you are becoming if you aren't taking the opportunity to see and experience what's going on right now? 

With all those things in my head and in my heart, I wanted to live in the moment today, starting with my service in the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. I enjoyed the conversations in my carpool as we traveled to Salt Lake, and, though not a big fan of snow, noticed how beautiful it was coming down from the sky and frosting over the trees and ground. I looked at each of my carpool friends and was thankful for each of their friendly smiles, their testimonies, and how they, and other choice friends, make this experience so much fun each week. Once in the conference center, I looked around and was thankful for all those who had decorated the place. Noticing the hundreds of little lights on the trees, I thought about how each one of those lights represents not only blessings in my life--but the many people in my life too. As we sang the songs for today's program, instead of thinking of what song was coming next, or our performance later that day, or past mistakes I had made in singing them, I focused on the fact that these were beautiful songs with lyrics that helped me feel the Christmas spirit--now. I looked around at the good brethren beside me, putting my arm around one and being thankful for friendship and for voices that keep my on track. Later at church, with my arm around my beautiful wife and the other arm around my youngest son, I tried to savor that very moment of being next to them and thinking about all they meant to me. Before hurrying out of the church to get back to the Conference Center, I lingered at the door taking in the scene of the people around me, grateful for my congregational family.

As I continued my "in the moment" quest for the rest of the day, it truly made all the difference. And as we sang songs for the world tonight at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, singing in the moment (instead of looking ahead to what was next in my life) and treasuring the lyrics and the feelings was joyous. A lyric from a song we had sung earlier today came to mind: "Tune your heart to hear His music". I thought how perfectly that fit in with the theme of taking advantage of the moment. THE MUSIC OF GOD IS GOING ON, NOW, ALL AROUND US. As we tune our hearts, we can capture, utilize, and recognize the immediate blessings and opportunities that are ours.

While learning from the past, and preparing for the future are certainly important, I invite you to also enjoy the now. It's a pretty cool place to be.

Until next time, God be with you. 

PS: Was grateful for the "revised" format of the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. Not only was there nearly double the music than in years past, but several of the talks themselves referenced the songs we sang. A perfect tapestry! And President Nelson himself was the one who requested we end with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.  

Singing For Unto Us a Child is Born, on today's MSW broadcast

First Presidency Devotional tonight

 

TCATS #255 - Agnosco

So this past Monday, I woke up with barely a voice that was even worse by Tuesday. So I texted my carpool friends (since Tuesday night was our weekly rehearsal due to the holiday on Thursday) and told them the news and that I'd be driving in separately so as to not infect them with whatever had hijacked my vocal abilities. Once at the Tabernacle, I quickly grabbed my folders and made it up to the balcony to do my observing from. As I've mentioned before, choir members can get observing credit (vs participation credit) which won't count as an absence (though observing is worth 1 point, while full participation is worth 2 points). 

A few of my friends waved from the loft--which I appreciated. Sitting on the benches in the balcony is rather lonely, in my opinion. I've heard some say they actually enjoy the "break" from participating and enjoy just spreading out and taking in the listening experience. But...that's not me. I'd rather sing any day, any time.

Thankfully, the voice came back on Saturday and by Sunday, I was ready to go again. While I wasn't able to do the broadcast, I was able to do the extra rehearsal afterwards for Christmas music. And today, for those 90 minutes, we used the time to do a recording of many Christmas pieces we need to memorize for the upcoming concert. The recordings will definitely be useful in the days ahead as we learn and master the notes to those songs. 

My smile moment of the day came when I was watching people come into the Tabernacle. A mom and her two sons made their way up to the balcony section that was right next to the one I was sitting in. It was fun to see their faces. Their eyes were big, and they had this awe in their countenances while looking around and hearing the orchestra and choir. The mom was pointing at the large organ pipes and the domed ceiling and whispering to her sons a bunch of other information related to the building and/or event they were being a part of. I don't think the mom stopped smiling during the whole 2-3 minutes that I sat there watching the scene. It all reinforced to me (yet again) that I should do my best not to take any of this weekly experience for granted. 

