TCATS #373 - The End in Mind

I've never been a believer in coincidence. Neal A Maxwell once said: "This word [coincidence] is understandable for mortals to use, but coincidence is not an appropriate word to describe the workings of an omniscient God. He does not do things by ‘coincidence’ but … by ‘divine design.’”

Today as I was listening to the "spoken word" as part of Music & the Spoken Word, I had this thought to go back and see what the last spoken word was before the Tabernacle Choir shut down live performances back in March of 2020. I was very curious to see if it would foreshadow the pandemic days ahead or if there was some hint as to what we were all about to experience as everything started shutting down. 

So, I searched the MSW archives and found the entry for March 15, 2020. The title of the message made me smile as I thought about two possible meanings given the state of things. The title was "The End in Mind". 

To be fair, that title's intended meaning was to help people think about what their obituary would say once they had departed this earth. "How do we want to be remembered?", it asks. 

But examining the title through the lens of the pandemic, I thought of two other meanings.

First, when things shut down mid-March across the United States, "the end in mind" seemed to indicate it was the end of life as we knew it. We all started a personal and difficult journey of adjusting to a new and challenging reality. 

Second, and much more positive, is the fact that there are more and more news articles and people talking about "the end"--meaning the end of the pandemic. As people around the world get vaccinated and as the number of cases continues to decline, a very bright light shines upon us as we think about "the end in mind". 

So, even though Lloyd Newell, the host of MSW, didn't know it at the time, the title of his message was indeed a very inspired one. In more ways than he ever intended it to be. 

Ways that perfectly fit into God's grand design.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #372 - Thank You Jerold Ottley

As you may have heard, former Tabernacle Choir director Jerold Ottley passed away this past Friday and those within the Choir community took pause to feel grateful for all that Brother Ottley contributed during his time holding the director's baton (which was nearly 25 years!). 

Although I never knew Bro. Ottley personally or had the opportunity to sing under his direction, I did take some time to learn about him and what, exactly, he contributed to the Tabernacle Choir--aside from directing it for so many years. Most of what I mention here can be found in a write-up the Choir organization published Friday, but the things that impressed me the most were these:

 *responsible for 30 official recordings
*went on 20 tours
*directed 1,300 MSW performances
*put in place the retirement policy, the attendance policy, audition procedures, and the formation of the Choir School
*appointed the first female organist
*established the annual Christmas Concert tradition

As I pondered the significance of all of these things (and there are certainly many more wonderful things about Bro. Ottley not even related to the Choir), It got me thinking of what legacy I'll leave when my earthly life ends. What will people say of me? What will they ultimately remember?  These are sobering questions and ones that pop into my head a little more often these days as I approach my 50th year. When it's all said and done, I suppose what I hope for the most is that people remember that I was kind to them and genuinely loved them--that I lived the second great commandment. As I've been extra critical and judgmental of people lately, I need to do better. And perhaps keeping this end-of-life perspective will help me in my efforts to improve. 

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #371 - The Project, Part 2

Last week I described a virtual recording project that the members of the Tabernacle Choir were invited to participate in. And this week, I want to do a follow-up post just to share a few more thoughts about it.

Since final submissions were due this past Friday, there were a lot of Choir members who worked on their recording over the past few days. Monitoring our Facebook group, it became evident that the trials and travails I personally experienced with this project were not unique. Some posts were comical in nature, the winner being a tie between the following two:

"Was it just me, or did it seem like we were re-auditioning for the Choir this week?"

"Well, I’m fairly certain that if Mack or Ryan listen to my recording I just submitted, a dishonorable discharge is headed my way."

Honorable mention: "After about 20 takes, you just have to say that the horse is dead and move on."

Some posts were just pure "vent" posts and some were pure "relief" posts after having finally submitted their "best of the worst". Some posts described with words and pictures how long it had taken for them to set everything up--particularly getting the lighting just right since we were asked to do it a particular way. Some described the distractions they endured or discovered while recording. Everything from a cat playing with the hem of a dress, to a didn't-realize-it-was-so-loud ticking clock, to lighting setups falling down, to planes flying overhead, to dogs barking, to kids yelling... and the list goes on. 

In the end though, I think one post was able to describe the silver lining in all of this. In essence, it said that this painful solo project helped us all realize that we sound our very best when we are together singing as a choir. It's when we combine ALL of our voices that the "magic" happens and the resulting sound is beautiful, blended, and uplifting. 

So, if it took this project to help us further realize that, then maybe it was worth it after all.

TCATS #370 - The Project

Last week I mentioned that Choir members were invited to participate in a singing opportunity. While I'm still not at liberty to tell you what it's for or when it will be released, I need to tell you a little more about it--mainly because it's occupied several hours of my time this past week. AND, it's one reason why you read this blog in the first place: to get Choir news and perspective that you may not find elsewhere. 

The project we're involved in is a virtual singing project. Many choirs during this pandemic have attempted to publish virtual performances, mainly because the virtual method has been one of only a few viable/safe methods available. And in reality, the larger the choir, the fewer methods there are to pick from. So it makes sense that if the Tabernacle Choir was to do anything during this pandemic, it would be virtual. 

That said, I've come to appreciate why participating in a virtual performance may not be for everyone. First, it's definitely not choral singing. It's solo singing. I mean, yes, in the end, all the solos are put together to make it choral, but when you're recording your part, you're doing it by yourself and it can be quite intimidating. Second, getting the lighting and the overall "look" of the virtual performance to be just right is also challenging. Obviously the Tabernacle Choir wants to present a unified look, so we were given guidelines to follow--including wearing official Tabernacle Choir attire. But following them was no small task. Third, there's so much to remember while actually recording yourself singing. You're trying to look pleasant and engaged, while remembering the notes and words you just barely memorized. Breathing suddenly becomes a big deal when it's just you. There's no one around you to help cover THAT up. And holding long, sustained notes is also a big deal too, for the same reason. 

I did several "takes" of my submission and it was rather frustrating. In addition to the challenges mentioned above, my headphones kept cutting out for several of the takes. Then my phone suddenly popped up a message (right during a good take) that I was out of space and the recording couldn't continue! Ug. Anyway, at long last, I think was able to get one or two takes that could be submission worthy. I'll have to review them and make that determination in the next day or two. 

Anyway, this is all to say that while I was hoping for this project to become a reality for a long time now, and while I AM very grateful to be able to participate, it was much more work than I thought it would be. The Tabernacle Choir members are used to work and used to putting in long hours. But this particular work was different and required some unique forms of patience I wasn't used to. 

But it's all good. I have no doubt that the end product will be amazing and I look forward to seeing it someday. In the end, hard work and effort are keys to any successful venture. And I hope that each of you will certainly have a successful week ahead by working hard to make it so.

 Until next time, God be with you.