MTC Week #34 - The Gift of Memorizing (and the Blessings)

So it goes without saying that anyone who's involved in a choir goes through the process of memorizing songs. Typically there's a lot of lead time and rehearsals so that when it comes to performance time, you're ready to go! And it's a good feeling, isn't it? You not only know the lyrics, but hopefully they've come to settle somewhere in your heart--they've become a part of you. And when you sing the memorized song, you can sing it with conviction and project to your listeners the true meaning the song is trying to convey.

As I've mentioned before, I'm amazed in this choir how much music we go through and how quickly we have to learn it. I didn't expect anything less going into this experience, but anticipating it and then actually being in the middle of it are two different things.  Fortunately, I THINK memorizing is becoming a little easier for me, though when asked to memorize multiple songs in a short amount of time it is still overwhelming. 

I want to testify though, that the Holy Ghost is a great source of help in this challenge. Not only is he a comforter and one who imparts knowledge and understanding, but he can help speed up the memorizing process and can help you recall what you've practiced. 

As an example, today as I was singing "On a Wonderful Day Like Today" I started to experience some gripping fear, multiple times, that my mind would go blank and I would stand there looking like a mumbling fool. Not only had I just barely taken a stab at memorizing it the day before, but it was a fairly fast-paced song requiring a lot of thinking ahead. However, at those fearful moments, a calm would come and my skills of remembering and thinking ahead were quickened. I attribute that calmness to the Holy Ghost and appreciate his help.

(As a side note, I normally start memorizing a piece much earlier than just the day before but the week leading up to this performance I was on a much needed family vacation)

To end this post, I wanted to include something that a fellow choir member posted as it ties in with the Holy Ghost and the role he has as a comforter. I'll end with that...  Until next time, God be with you.

From Siope Kinikini:  
Prayers and thoughts go out to my childhood friends whose daughter passed away while serving her mission this past week. As well as the two missionaries who passed in Asia. These lyrics really touched me this morning and made me grateful for the Savior and the knowledge that we can return home to our Heavenly Father. In those quiet moments that are to come for these families I pray they feel comfort.

MTC Week #32 - Surprise Visitor

For those of us in the Choir who were asked not to participate in the Deer Valley Concert this week because of size limitations, it was a rather choir-less week. And I for one kind of missed it! While I certainly enjoyed the extra time with the family (we went to the Ogden Temple open house as a family and my wife and I went on an extra date amongst other things), I missed being with the choir and those who I've come to enjoy seeing and talking to each week. I didn't realize how much I missed it until those who were singing at Deer Valley started posting pictures of the event on Facebook. 

My "freshman" brethren at the concert

President Thomas S. Monson

So I was glad to see them all on Sunday morning as we prepared for our Music & Spoken Word broadcast. I was glad to sing some wonderful hymns. I was glad to talk to my carpooling buddy Ben. And I was glad to see President Thomas S. Monson come into the Conference Center to watch the broadcast. It sounded like not many knew he was coming, but as he entered the auditorium, everyone stood with respect and it was fun to sing through the broadcast knowing he was looking up at us and feeling the spirit of the music and the message (which centered on love and kindness).

As has happened in the past, I was singing one of the songs today during the rehearsal (Brother James' Air) and just looked around at everything and was extremely glad for all of the blessings I've been given--including being a member of this wonderful organization.

Until next time...God be with you!

MTC Week #31 - One Person Can Change the World!

The choir has been singing a lot of Broadway/movie tunes lately, which fact Bro. Wilberg admitted, and which will be coming to an end shortly. Not that there's anything wrong with Broadway tunes. In fact, I've quite enjoyed learning them being a big Broadway musical fan myself. However, Bro. Wilberg will be getting back to a more wide variety here soon now that the Pioneer Day Concert is over and the concert at Deer Valley will be over later this week.

Today on Music & the Spoken Word, we sang a couple of showtunes, one of which was quite catchy and had some fantastic lyrics. The song was "One Person" from the musical "Dear World." This musical starred Angela Lansbury and opened in 1969 (to rather poor reviews). At any rate, our associate conductor Bro. Ryan Murphy came up with a great arrangement of this song which we sang on the broadcast today. Here are the lyrics:

One person can beat a drum
And make enough noise for ten;
One person can blow a horn
And that little boom
And that little blare
Can make a hundreds others care.

And one person can hold a torch
And light up the sky again.
And one little voice that's squeaking a song,
Can make a million voices strong.

If one person can beat a drum,
And one person can blow a horn,
If one person can hold a torch,

Then one person can change the world! 

I just love the message that one person really can make a difference. His or her small acts can affect countless others. So make those actions count!