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #254 - Of Being Thankful

It was our special Thanksgiving Day broadcast this morning and the six songs we sang were a near perfect fit for the occasion:

Saints Bound for Heaven: thanking God for delivering faithful followers of him, through the ages
For the Beauty of the Earth: giving thanks for this beautiful world we live in. Yes, it's filled will lots of people who don't do very good things, and in some cases, do terribly awful things. But, it's also filled with really good people who build, encourage, and uplift.
Now Thank We All Our God: Praising God for all He's given us
Over the River & Through the Woods: lighthearted, yes. But Thanksgiving is largely centered on getting together with family and loved ones (and in some cases, going to "grandmother's house"). Is there any better company to be in when you're expressing thanks? Nope.
Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep: what could give us a better sense of gratitude than to actually think about all the blessings we have?
Thou Gracious God Whose Mercy Lends: I'll let the lyrics speak for themselves. "We thank thee, Father; let thy grace our loving circle still embrace, thy mercy shed its heavenly store, thy peace be with us evermore."

I'm thankful for being a member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. I look forward to singing with my fellow brothers and sisters every week. I'm thankful for the songs we sing, for the people I have befriended and love, for the directors and staff who work so hard, and for the many millions of people who listen to the Choir and support them. I'm also thankful for my wife and family who, week in, and week out, continue to support me in this calling & opportunity. I'm often asked the question how long I'll stay in the Choir. My reply is always the same: I don't know. :)  But God willing, I'll stay as long as He will have me. Like so much in our lives, it's in His hands.

Until next time, God be with you.

PS: It was pretty cool to see the smile on Ryan Murphy's face today after he conducted the entire program and realized it went as well as he had hoped. 

TCATS #253 - Semper Paratus

The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, along with the Bells on Temple Square, presented a special Music and the Spoken Word today to honor veterans everywhere. It turned out to be a very nice and inspirational program filled with patriotic music, a really great organ number, a touching piece by the bells, and a message about the history of Veterans Day. Did you know that today marked the 100th anniversary of the inception of Veterans Day (or Armistice Day as it was called originally)?  From the spoken word today: "In recognition of this day of peace and hope, United States President Woodrow Wilson designated November 11 as Armistice Day, which would later be renamed Veterans Day. 'To us in America,' he declared, 'the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in their country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.'”

To be clear, I'm very grateful for all who have served, and are serving in the military, who protect and watch over our country. They often spend A LOT of time away from their families, and many pay a great cost both physically and mentally. That said, I found myself struggling today to be as enthusiastic as I felt I should be. I felt conflicted. What kind of country, which has been protected by our armed forces, do we now live in? Is "the United States of America" even accurate anymore? I feel like we're more divided now than we've ever been. Our constitution remains in force, but is it honored, respected, and followed as originally intended?

This is not a blog about government or politics or even our country, so I won't remain on those topics. Suffice it to say, I've become very discouraged when it comes to anything related to such topics. And each time I sing about our great country, that discouragement--in some form or another--surfaces.

So, today as I sang and participated, I tried to focus on just being thankful for people who have sacrificed much. And to optimistically hope for more unification rather than division.

An extra rehearsal followed the broadcast and we continued marching forward in learning Christmas songs for the upcoming concert. As I was walking to the parking garage afterwards, I heard some choir members behind me wondering what kind of voice Kristin Chenowith will bring with her to the concerts. It made me smile because I just can't picture her singing "Angels from the Realms of Glory" with the singing style she used for songs like "Popular" from Wicked! But I guess we'll see, won't we.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #252 - Love Rules

Two things I wanted to mention for today's post...

First, most Spoken Word messages, which are a part of Music & the Spoken Word each week, are prepared weeks in advance. Bro. Lloyd Newell usually pre-records them weeks in advance, as well. Music is chosen to help enhance the theme of the spoken word message--though not all of the music selected is for that purpose. Today, however, given the terrible tragedy at the Tree of Life Synagogue this past week, it was decided that the spoken word be partially rewritten just a few days ago, both out of respect and out of love for the families and friends of the victims. Of course, the message is not just for them, but for everyone--a message of working harder to come together as brothers and sisters and of showing more love and respect. 

Hate crimes are terrible, in and of themselves. But the way this country is so bitterly divided, on just about everything, is a tragedy as well. The music and spoken word today was presented in an effort to remind all of us that we're all in this journey of life together and love will always prevail. Here are a few excerpts from today's message:

But there’s something else that happens in the wake of horrible events, something that sparks hope: In the process of mourning with those who mourn, we remember that we share a common humanity, a brotherhood, sisterhood. We realize that although we look, believe, and think differently, we share this small space in the universe, and we need each other. When one group or individual suffers, we all do. So we help one another through difficulties and trials, because that’s the only way we can move forward in the face of suffering.

