January is traditionally a "down" time for the Tabernacle Choir, and January 2020 has been no different. It's nice, really, to just go to rehearsal Thursday nights, prepare for Music and the Spoken Word on Sunday, and get to go home a bit early! It's simple. Even today's broadcast would, in my opinion, fall into the "simple" category. The songs we sang really weren't hard to sing (yes, they took practice, but they were all pretty familiar) and the whole experience just seemed to flow like honey.
Of course our director is telling us to really enjoy this time because the rest of the year will be back to normal (i.e. crazy busy) starting in February. And in looking at our calendar, he's absolutely right. There is an event to two I can't announce yet, but the ones that have been announced include an ACDA performance, an Easter Concert (singing "The Messiah" again), a special General Conference as announced by President Nelson, and a tour to get ready for in June. All of these events will take considerable effort to prepare for and extra rehearsals will start up in earnest very soon.
As we were about to sing God Be With You to our audience today, I scanned the individuals who had come to the Conference Center to see us and tried to figure out WHO to sing to. This is sort of my weekly routine I do. It's easier to do it in the Tabernacle because the people are closer and I can see faces and I get more promptings. But I found a guy who was sitting near the back, alone, and felt to sing to him. So I did. It's kind of funny, really, what goes on in my head when I sing to each of these people. I think that one day I'll get to meet them. One day in heaven, maybe, when all is said and done. I'll get to meet this rather large group of people, each one having attended at least one Music & the Spoken Word broadcasts, each one having been sung to. Chances are very high they don't even know they were sung too! But that would be cool, nonetheless.
Until next time, God be with you.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Sunday, January 5, 2020
TCATS #313 - The Cycle Begins Again
Thursday night as Ben, Willy and I rode into the Conference Center for rehearsal, we planned on a few extra minutes needed to get our music from our music lockers at the Tabernacle. Normally we take the underground tunnel from the two buildings, but we were told that the tunnel would be closed starting Jan 2nd, and we'd need to travel above ground. So we did that. Then at rehearsal, President Jarrett stood and told us that the tunnel was actually still accessible! So we all took the tunnel back after rehearsal was over, glad to be out of the cold of the night.
As I was getting my music, one of the choir leaders was giving all of the new choir members a tour of the various facilities underneath the Tabernacle. Signs were posted on how to get into their lockers, and instruction was being giving on various other things that they needed to know. As I looked into their eager, excited eyes, I felt very happy for them. And a bit envious too. Envy because I remember how exciting it all WAS! Am I still excited to be a choir member? Absolutely, but it's a different kind of excitement. The new-ness, the "what's around the corner", the meeting of new people, the figuring out how things work, the realization of millions of people seeing me on camera....all of that is not a big thing anymore. And I genuinely miss it.
That said, while the new people are starting their Tabernacle Chorale experience in preparation to join the Choir in May, the rest of us did the first broadcast of the year, today, and were told on Thursday about how busy this year would be for us. I had already known it would be busy looking at our advanced calendar for 2020. But as Mack reiterated that fact verbally, I realized more fully just how busy it would all be. Particularly with an ACDA concert and the tour coming up.
Thankful to be part of it all and as I thus begin my 7th year with this organization, I'm excited for the continued adventures I'll get to be a part of.
Until next time, God be with you.
As I was getting my music, one of the choir leaders was giving all of the new choir members a tour of the various facilities underneath the Tabernacle. Signs were posted on how to get into their lockers, and instruction was being giving on various other things that they needed to know. As I looked into their eager, excited eyes, I felt very happy for them. And a bit envious too. Envy because I remember how exciting it all WAS! Am I still excited to be a choir member? Absolutely, but it's a different kind of excitement. The new-ness, the "what's around the corner", the meeting of new people, the figuring out how things work, the realization of millions of people seeing me on camera....all of that is not a big thing anymore. And I genuinely miss it.
