TCATS #289 - Smooth Sounds of Sissel

The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square presented their annual Pioneer Day Concert this weekend, with guest artist Sissel joining the program. Sissel was the guest artist for the 2006 Christmas Concert and since then, has been the "most requested" artist to return and perform again. And to Sissel's credit, not only did she agree to return, but she waived her normal performance fee in exchange for the choir and orchestra helping her with some songs she wanted to record. It was completely a win-win!

The days leading up to the concert were a bit long, as we rehearsed Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and Thursday night. Tuesday was pretty much just the choir and orchestra rehearsing their numbers. Wednesday was spent completely in recording three songs for Sissel, and then Thursday was sort of a run-through, but not really--which was interesting. Usually we just go through the concert from start to finish. But this time we stopped often to make adjustments and didn't necessarily go in order, either. The reason I mention this, is usually Thursday is the first time that the choir gets to actually SEE how things come together. I mean, we know what songs will be on the program, but we don't ever know how it will all flow, or what the narrations will be between songs (how things are tied together), etc. So to not get that on Thursday was rather interesting. Of course, that meant that our first glimpse of how it was all going to come together was the night of the first performance! So it goes...

At any rate, the concerts went really well and the audience really loved the smooth, ethereal sounds of Sissel. In addition, the background she shared on the songs and how she tied them into the themes of pioneering, freedom, working hard for something you believe in, dedication to God, etc, were near perfect. My favorite song of the concert was "O Store Gud" (O Great God) -- or rather "How Great Thou Art". I have never been a huge fan of that hymn (I've loved the lyrics, just not the music itself)--but wow...this arrangement we sang was absolutely heavenly. I don't have any other way to describe it. The harmonies and rhythm just completely spoke to my soul in a way this song never had before. One of the stand-out pieces the audience loved was a song called Slow Down, which earned Sissel a standing ovation. I loved that one too--especially its message of needing to slow things down so that we can listen to what God wants to tell us and more fully appreciate the blessings He gives us.

Aside from a music folder mishap I had (I've never experienced such a thing in my five years, but I guess there's a first time for everything!), the concert, for me personally, was a very uplifting, fun, and emotional experience for me, and I'm very grateful I got to be a part of it. I'm also grateful for the journey leading up to the concert. Sometimes the extra rehearsals and outside memorization work is difficult, but it's also rewarding.  And being on the journey with good friends who you enjoy and love makes it all the better.

If you were not able to see the concert yet, you can do so via YouTube, HERE.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #288 - 90 YEARS!

An historic day, today was! Ninety years ago, the weekly tradition of Music & the Spoken Word began. The first song performed-- "The Morning Breaks" --was broadcast on radio back in 1929 and thousands were able to tune in and listen. Today's broadcast began with that very same song, but this time it was broadcast to millions around the world who tune in each week via radio, TV, satellite, and the Internet. Indeed the audience numbers have grown. But one thing remains the same: our goal to inspire, bring peace, and help others feel God's love for them. 

For fun, here are some facts and figures about this historic milestone.
Music & the Spoken Word...

**has been broadcast continually on the Salt Lake City-based KSL radio since 1929, making it the United States' longest-running national radio program carried continuously on a network. 
**received two Peabody Awards, and was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2004, and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2010.
**made its television debut in October 1949, and is currently the longest running non-news program on television.
**enjoyed its 4,687th episode today.
**has only had four individuals be the voice of the Spoken Word during these 90 years: Ted Kimball, Richard L. Evans, J. Spencer Kinard, and Lloyd D. Newell. 
**used to begin with the phrase "From the crossroads of the West...". Now it begins with "From historic Temple Square in Salt Lake City...".
**always begins with the choir singing "Gently Raise the Sacred Strain" and ends with "God Be With You Till We Meet Again."
**did not originally have accompaniment by the Orchestra at Temple Square. That began in 1999.  
**has had seven music directors during its 90s years: Anthony Lund, J. Spencer Cornwall, Richard Condie, Jay Welch, Jerold Ottley, Craig Jessop, and Mack Wilberg (with associate director Ryan Murphy). 