We’re truly in this together. We need voices of peace. We need hearts of love. We need souls that respect our shared humanity—who generate light instead of heat. In other words, we need each other. In the end, hate will not win; goodness will. Ultimately, evil does not rule the day; love does—and always will. Voices of peace and hearts of love are never alone.  

I certainly have days when I think love won't prevail. But my hope and my faith demand better thinking of me. And when I truly look at the bigger picture, there are so many good people doing so man good things. That reality keeps the other, more dismal reality, at bay.

Second, while I enjoyed singing several songs today, one in particular was The Impossible Dream. Not only are the words inspiring ("...march into hell for a heavenly cause!"), but a good friend of mine who just joined the choir this year has had it on his bucket list to sing this song with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. And today his bucket list was fulfilled! It was fun to feed off of his excitement and to see how happy he was.

That's about it. Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #251 - Settled Rest

As you know, life can just be really hard sometimes. And this past week was one of those weeks. Even some aspects of choir were hard. But through it all, I'm grateful for the people who care about me and I'm always thankful for edifying and uplifting music because it does have a significant effect on healing from hardships and feeling spiritually fed. 

My favorite hymn we sang today was "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need".The lyrics that touched me the most are bolded.

My Shepherd will supply my need;
Jehovah is His Name;
In pastures fresh He makes me feed
Beside the living stream.

He brings my wand’ring spirit back
When I forsake His ways,
And leads me, for His mercy’s sake,
In paths of truth and grace. 

There would I find a settled rest
While others go and come,
No more a stranger or a guest,
But like a child at home. 

I'm thankful for a kind Heavenly Father and a merciful Savior who are extremely patient and who are anxious to bless and help. Even when there's a particular blessing I want that doesn't seem to come, there are plenty of other blessings in my life that testify of God's love and grace. 

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #250 - Using Gifts

My deepest sympathies for all of you who tried to get tickets for the Christmas Concert this year, but were met with all sorts of roadblocks and frustrations. Once again, the servers handling the ticket requests were unable to process all of those requests efficiently and effectively, leaving many of you with a most unpleasant experience. The word is that the Church will be fixing that problem for next year's ticket distribution experience. But I know that doesn't help with the fact that you didn't get any this year. I hope that you'll consider going early to get in the stand-by line because in all of my years doing Christmas concerts (5 now), MANY of those in that line actually do get in.

Today I was in an observer seat since I wasn't able to make it to Thursday night's rehearsal. Our family has a foreign exchange student living with us for three weeks and since she's a soccer fan, I took her and my other kids to a REAL soccer game at Rio Tinto stadium Thursday evening. A good time was had by all and I'm glad we were able to go. But, I do always miss choir when I don't go, and miss the people I've become good friends with there.

After a great broadcast, we launched into extra rehearsal #1 of 8, for the Christmas concert. We worked on three or four pieces, as well as a couple of songs for next week's broadcast. I don't want to give away all of the songs we'll be singing at this year's concert because everyone loves a surprise, right? But I do want to mention just one...Carol of the Drum. It's one of my favorite Christmas songs. I just love the narrative of this young man who doesn't feel like he has any gift to give to baby Jesus--only to to discover that the talent he has of playing the drums is a perfectly acceptable gift. Arguably the best gift. I tear up every time! I always think about the gifts I have and if I recognize them--and use them for the benefit of others. 

How are you using YOUR gifts?

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #249 - Pushing Through

Today was just one of those days I wasn't really excited to get up early and go to the Tabernacle to sing. Any of you who know me, know how extremely grateful and humbled I am at being able to sing with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. So my not wanting to go sing today had nothing to do with that. It's just sometimes you get tired and life is busy and when faced with responsibilities--even ones you normally love--you just want a break. Nothing wrong with that. I actually could have taken a break and not gone in, but I have some family things going on this coming Thursday for which I'll miss rehearsal for so because of that fact, I got up, got ready, drove to my carpool spot, and got a ride into the Tabernacle to perform Music and the Spoken Word.