That said, while the new people are starting their Tabernacle Chorale experience in preparation to join the Choir in May, the rest of us did the first broadcast of the year, today, and were told on Thursday about how busy this year would be for us. I had already known it would be busy looking at our advanced calendar for 2020. But as Mack reiterated that fact verbally, I realized more fully just how busy it would all be. Particularly with an ACDA concert and the tour coming up.
Thankful to be part of it all and as I thus begin my 7th year with this organization, I'm excited for the continued adventures I'll get to be a part of.
Until next time, God be with you.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
TCATS #312 - By the Numbers! 2019
Numbers never tell the whole story. There's always so much more behind them. But they do tell one side of the story and each year I like to compile them and see how things turned out. I do this partly because a find it interesting, and partly because my friend Siope (See-oh-pay)--who has become our unofficial choir statistician--produces a pictogram each year to show the numbers in a fun and interesting way and consults with me in doing that. Anyway, without further ado, here's how things ended up. Hope each of you have a fun closing-out of 2019 and are looking forward to the adventures that 2020 will bring.
Until next time, God be with you!
Stats below are duplicated above, just in a different format. The above pictogram is more complete.
Until next time, God be with you!
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| (Click to enlarge) |
Stats below are duplicated above, just in a different format. The above pictogram is more complete.
Broadcasts: 52
Events:
13 (Easter Concert, April Conference, Tanner Gift of Music Concert, Pioneer Day Concert, Sissel
Recording Project, Mini-Concert for US Governor's Association, Recording Session #2,
Mini-Concert for UN Civil Society, President Nelson's Birthday Concert, October General Conference, Temple
President Seminar, First Presidency Devotional, Christmas Concert)
Number of Songs Sung: 384 (multiple instances of concerts only counted once)
Most Sung Song:
7-way tie--> How Firm a Foundation, Love Divine All Loves Excelling,
America the Beautiful, America the Dream Goes On, Press Forward Saints,
Guide Us O Thou Great Jehovah, I Think the World is Glorious (four
times each)
Most Worn Tie: Red Snowflake (7 times) and Yellow (7 times)
Least Worn Tie: Hypno (1)
Most Worn Suit: Charcoal, Black and Blue all tied (14 times each)
Least Worn Suit: Blue Blazer (8) (not counting Creme coat or Tux)
Most Worn Dress: Blue (12)
Least Worn Dress: Black (4)
Number of Extra Rehearsals: 40!
Albums Released: 2 (Let Us All Press On, Angels Among Us)
Sunday, December 22, 2019
TCATS #311 - Sick
Friday morning, I woke up with a scratchy throat.
The first thought I had (thinking the throat issue would lead to a cold) was "How am I going to sing with my son for our family talent show this coming Monday?"
The second thought I had was "What am I going to do about Sunday morning with the Tabernacle Choir? Should I go and observe the broadcast, staying away from people? Should I go and try and sing if I felt up to it? (sometimes God does miraculous things for singers who are supposed to sing) Or should I just stay home."
My third thought, thinking more long-term, was "What about Christmas and my daughter's wedding next week!"
For my first thought, I pinned down my son after he got home from school and told him we needed to record the song--right then and there. That way, if I really was getting a cold and my voice was shot on Monday, we'd still have something to share at the talent show. Thankfully our recording turned out pretty well ("When Your Feet Don't Touch the Ground", from the musical FINDING NEVERLAND), despite my tendency to get emotional--which I always do when I hear or sing that song.
For my second thought, as Saturday night came and I was out with my wife doing a little shopping, the decision became clear given the state of my nose and my voice: I'd need to stay home.
I texted my carpool and a few others and gave them the news.
Reply texts came back:
"I'll be praying for you!"
"Bummer Ryan! Feel better soon."
"I'll sing extra for you tomorrow."
Then I went to bed hoping a miracle would occur overnight.
Well, that didn't happen. If anything, the cold was worse (the only good part about it being worse was that it validated my decision to stay home). So, after my family left for church, I turned on Music & the Spoken Word and enjoyed the last Christmas episode of the year, bundled up on the couch wishing I was at the Conference Center feeling healthy and singing. But, it WAS sort of nice to be on the couch, and it was definitely fun to feel the Christmas spirit while seeing my fellow choir friends giving their best.