To end today's post, I just wanted to relate a special experience that occurred Thursday night during rehearsal. Usually every week, we have special guests who attend the rehearsal. They may be government officials from another country, a group of people from various conventions held here in Salt Lake, or local civic and/or religious leaders from other faiths, etc. This past Thursday, we had a special needs young woman join us. President Jarrett gave her the opportunity to stand and direct the choir from where she was sitting in the audience. The only song we were rehearsing that she knew well was "Love One Another"--so when we started that one, she courageously stood and did an excellent job directing in the background while Ryan Murphy directed from the podium. I was just mainly touched by all of her family in attendance. As each of them came in, they greeted this young woman with a big hug and settled down into their seats to show support and love. 

And isn't that what family is all about?

Until next time, God be with you.  

TCATS #287 - Vocal (Barbershop) Majority

This past weekend, Salt Lake City hosted the 2019 International Barbershop Convention. Barbershop choral groups from all over the world convened to be educated, to sing, to compete, and to enjoy being with others whose passion is to relish in tight harmonies and beautiful music. 

Last year, one of the winners of the competition was a group called Vocal Majority and we were honored to have them as guest singers on today's Music & the Spoken Word. From Vocal Majority's website, here's just a little bit about them:

Imagine a group of 100+ men volunteering from all walks of life with varying degrees of musical talent and experience, with hearts full of joy, excitement and passion for singing. Call them Vocal Majority, then be prepared for an extraordinary musical experience that has touched tens of thousands of listeners around the world. Our tagline says it best: we're "pure harmony."  Over the years, Vocal Majority has released more than two-dozen recordings that feature their diverse musical repertoire that spans from sacred and inspirational, patriotic, time-honored barbershop, jazz, Broadway, pops, and Christmas. They have also medaled in every international competition in which they have competed.  

Vocal Majority - On today's broadcast

The Tabernacle Choir started today's program with two numbers, then Vocal Majority did two of their own, and then the program ended with both groups singing "All Creatures of Our God and King." It was great to have them there and the audience (which included many who had attended the conference) sure applauded with extra enthusiasm at the end of the performance. 

As a side note, at Thursday's rehearsal, Mack told us that we should be prepared to sing the last number, memorized, just in case Vocal Majority showed up having it memorized. I think some people in the choir were hoping that luck would shine down upon them and Vocal Majority wouldn't come prepared to sing it by memory. Well... no such luck :)  They were indeed prepared, so many in the choir were scrambling to cram the words into their heads during rehearsal and during the break. I was reminded of the scripture "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (or have to cram)! While I had studied the words myself, I felt I was just barely prepared--kind of like one of those houses made out of playing cards and the slightest movement or breeze would topple the whole thing. Not liking that feeling, I vowed to move from barely prepared, to fully prepared, next time.

I was talking with Willy afterwards on the ride home about the miracle of Music and the Spoken Word each week. He brought up the fact that we have so little time to prepare for this weekly performance and sometimes during the rehearsals, we wonder "is this really going to come together? Can we maintain or even improve upon our reputation? Will we remember all of the things that were pointed out during rehearsal and actually implement them so our international audience both hears and feels music that is hopefully approaching near perfection?" 

At any rate, I was grateful to be a part of this experience today, was grateful to share the stage with these talented singers, and was grateful for the spoken word message today that ended with this most important reminder: "No, you can’t do barbershop alone, and you can’t do life alone either. We need each other. We need friendship and fellowship. We all do better, we all live happier and more peaceful lives, when we are in harmony with others."

Amen!

Until next time, God be with you. 

Vocal Majority. Don't their faces just show how excited they are to be there? The men of the Tabernacle Choir could probably learn a thing or two and make some improvements!

 

TCATS #286 - To Be An American

Music & the Spoken Word today was the annual Independence Day Special and we sang six patriotic numbers to celebrate America--its history, its places, its people, and its symbols. Did I enjoy participating? Yes. Was the music uplifting and inspiring? Yes. Do I still think that God inspired men and women which in turn, gave way to the birth of this nation? Absolutely. The internal conflict I always have, though, as we celebrate the United States of America, is having less and less confidence that America still stands for what it originally stood for. I also have less confidence each passing year in its leaders and exactly where they are leading us to. Also, what exactly does it mean to be "an American" these days, anyway?

Despite my conflict, the one lyric that stood out to me the most today (and the one I really felt something while singing) was from the song "God Bless the USA". Along with that title which is always an earnest prayer of mine, there's a lyric that goes "And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free."