The crowds continue to amaze me. Even with it being in the 30s this morning, temperature-wise, they just kept coming in the doors. And by 9:30, we had another full house eager to see us perform. 

I pushed through my fatigue, trying my best to make the songs come alive for me and hone in on the wonderful themes we were singing about. And while I don't think I did a great job, I think I did OK, all things considered. What always motivates me the most on days like today, is looking out at the audience, getting a feel for who they are and why they had come. Whether it's tears or smiles, or just intense staring (or even disinterest) being exhibited by the audience members, everyone there was being surrounded and immersed in the music and those with open hearts were being influenced in just the way they needed to be. The other thing that motivates me is the people and friends around me. I feed off of their excitement and happiness and I siphoned off an extra dose of that today.

The song I enjoyed singing the most today was THE GROUND. Not a very flashy title, but if you hear it in the context of being "grounded" in truth and in our Savior Jesus Christ, it takes on a whole new meaning. You can give it a listen, HERE. 

Not much of an inspiring blog entry for you--I'm sorry. But I'm just keeping it real. Next week after the broadcast, we start learning Christmas music for our concert in December. I can't believe it's already THAT time. However, I'm really excited to delve into Christmas music which I think includes some of the best pieces of music ever written. We'll have eight extra rehearsals between now and the concerts, six of which we must attend, and that will take us right up to Christmas Concert week where we basically tell our loved ones farewell and we'll see them after the week is over. :)

Until next time, God be with you. 

PS: For the last 248 entries, I've started each title with "MTC", meaning "Mormon Tabernacle Choir". But I realized today that I need to change the acronym to align with our new and improved name. TCATS.

MTC #248 - Conference Report (Unique x 3)

Conference is always an exciting and much anticipated event for the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This time, in particular, given how much overtime the rumor mill was putting in, individuals and families tuned in to hear instruction and counsel by church leaders and to hear if any of the rumors were going to come true.

This blog, however, is not about conference itself, but rather about the music rendered during conference.  And this time, there were three important and unique aspects of conference music that I want to mention.

But before I do that, here are some numbers (for all you statistics people!):

Total songs sung: 21*
  Hymns from LDS hymn book: 13
  Children/Primary songs: 3
  Other hymns: 3
  American Folk Songs: 2^

Songs Memorized: 14
Hours rehearsed: approx. 10-12^^

*=this includes Music & the Spoken Word (MSW) on Sunday morning before the Sun AM session of conference
^=one of these was sung during MSW, one during conference
^^=does not include outside, individual memorizing time--which is fairly significant for newer members of the choir

OK. So on to the three unique things I wanted to mention...

First, it was the very first time that the choir performed as The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (yes, "MoTab" is no longer). The name change was announced this past Friday morning, and there are plenty of news articles that covered the announcement (here's one). While the reaction to the name change has been mixed, I, personally, am excited for the change. Yes, it's going to take a very long time for the new name to take a firm hold around the world. And I suspect that even though there will be a lot of effort to educate people on the new name, some will continue to use the old one. But the change just feels right, and it falls perfectly in line with not only what the prophet has asked us to do, but it matches up with the other musical organizations of the Church: The Orchestra at Temple Square, and, The Bells on Temple Square. Already, church members and fans who have heard about the change are giving us a new acronym to go by: TCATS or TabCats. Not sure I'm on-board with that, but we'll see over time what acronym sticks.

Our last rehearsal as The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

For all of those who are not happy with the change--well--there's little to say. I just hope you can hop on board and continue to enjoy what's at the core of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square: high quality inspirational music!

The second unique thing about music at this conference was one of the songs we sang was requested by President Nelson. That, in and of itself, is not unique (he and other prophets/general authorities have requested songs before), but, what is unique is that it was not a traditional LDS hymn! It was actually a beautiful, somewhat haunting folk-song titled "His Voice is the Sound." When Mack first told us all about this, he said he had been somewhat shocked at the request, simply because the song was not a hymn or in the "traditional" Conference repertoire. Given that President Nelson is already being called the "prophet of change" though, I guess it's not too much of a surprise he requested a non-traditional song. But still...a pretty big deal, at least in the eyes of the choir. President Nelson didn't mention the song in his conference address that immediately followed the song, but as I talked with people, and thought about it, I realized how perfect it was as a backdrop to his talk (which was about the importance of correcting the name that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been known by--namely, "The Mormons"). One only need ponder on the title of the folk-song to see how well it supports the theme of the talk: The Lord's voice is the sound we should hear. It's the sound we should follow. It's the sound that should resonate within our heart and within our soul. For me, too, the song seems to connect the Christ of long ago, with the Christ of today--and why it is that we should worship Him and strive to be like Him. AND, why we should strive to help the world understand that the Church we belong to is none other than the Church of JESUS CHRIST.