As for my third thought... well, the jury is still out.
I'll keep my faith and hope high.
Until next time, God be with you.
PS: tune in next week for some very interesting year-end choir statistics!
The first thought I had (thinking the throat issue would lead to a cold) was "How am I going to sing with my son for our family talent show this coming Monday?"
The second thought I had was "What am I going to do about Sunday morning with the Tabernacle Choir? Should I go and observe the broadcast, staying away from people? Should I go and try and sing if I felt up to it? (sometimes God does miraculous things for singers who are supposed to sing) Or should I just stay home."
My third thought, thinking more long-term, was "What about Christmas and my daughter's wedding next week!"
For my first thought, I pinned down my son after he got home from school and told him we needed to record the song--right then and there. That way, if I really was getting a cold and my voice was shot on Monday, we'd still have something to share at the talent show. Thankfully our recording turned out pretty well ("When Your Feet Don't Touch the Ground", from the musical FINDING NEVERLAND), despite my tendency to get emotional--which I always do when I hear or sing that song.
For my second thought, as Saturday night came and I was out with my wife doing a little shopping, the decision became clear given the state of my nose and my voice: I'd need to stay home.
I texted my carpool and a few others and gave them the news.
Reply texts came back:
"I'll be praying for you!"
"Bummer Ryan! Feel better soon."
"I'll sing extra for you tomorrow."
Then I went to bed hoping a miracle would occur overnight.
Well, that didn't happen. If anything, the cold was worse (the only good part about it being worse was that it validated my decision to stay home). So, after my family left for church, I turned on Music & the Spoken Word and enjoyed the last Christmas episode of the year, bundled up on the couch wishing I was at the Conference Center feeling healthy and singing. But, it WAS sort of nice to be on the couch, and it was definitely fun to feel the Christmas spirit while seeing my fellow choir friends giving their best.
As for my third thought... well, the jury is still out.
I'll keep my faith and hope high.
Until next time, God be with you.
PS: tune in next week for some very interesting year-end choir statistics!
Sunday, December 15, 2019
TCATS #310 - Christmas Concert 2019
This year's Christmas Concert with guest stars Kelli O'Hara and Richard Thomas
marked the 20th anniversary of when the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra began putting on Christmas concerts in the Conference Center. (There's a great article about that, HERE, if you're interested) After twelve extra rehearsals, various regular rehearsals, and lots of outside memorization time, the choir and orchestra thoroughly enjoyed sharing their talents and testimonies of Christ through music and song for this concert. The guest stars didn't disappoint in the least, and the dancers were the sweet icing on the cake--bringing the music to life!
(There's a two-minute video clip of some concert highlights, HERE)
I have a few favorite moments of the concert that I'd like to share.
First, this year the choir did something they've never done before in a Christmas Concert (or any concert for that matter). We began the concert at the back of the Conference Center--a grand processional that included walking to the rhythm of "Star in the East", holding candles, and working our way up to the choir seats. This all took lots of practice as the coordination and timing of the various lines of choir members needed to be precise. When it was all said and done though, I think the audience enjoyed it. And for me personally, I had some sweet moments of feeling like I was bringing my little light (which, to me, represented my personalized devotion) to the baby Christ child that holy night so long ago. For other choir members, they were just happy to see the smiling faces of audience members--which we normally don't get to see since we're so far away from them. At any rate, it was a fun and memorable way to start the concert.
Second, the Tree of Life scene was really touching. We had sung the Tree of Life
before on other concerts and at an official recording session we had a while back. It's a song composed by Mack Wilberg (lyrics by David Warner) that describes what the Tree of Life and its fruit represents: the love of God--and how that love helps us personally and how its meant to be given away to help others. A friend of mine expressed his thoughts about this scene in which several of the dancers were depicting this "love of God" theme. And I completely agreed with his assessment: that even though this wasn't a Christmas song per se, it's what Christmas is all about--feeling the love of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and then expressing that love to others.