Amid the challenges and strife this nation is going through on so many different levels, there's some comfort in knowing that as citizens of this country, at least we know we're free. We're still free to dream, to think, to love, to help, and to smile. We're also free to criticize, to protest, to defend, to protect, and to worship. There are lots of things we are still free to do, knowing that all of our actions have consequences that either strengthen this nation, or weaken it. That either give a favorable or unfavorable meaning to the word "American".

I'm thankful for family, friends, and other people in my life who symbolize all that's still good with America. When I look at them, the answer to the question of what it really means to be an American, becomes clearer. They are the ones that carry my hope that this nation will continue to do great things, things that can make us all proud.

Until next time, God be with you. 

Singing "This is Great Country"

TCATS #285 - What or Who or Where is Gilead?

I'm embarrassed to say that until today, I was not sure what the word "Gilead" meant--in reference to the phrase "balm of Gilead". I had heard the phrase while in my youth, and it comes up occasionally when singing certain hymns (like the one we sang today during Music & the Spoken Word), but I've never taken the time to ask anyone, or look up what or who Gilead is. Just in case there are one or two of you who don't know either, I provide to you what I've learned.

First off, the literal meaning of the phrase refers to an aromatic resin that is used to heal wounds. The bush that produces the resin used in making this healing balm was one that grew plentifully in a city named Gilead (as referenced in the Old Testament). Boyd K Packer, in a talk he gave, mentioned that "in ancient times there came from Gilead, beyond the Jordan, an ointment made from the gum of a tree. It was a major commodity in trade. The Ishmaelite traders who purchased Joseph from his brothers were carrying this balm of Gilead to Egypt."

The spiritual meaning of the phrase, from a Christian standpoint, simply refers to Jesus Christ as being the balm of Gilead for all mankind. It's through Him that we can be healed. Here are the words of a traditional African-American spiritual we sang today:

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

Sometimes I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

If you cannot preach like Peter,
If you cannot pray like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus,
And say "He died for all." 

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

The lyrics of this song speak to the plight of every person on earth. We are all sin-sick. We often feel discouraged. We work and toil and persevere and at the end of each day, we may sometimes feel like our efforts have been in vain. Then something happens. Some experience, some moment, when our low supply of hope gets renewed and we are able to keep moving forward. Christians believe that such renewal of hope comes from Jesus Christ who suffered for all so that their suffering might be made light, might be bearable, might even in some cases be alleviated. At the very least, Christ takes His ointment and generously applies it to our wounds of sin. We can then be free from those wounds and move forward in greater faith and confidence.

How grateful I am for Him. And how grateful I am for the spiritual balm of Gilead He provides.

Until next time, God be with you. 

TCATS #284 - Dad Assessment

Each year when Father's Day comes around, I ask myself two questions: how am I doing in my fatherhood role? And, how is my relationship with my own father? As we sang the song FATHER today, I couldn't help remember back to when I was a young dad, not really knowing what I was doing, but enjoying the payoffs that fatherhood brought. What's not to love when your kids give you big hugs, say "I love you daddy", fall asleep peacefully in your arms, or are eager for you to sing them another song or tell them another story? Yes, there were plenty of frustrating and hard moments, but the positive experiences far outweighed those. As my kids are mostly all now in an older stage of life, the stakes are higher and the worries are more complex. Do I tell them I love them enough? Do I listen enough (really listen)? Do I give good advice? Am I too lenient? Do I give them my best self? Do I give them enough time? Am I setting a good example? 

These are all questions that are continually going through my head without any answers. In fact, in regards to that last question about setting a good example, I have to echo a line from the Spoken Word today: "Nothing makes a man aware of his weaknesses quite like fatherhood, and the only thing worse than fearing that his children won’t follow his example is realizing that they probably will."
 
While I don't know if my example is good enough, I sure pray for help everyday from my Heavenly Father in hopes that He'll inspire me and lead me in being the best dad I can be.

As for my relationship with my own dad, we've had a few extra conversations this year that have helped our relationship to be more than it ever has. So I'm grateful for that. We still don't have a lot in common and probably never will, but I've learned that that is OK. We can still talk, can still love, and still appreciate, and can still find common ground in our quest to be good fathers to our kids. I love my dad very much and look forward to more conversations in the years to come.