The last unique thing about the music at this conference is that it included a hymn with words written by our prophet, President Nelson (titled "Our Prayer to Thee"). It was fittingly sung as the last song of conference. If you would like to listen to it (and for some, listen to it again) with the lyricist in mind, you can, HERE.

All in all, I just want to say how grateful I am that I get to sing with this marvelous choir. I'm humbled, all the time, at the unique opportunity. Several of the newer members of the choir were making similar comments during the past couple of days and those comments reminded me of the importance of always approaching this opportunity with humility and a focus on the choir's core mission: to musically uplift, inspire, and testify of Jesus Christ to all the world. 
Lastly, a huge thanks to the organists (they have a heavy load playing so many pieces without any other accompaniment), the tech crew, our directors, and, of course, my wife and kids who continue to support me in this adventure. Love them!

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC #247 - To Our Presbyterian Friends in Texas

So this is about the time where many people come up to me at church and elsewhere and ask "So, are you getting songs ready for General Conference?" To which I reply, "Yep! We are indeed." I haven't taken the time to count how many songs we're working on, but it's probably around 20 or so. And we're humbled and excited to sing each of one of them.

But, while we prepare for General Conference, we continue to do our weekly broadcast and today's was sort of special as we sang one of the songs in particular to a Presbyterian congregation in Texas. Why them, you ask? Well, awhile back, Mack Wilberg was approached by a friend in this congregation (someone he had worked with musically) who said that their pastor way dying from cancer and wondered if he could write a song for him set to the words of one of his favorite poem collections called "The Temple", by George Herbert.  Mack agreed and when finished, a song titled "The Call" had been composed. We were able to sing that song, today, and while we did, we knew that the congregation in Texas was especially tuning in. I thought how great it was that while "The Call" certainly influenced all who may have heard it today (and in the coming days), it was ultimately intended for "the one"--a faithful man of a different faith who's days are short and who has found renewed faith and peace through this song.

Christ's ministry and focus was always on "the one"--each of us, individually, who needs the gospel and who needs to feel the personal and redeeming love of the Savior and of our Heavenly Father.

The other great thing about the broadcast today was that a friend of mine, who joined the choir this year, got a text from the person who baptized him (at age 18) saying that he had come to listen and watch today's Music & the Spoken Word program. It's always great to to sing each Sunday knowing that someone you know personally is there watching--and I'm sure in this case, it was especially so, for my friend.

More next week as I share my thoughts on singing in Conference.

Until then, may God be with you.

MTC #246 - Show Me a Scotsman!

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir had the opportunity to perform two concerts this past Saturday, on the campus of Utah State University in the newly remodeled Newel and Jean Daines Concert Hall. The whole event began early as the Choir arrived on campus around 9:30AM, some having driven up themselves, while most had taken a bus that the Choir organization had provided. (As a side note, the bus ride was actually nice as it afforded time to talk with friends and to appreciate the beautiful Fall colors that were part of the journey)

My bus buddy, Ryan B.

From 9:30 to noon, we had a sound check/rehearsal to make sure things sounded good and to perform any adjustments needed with the audio equipment. The hall was beautiful--not ornate or elaborate--but nicely designed with great acoustics. And it's these acoustics we especially appreciated as it's always a constant challenge for us to actually hear each other in our Tabernacle home. As such, when we're in an actual concert hall like the one we were in, it makes it easier to hear each other, to blend, and to put forth a unified sound.

After the rehearsal, we headed off to eat lunch in one of the banquet rooms, enjoying the 5-10 min walk across campus. The hour went by quickly, and we hurried back in order to get changed into concert attire. This activity of changing clothes is probably the least favorite of everyone because...well...let's face it, there aren't a lot of places on this earth that have adequate (i.e. "spacious and efficient") changing rooms for hundreds of performers! But, we all made do, and once properly dressed, we got in line and headed out on stage to take our seats.  