Two other things about today.... First, I got to sit next to Joseph Ogden for the performance today and I was happy about that as the two of us sang in Concert Choir together nearly 20 years ago. Over the past few years as I watched the choir on TV (and not yet being in the choir) I remember seeing Joseph singing and thinking how great it would be to reconnect. And today that happened :)  Second, there was a really large group of Japanese students in the audience today and I kept praying they'd all have a great experience (having spent two years in Japan myself). 

This week is the Deer Valley concert which I won't be participating in. The venue only holds 250 singers so the choir staff was asking for volunteers to "sit this one out." It promises to be a great event though if any of you locals want a nice evening under the stars with great music.

Until next time...God be with you!

MTC Week#30 - Officially Official

An important part of being in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is to be officially set apart as a "musical missionary." For those of you who might be reading this post and are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the term "set apart" might be a bit perplexing. You can think of it as

the formal act of receiving a call to serve or receiving a title that enables you to fulfill what you are being asked to do. All members of the Church, when they are asked to fill a position (such as Sunday School teacher, or a leader of the young men or young women, or a missionary, etc) are set apart to do so. Leaders within the church who hold the priesthood, lay their hands on the head of the individual being set apart, and not only officially call them to serve in a specific position, but they give counsel and blessings that enable the individual to be successful. (You can learn more about this, HERE).

So, even though I've been in the choir 30 weeks now, my setting apart was

today. Part of the reason for the delay was simply the fact that there were about 60 of us new choir members and because these setting aparts involve having family members and friends come to show support and love, they've been scheduling a few every week since we finished choir school. I happened to choose the last day offered, so that my parents (who have been serving as missionaries in West Virginia) could attend. 

Anyhow, it was a nice occasion and I'm grateful for those who offered advice and counsel. Particularly Scott Barrick, who was the one who actually performed the setting apart. Among other things, he counseled me to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ so that the spirit of God could help me not only sing well (from a musicality perspective) but to sing with testimony and conviction that would help others feel the spirit and want to improve their lives.

Music & the Spoken Word today was a bit challenging. Due to us not meeting on Thursday evening as usual (the choir took the night off since it was Pioneer Day) and due to my setting apart being right during rehearsal time, I was almost sight-reading the five pieces we sang today. That's not the best way to go into a performance!

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #29 - Summer Celebration Pioneer Day Concert

It was a busy week for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square as we prepared for our Pioneer Day Summer Celebration of Song Concert on Friday and Saturday of this past week. We met Tuesday evening to rehearse and then again on Thursday. Thursday our guest artist Santino Fantana was there and it was fun to see how all of the songs we've been rehearsing were coming together with him added into the program. 

What's funny though, is we never once went through the entire program from beginning to end so when we sang the first concert on Friday night, it almost felt like a glorified dress rehearsal :)  Such is how it goes with the Choir I've come to find out. It all works out in the end, but sometimes you just never know how it will!

All that said, it was a very fun concert. The conference center's 21,000 seats were almost all filled both nights and the audience seemed to really love Santino. Our local newspapers gave glowing reviews (see HERE and HERE) and you can actually watch the concert on YouTube (at least for now) here. I almost think that the organ and orchestra number stole the show (the crowd went wild and they were instantly to their feet following its conclusion). I tried thinking of my favorite song from a singer's perspective and had a difficult time. I

truly liked them all for different reasons. Some were spiritually moving. Some were just plain fun. And some brought back memories of musicals I've been in or attended. The last song we sang was a "Happy" medley which was a combination of songs that speak of happiness and it was not only a crowd pleaser but one that I'm glad we ended on since the message of happiness is what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about.

To end this week's post, I just wanted to express thanks for a few things related to this past weekend.

• was grateful for my fellow basses surrounding me and keeping me on the right notes (particularly on all of the jumps in the pioneer songs). 
  
  I made a couple of new friends and that it always a cause for celebration (aren't relationships one of the most treasured things we have?)
• was grateful for a teleprompter to remind me from time to time what the lyrics to songs were. I'm not sure all of the reasons why we had one in the first place, and I quickly realized it's only useful to occasionally look at them (when I looked at them too much, my brain seemed to go on autopilot)
• was grateful seeing the audience members so happy and excited to be at the concerts. Their applause and smiles and enthusiasm make all this worth it 100 times over
• was grateful for the pioneers themselves which is why we had the concert in the first place. While I'm grateful for their sacrifice, I also realize we're all pioneers in some respect, "forging onward ever onward."
• was VERY grateful for the song we sang at the end of Music & the Spoken Word today (which was also dedicated to pioneers). The song was Redeemer of Israel (Mack Wilberg version) and there are two reasons why this song means to much to me. First, I just really feel the spirit when I sing it. I get teary eyed every time. They lyrics are powerful and they seem to perfectly combine with the music to just penetrate your heart. Second, it was one of the last songs I sang with the BYU Concert Choir back in 1997 when Mack Wilberg was the director. I remember thinking that it very well might be the last time I get to sing that song in a professional choir setting. It left a hole in my heart. But today, there I was, singing it again and I felt absolutely grateful for the incredible blessing of being in this choir. 

