Being in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir now for almost five years, I've been able to participate numerous times in recording projects. Each time there have been challenges and each time there have been rewards--which, if you'd like, you can read about HERE, HERE, and HERE (past blog entries).
This go around, things went pretty much as expected, including long hours, trying to perfect every note, having to go back, and back, and back to get it right, and learning lessons of humility and perseverance along the way. I was reminded, though, that there's nothing quite like the feeling you get when you've sang the last note of a piece--letting it fade away into the walls of the Tabernacle--and then hear the words of Mack or Ryan say from the recording booth "Sounded great! Thank you very much." (On to the next piece we go!)
As I thought about the recording process this time, I realized how hard it is to actually focus on the words and the message of the song when recording. This is mainly because recording involves being intently focused on musical perfection and making sure that music technicality is of the highest quality (intonation, blending, dynamics, etc). It's also because we start and stop so much. We take a few phrases or measures at a time, get it as perfect as we can get it, and then move onto the next section.
As a result, for me, the complete message and emotional depth of the song and its building and layering continuity, is a bit lost.
The message of the song though, and conveying that message to the millions who hear us, is one of the primary and most important responsibilities we have as musical missionaries. Countless times in singing with the choir, I've had sacred and spiritually uplifting moments pondering the song's message and the truth it contains. And it's at those moments, I hope with all of my heart, that such truth, coupled with the overwhelming feelings I'm feeling, will be carried to the hearts of those listening.
How great it would be to capture those moments, on a CD.
This, however, is where faith comes in. Faith that even though we, of necessity, and from a technical standpoint, need to focus on making the music itself sound perfect, God will take our consecrated start and stop, splice and dice efforts and help the listener capture the feelings and message portrayed as if we had sung and recorded the song in its entirety.
I don't know...maybe this doesn't make much sense. And maybe most choir members during recording sessions are able to focus both on music technicality aspects as well as the music's message and spiritual aspects, simultaneously, better than I can. If so, my hat is off to them! Until I can be like them, I exert my faith and hope my small and at times, unbalanced contribution, helps the overall recording project be a success
Until next time, God be with you.
PS: I was thankful to sit next to Farrell Poll during our recording sessions. Farrell just retired from the choir but was able to come back just for the recording. He was our trusted bass section leader for several years, and a good friend.Those around him, including me, appreciated all of the fanning he did to keep us cool!
PPS: During the last recording session on Saturday (which I was not able to attend), President Russell M. Nelson sat down on one of the Tabernacle benches to listen! He addressed the choir afterwards, thanking us for our service and consecration, and told us to thank our families as well.
PPPS: After the broadcast today, we sang an extra song for those in attendance, mainly directed to leaders and supporters of the NAACP. The song "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is the NAACP's official song. See a short write-up on this song, HERE. Those associated with the NAACP actually stood as we sang (followed by the rest of the audience) and I suddenly felt a great reverence for this song that I had never known about before. It was a great experience.
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