The concert went very well. For me personally, since I wasn't able to go on tour this past summer with the Choir, I was really happy to sing the repertoire of songs that we normally take on tour. It was great too, to sing from the location in the hall that I was in. Most of the choir was in the middle of the stage/loft area, but because there were so many of us, they had to put some of us on the sides, kind of in the balcony wings. I was one of those in the wings--but it was neat to be so close to the people who were right below us and to see their faces and their reactions. The only downside to being where I was is that it was right in front of the organ pipes--and during some of the more heavy-organ numbers, it was so loud I couldn't even hear myself sing. :)

At any rate, the audience seemed to love the concert, as judged by their clapping, smiling, and standing ovations. At the end, our special guest conductor, who was none other than former Tabernacle Choir director, Craig Jessop (who's now the dean of the USU College of Fine Arts), led the Choir in two encore numbers. The first was audience favorite Climb Every Mountain. The second, and probably one of the biggest hits of the night, was the USU Aggie Fight Song--which we had learned just especially for our USU fans. Not only did we sing the song, but we did the actions as well and the audience absolutely loved it! (see here for an idea of how it looked/sounded) 

After the concert, some friends and I headed over to the creamery for some Aggie ice cream (braving the long lines) and then went to dinner. Afterwards, it was nice to just walk around campus and enjoy some reflective time. I realized, once again, that I am WAY past college age. In my heart, I still feel like I've never left my 20s, but then I see these students around me and it's very evident I'm way past that time of my life.

My dinner dinner break walk-around-campus buddy, Ben

The evening concert went much like the first and the audience generated the same type of positive response. Overall, it was a fun experience and I'm really grateful that we get to do these types of concerts here in our home state. As we ended with "God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again", a lot of our audience members wiped their eyes or were just all smiles. One couple who I ran into after the matinee earlier, said "Thank you, thank you. It was all just so beautiful."

Before ending today's post, I do want just mention this morning's Music & the Spoken Word broadcast. Having arrived home last night close to midnight (or even later for some) and then waking up early to go do the broadcast, there were lots of tired souls. We had to try and adjust our faces on camera to look like we were excited to be there! While I was certainly tired, I looked at how many people had come to hear us sing (the Tabernacle was nearly filled to capacity) and I again knew that it was time to put away my weariness and focus on singing with as much energy and enthusiasm as possible. After all, today's audience deserved just as great of an experience as any other, and it was up to us to help them feel the power, the warmth, and the important truths contained in the songs we sang.

I hope we succeeded.

Until next time, God be with you.  

MTC #245 - Shine to the Honor of His Name

So it was my birthday this past Friday, and on Thursday night, I was given a pre-birthday treat by being able to rehearse one of my favorite songs, PSALM 148. I suppose that's sort of a boring, cop-out title, and to the outside, unfamiliar observer who saw that printed on a concert program, he or she might be inclined to just pass it over with little thought. Rest assured, however, that the ordinary title is deceptive. It's a very grand song, with layer upon layer speaking of praising God and all of His grand creations--and which has a dramatic ending that sends tingly shivers throughout your very soul. At least, it does for me!

I had a good friend listen to the YouTube video of it (hopefully with the volume way up) and he had this great insight to share:

"The resolution of the last chord is a hundred times more satisfying because of the discord and dissonance immediately preceding.  It feels like a perfect example of opposites in all things.  It also feels like an analogy of the last days in which we are living.  I keep waiting and hoping for that final chord that resolves everything."

Excellent observations and insights Tom. The ending chord is my absolute favorite, especially singing it in the Tabernacle where it just reverberates after our voices stop singing. But like you said, I think it's such a great chord because of what comes before it. It's almost like the dissonance is analogous to our desperate efforts to get rid of those last little things keeping us from becoming like God. And then, almost before we realize it, we've done it! And what's great, too, is that as that last chord is sung, the orchestra and organ completely cut out, and we're left with just hundreds of voicing singing in unity and purity--all thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ and His plan to help us all reach our eternal potential. 

Sigh....
So good, so good. 

Until next time, God be with you.
 

MTC #244 - Exactly Where We Want to Be (+ Farewell to 2!)