Third, I loved the story that Richard Thomas (the narrator) shared--about a boy surprising his father on Christmas day by waking up before 3 AM to get the milking done. The story itself was touching, but the part that I liked the most came from these lines: "Milking for once was not a chore. It was something else--a gift to his father, who loved him." I think that whenever we can make the transformation from doing good and important things because we have to or because we're expected to, to doing them because we truly love the person we're doing them for, then we truly have reason to celebrate.
Lastly, because of where I was standing (right by the edge), I was able to see a bunch of young kids come on stage right in front of me and then lift up the lights they were holding as part of a larger presentation going on. The kids were smiling from ear to ear. And as I watched them combine their lights together, holding them up high, I thought about the responsibility we all have to lift up our lights--our goodness, our happiness--and share it with others. When we do that, and when we combine our light with the light of others, it's truly a force for good in this world.
Well, I could go on and on about other elements of the concert (the nativity scene was cool, too), but I'll just end my thoughts by saying once again how grateful I am for the blessing of singing with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. I'm grateful for my family who (especially this past week) has been there to support me during what's normally a busy time anyway. Thanks fam! And I'm also grateful for my close choir friends who's support I both enjoy and rely on.
Merry Christmas everyone! And until next time, God be with you.
PS: As always, the crowd went wild over Richard Elliott's organ piece (which was accompanied by a bluegrass band). Every year we expect an outstanding performance, and this year he continued to live up to that expectation!
Photos above courtesy of Deseret News.
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| About to rehearse the Processional |
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| Wes and I had the responsibility of being two of the "line leaders" for the processional |
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| The view from where I sat (rehearsal) |
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| Some of my choir buddies! |
Sunday, December 8, 2019
TCATS #309 - Ripple
Well, it's late, I'm tired, and I still have a blog entry to write! Forgive me if this is a bit of a jumbled mess. At least I can get points for being consistent every week!
A couple of weeks ago, I gave a talk in my ward about the Tabernacle Choir. I started off answering some commonly asked questions about the Choir, and then ended with saying some words about an important topic--the need for each of us to play our part. Along with just sharing some thoughts on that topic, I actually read one of my previous blog posts about it (HERE) and hoped that someone listening would get something worthwhile from it. After the meeting, a sister in the ward related how my words had helped her see her calling in a new light. And then today, two weeks later, another sister I didn't even know came up and said how it had made such an impression on her that she had thought about it all week and even talked about it with several of her friends who were, in turn, impacted as well.
This got me thinking about one of my favorite TV shows: Joan of Arcadia. Like many shows I've liked over the years, it got canceled way before it was time--the producers of the showing saying that public interest in faith-themed shows had started to lag. A sad commentary if true. At any rate, the show was about a girl named Joan (who went to Arcadia High School) who was approached by God throughout the week to do certain things. Things that, to Joan, simply didn't make sense. They were often things she didn't want to do, and were things that were outside her comfort zone. Trusting God, though, she typically did them. And while it wasn't always obvious what came of them, sometimes Joan was able to see the incredible ripple effect. She would do something, which affected person A, who was able to affect person B, and cause person C to be steered in a direction that actually saved a life, or mended a strained relationship or increased someone's hope (the list goes on).
Point being, our actions have consequences and ripple effects--many of which we don't get to see. Combined with that, if we all realize we have a part to play, and then actually play that part, our ripple effects for good can be quite profound. A smile, a heart-felt text, a hug, face-to-face words of gratitude, letting people in and being a good listener to people--these things and so many more can uplift and inspire and really truly make a difference.
This falls in nicely with the Christmas theme of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: LIGHT THE WORLD, one person at a time. So go ahead--try it. Be yourself. Play your part. Do good. See the ripples. And light the world.
Until next time, God be with you.
PS: It's Christmas Concert week this coming week and I just want to thank my dear wife and kids ahead of time how much I appreciate their support during a week I'm gone every night. Also, thanks to my fellow friends and colleagues in the choir who also support and uplift and make it all fun. Couldn't do it without you guys. Love you all.