To end today's post, I just want to thank my wife for her important contributions in helping me be a better dad. She helps me know when I'm doing well and lovingly helps me do better in areas I need to improve upon. Thank you Jennifer. :)

Until next time, God be with you.

Singing on today's broadcast

Some pics from a little photo shoot after the broadcast

TCATS #283 - Tour Q&A

Ever since the 2020 Tour was announced a few weeks ago, I've received a lot of questions from people: family members, friends, co-workers, and even newer members of the Choir. So, I thought I'd take a few minutes and put together a Q&A post, inspired by my friend Siope (friend and fellow bass in the Choir) and included here for the benefit of those who have questions. Note that these questions and answers won't cover basic fundamental info that can be found in the official tour announcement you can read, here.

Q:  Is going on tour a mandatory requirement of being a member of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square?
A: No, it's not. It's left up to the individual to decide if he/she wants to participate.

Q: What factors are considered by those trying to figure out if they want to go?
A: First, they have to meet the official requirements set forth by the Choir administration. These include things like attendance record, seniority, whether or not it's your last tour opportunity, and having a doctor certify you're up for the physical demands of tour. Second, they have to take into account personal considerations such as time off from work (15 working days), family summer plans, and whether they are ready for how demanding tour can be.


Q: If everyone in the Choir wanted to go, and met the requirements, could they?
A: No, logistically that just couldn't happen. There are a lot of reasons why, but to give you an example of just one: venue capacity. Most concert halls we perform at don't have the capability to handle a choir as large as the Tabernacle Choir. 

Q: Do those going on tour get financially compensated?
A: Nope!

Q: I heard that spouses can go on tour. Is that true?
A: Choir members who meet all of the eligibility requirements and are selected to go on tour can request that their spouse (or a "guest") come as well. However, there are only a certain number of guest "slots" available--so not all choir members who want their spouse to come will have that opportunity. Additionally, guests have to pay their own way to come (choir members are paid for), and the cost can be significant (anywhere from $5000 to $7500 typically). 

Q: Isn't tour mainly just having a good time with little to worry about?
A: Those going on tour have a good time, sure, but it's a lot of work. As Siope mentioned in his post, it's like a job. There is sightseeing time and down time during the tour, but there's always quite a schedule to keep. Early mornings, very late nights, sometimes sleeping on the bus, walking lengthy distances, etc. Plus choir members on tour naturally worry about their families back home. Those leaving a spouse behind and who have kids still at home might worry a little extra that everything is going OK. 

Q: Do you choose a roommate? Or are roommates assigned?
A: Once you are approved/selected to go, then you figure out who you want your roommate to be (and hope that whoever you choose wants to be yours!). This process can be a little bit stressful--not only in the asking, but in the realization that you'll be rooming with this person for three weeks. You hope they can live with your quirks, your possible snoring, and any idiosyncrasies you may have. Of course if your spouse is going, then he/she is your roommate and you don't have to worry about the whole roommate selection process!

Q: What's the hardest part about the pre-tour and on-tour experience, for you?
A: Well, pre-tour, it's first figuring out if it's even possible for me to go, given scheduling conflicts, getting time off from work, etc. Then it's consulting with my wife to gauge her interest level and the overall feasibility of her coming given the financial cost, being away from kids & home, etc. But most importantly, it's praying to know if God wants either, or both of us, to go in the first place. It's a big commitment and comes at a cost. Maybe He has other plans for us and we try to be open to those alternate plans. So overall, it's an involved process. I've heard some choir members talk about tour who don't even give it a second thought as to whether or not they'll go--of course they're going (assuming they meet all of the selection criteria). I'm glad it's so easy for them. But for me, there are a lot of considerations and it occupies a lot of my pondering time. While I'm on tour, I think the hardest part is just worrying if things at home are going OK and missing my wife and kids.

Q: Lastly, what do you like most about tour?
A: Having the opportunity, through music, to share my love, my testimony, and the truths of the gospel of Christ with the people who come to the concerts. There's nothing I enjoy more than that. The sightseeing is nice. Tasting new foods is, well, interesting. And spending quality time with other choir members is really great, too (since that's really hard to do during the short 10-15 min breaks each week). But the concerts themselves are what make all of the sacrifices worth it.

The deadline for choir members to submit a "yes" or "no" to the question "Are you wanting to participate?" is July 15, 2019. We'll see how things turn out for me!

Until next time, God be with you.