As I was observing the people coming into the Tabernacle to watch us rehearse Thursday night, my eyes focused on one Asian man in particular who had been near the front of the line. He quickly went down one of the main aisles and kept looking at the ceiling, then to the benches, then back at the ceiling. I thought that was a bit odd, at first, but then I realized that he was trying to sit exactly where one should sit if he wanted to be right in the middle of the Tabernacle--right under the apex where all of the ceiling slopes up to. I could only guess that this man was thinking that such a spot afforded him the best acoustical experience. Finally happy with his choice, the man sat down with a big smile, ready to hear the songs we had prepared to rehearse. Little did this guy know, though, that his determination to find his definition of the perfect seat fell right in line with what happened an hour earlier.

What happened an hour earlier you ask?

All of the choir met in a room underneath the Tabernacle for "Inservice". As mentioned before on my blog, every year, for two nights, we come early for Inservice to try and hone our musical skills and refresh what we learned in Choir School during our first year. This time we worked on a variety of issues including intonation and vowel placement (which actually go hand in hand). After some focused rehearsing (along with imagining a walnut was in the middle of our mouths), our vowel placement was exactly where we wanted it to be--and where it should be in order to get the sound (pitch, tone, color) right (and thus bring lots of smiles to our directors) .

Just as the Asian guy was trying to sit in an exact location by observing and adjusting, we in the Choir were trying to sing with exactness by adjusting our mouths and jaw and listening to ourselves and each other. 

So it goes in life. By making focused corrections, listening to the still small voice, and observing the results of our actions, we can improve and find ourselves exactly where we want to be. Or, at least, getting closer to where we want to be!

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

Paul, front and center

Changing topics, it was a sad day for two friends in the choir who's day was their last. Paul McGuire and Trevor Manning had their last Music and the Spoken Word broadcast today. It just hurts to even think about the emotions they were feeling. From Paul, I learned to strive for exactness, to take the time to look up note discrepancies, and to take unexpected feedback in stride. From Trevor I learned to be more like the "model choir member" Mack Wilberg always asks us to be (come to choir, pay attention, sing well, and leave happy). At any rate, we got some pictures during the break, wrote messages of thanks in their Hymnbooks, and after the last note of God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again, it was all over for them. Best of luck, gentlemen, with starting a new journey in your life. We will miss you. (Some pics from today's broadcast are below)

Until next time, God be with you.

PS: Sometimes certain chord combinations just resonate as purely beautiful ones. I'm making a list of them! One to add to the collection from today was when we sang the word "ride" from Brazzle Dazzle Day: [bass clef] A-flat, E-flat, A-flat, C; [treble clef] E-flat, A-flat, C

 

MTC #243 - Unity

Some weeks it's challenging to write a post that is fresh and new and doesn't sound like something I've posted before. I can always write about the songs themselves, or my feelings while singing them, or upcoming events, or frustrations the choir has to reach the pitch sometimes, or several other things that go on from week to week. And I certainly WILL continue to write about those things. But today I just wanted to write something different.

The choir is made up of lots of different people--just like you'd find in any large group such as a church congregation, or departments of employees in a company. Some are lawyers or doctors. Some work in banking or marketing. Some teach seminary or teach at a university. Some work for the government. Some are stay-at-home moms and dads. 

We have those who are married, those who are single, those who are divorced. We have those who are straight and those who are gay.
We have those who are typically serious, those who like to joke, those who always make comments, and those who just quietly come to choir and leave from choir.
We have some who are physically fit, some who are overweight, some who have a full set of hair, and some who are bald.

But despite our differences, we have commonalities that bring us together.
We are all are going through something hard.
We all make sacrifices to sing.
We all have a testimony of the power of music.
We're all children of a Heavenly Father and Mother.

Elder Henry B. Eyring once said

"[God] cannot grant [unity] to us as individuals. The joy of unity He wants so much to give us is not solitary. We must seek it and qualify for it with others. It is not surprising then that God urges us to gather so that He can bless us. In those gatherings, which God has designed for us, lies our great opportunity. We can pray and work for the unity that will bring us joy and multiply our power to serve."

I hope as a choir we are always striving for that unity as we gather each week, so that our power to serve can be multiplied. And I hope that all of us, as friends, neighbors, coworkers, and families, can pray and work for that unity as well. 

Until next time, God be with you.