Until next time, God be with you...

MTC Week #28 - Give Oh Give

From Catherine Davis, a West Virginia
missionary who said, "I feel so blessed
to know Pres. & Sis. Pitt. Thanks for
changing my life for the better!"

Veering off the Tabernacle Choir path just a bit, I wanted to first thank my parents for all of the service they provided to those in West Virginia these past three years. They recently returned from serving as mission presidents there and today they were asked to speak in church and share some of their experiences. It was very evident as they spoke that their mission experiences have a) deeply increased their love of the Savior Jesus Christ; b) deepened their love for individuals in general; c) helped them gain more gospel and scripture knowledge and insights; d) and above all, has helped them experience previously unknown blessings that come from serving others.

Serving others is a wonderful win-win opportunity. You learn to love those you serve, and those you serve love you back. I saw that love today as there was standing room only at the church service and hundreds that showed up afterwards at their home for a reception. As I helped shuttle people up to the house from parking quite far away, they all said the same thing: "We just love your parents. They are such good people!"

At our Music & Spoken Word broadcast today, one of the songs we sang was "Give, Said the Little Stream." It's typically sung by children during primary but its lyrics apply to all of us, young or old. They lyrics are simple and nature-based. Here's a little stream who is constantly giving to all as it goes down the hill. The grass, the plants, the flowers are all benefited by the life-giving water. There's a verse about the rain that provides life to all it falls upon. And then there's the last verse which I quote here: 

Give, then, as Jesus gives,
Give, oh! give, give, oh! give.
Give, then, as Jesus gives;
There is something all can give.
Do as the streams and blossoms do:

For God and others live.

Just as my parents gave 24x7 service to missionaries for three years, we can all give of ourselves each and every day. Opportunities for service abound and taking advantage of them will most certainly help us be happier and help us love others as the Savior loves them.

As an aside, I just want to say what a joy it was to sing that song today.

Ryan Murphy conducting "Give Said
the Little Stream"

Ryan Murphy, who arranged this version, is literally aglow when he conducts it and his smile and enthusiasm just come into my heart making me happy. He knows the value of giving and when I sang today, I was reminded of that important truth.

Until next time...God be with you.

PS: If you can't make it to our Pioneer Day Summer Song Celebration Concert, check out the info HERE as to other ways you can watch it. It's going to be a fun one.

MTC Week #27 - Ambassadors of Light

So we had a few interesting guests in the audience today for Music and the Spoken Word. One was Mitt Romney (who received a standing ovation when he was introduced), and one was John Rhys-Davies--who, for all of your Lord of the Rings fans, played the part of Gimli the dwarf. Mr. Davies was also a guest performer (see 1:27 into the performance) at the 2013 Christmas Concert. 

John Rhys-Davies

After the program was over and the audience was leaving, Mr. Davies came up to the podium and said a few complimentary and kind words to the choir. He said that he is always very inspired when he listens to us sing and that we are probably the only choir in the world who can have such an inspirational effect because of the way we live our lives. The morals and standards and principles we live in our personal lives are directly reflected in what we sing and the way we sing it.

While choir members have their shortcomings and faults just like anyone else, we certainly do try to live good lives that follow the example of our Savior. We are ambassadors of light, charged with sharing that light with the world through music and song. Some lyrics from one of today's songs speaks of this charge: 

Hear us, we humbly pray;
And, where the gospel’s day
Sheds not its glorious ray,
  Let there be light!
Oh, now to all mankind
  Let there be light!
Through the earth, far and wide,
  Let there be light! 
(Let There Be Light, words by John Marriott)

Every single person on earth is given the light of Christ. Our goal is to help that light grow brighter within each person who hears us. And hopefully, with a brighter light, individuals improve their lives and strive to become more like their Savior.

Elder Quentin L. Cook summed it up best:

The moral foundation of our doctrine can be a beacon light to the world and can be a unifying force for both morality and faith in Jesus Christ. We need to protect our families and be at the forefront together with all people of goodwill in doing everything we can to preserve light, hope, and morality in our communities.


If we both live and proclaim these principles, we will be following Jesus Christ, who is the true Light of the World. We can be a force for righteousness in preparing for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We look forward to that beautiful day when “free hearts will sing when the lights go on again all over the world.”



Until next time...God be with you.