A couple of weeks ago, I gave a talk in my ward about the Tabernacle Choir. I started off answering some commonly asked questions about the Choir, and then ended with saying some words about an important topic--the need for each of us to play our part. Along with just sharing some thoughts on that topic, I actually read one of my previous blog posts about it (HERE) and hoped that someone listening would get something worthwhile from it. After the meeting, a sister in the ward related how my words had helped her see her calling in a new light. And then today, two weeks later, another sister I didn't even know came up and said how it had made such an impression on her that she had thought about it all week and even talked about it with several of her friends who were, in turn, impacted as well.
This got me thinking about one of my favorite TV shows: Joan of Arcadia. Like many shows I've liked over the years, it got canceled way before it was time--the producers of the showing saying that public interest in faith-themed shows had started to lag. A sad commentary if true. At any rate, the show was about a girl named Joan (who went to Arcadia High School) who was approached by God throughout the week to do certain things. Things that, to Joan, simply didn't make sense. They were often things she didn't want to do, and were things that were outside her comfort zone. Trusting God, though, she typically did them. And while it wasn't always obvious what came of them, sometimes Joan was able to see the incredible ripple effect. She would do something, which affected person A, who was able to affect person B, and cause person C to be steered in a direction that actually saved a life, or mended a strained relationship or increased someone's hope (the list goes on).
Point being, our actions have consequences and ripple effects--many of which we don't get to see. Combined with that, if we all realize we have a part to play, and then actually play that part, our ripple effects for good can be quite profound. A smile, a heart-felt text, a hug, face-to-face words of gratitude, letting people in and being a good listener to people--these things and so many more can uplift and inspire and really truly make a difference.
This falls in nicely with the Christmas theme of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: LIGHT THE WORLD, one person at a time. So go ahead--try it. Be yourself. Play your part. Do good. See the ripples. And light the world.
Until next time, God be with you.
PS: It's Christmas Concert week this coming week and I just want to thank my dear wife and kids ahead of time how much I appreciate their support during a week I'm gone every night. Also, thanks to my fellow friends and colleagues in the choir who also support and uplift and make it all fun. Couldn't do it without you guys. Love you all.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
TCATS #308 - Welcome, Christmas Season!
And truly He is!
Unfortunately, sometimes it's difficult to stay reminded of that.
Just last night, my wife and I were at the grand opening of the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Farmington and were trying to find a Christmas-themed picture book (we purchase one each Christmas season as a family tradition). We looked in one spot that a B&N worker pointed us to, but were disappointed to find that none of them were even remotely connected to the true meaning of Christmas. We then found another display of holiday books, only to be equally disappointed. Finally, we came across one small section of one bookshelf where lo and
Perfect!
Another example of Christ being hard to find in Christmas was mentioned by a member of a local congregation I worshiped with today. She stood to share her testimony and mentioned that last year, each time she'd get in her car, she'd turn on the Christmas radio station to enjoy Christmas music. She'd also hear that same music played at stores or shopping malls or on predefined Pandora or Spotify Christmas playlists. To her dismay, though, by December 25th, she was really sick of Christmas music! And then she realized why: almost none of the songs she had been listening to were true Christmas carols that spoke of Christ. (As an aside, if I'm out shopping and have to endure "Santa Baby" or "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time" or "Mele Kalikimaka" or "All I Want for Christmas" just one more time, I think I'll run out of the store like a crazy person!) Do non-Christ centered Christmas songs have their place? Sure. Who doesn't enjoy Jingle Bells or White Christmas or Frosty the Snowman sometimes? But I'd argue that the songs that endure in your heart and bring hope and peace won't have themes of roasted chestnuts or jingling sleighs. Rather, they'll connect you with the babe in the manger, who "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man," who lived and loved perfectly, and who gave his life for each one of us.
I hope we can all find ways to keep Christ in Christmas this year. It's unlikely the world will help with that. It'll be up to us to proactively make that happen.
Until next time, God be with you.
(A few pics from today's broadcast)
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