MTC Week #26 - Freedom

Music and the Spoken Word today had a "freedom" theme, in line with the celebrating of Independence Day this coming week. It was a very fun and rewarding broadcast to be a part of as I enjoy singing songs that center on such themes. 

I think these patriotic songs that we sing each year at Memorial Day and Independence Day are being more and more--or less and less--appreciated by people. Those who long for our country to be more of what it once was and have it return to traditional morals and values and freedoms that it was built upon, are in the "more and more" camp. Those who are perfectly fine with the way this country has become are probably in the "less and less" camp. 

Don't get me wrong. I still believe our country is a great country. I, like you, still enjoy the freedoms we have and the opportunities this country affords us. And for that, I'm very grateful. At the same time, I'm saddened by the actions (or inactions) of our current government, by the decisions handed down by our judicial system, and by the abuse of power demonstrated by the current presidential administration. I'm also saddened by a growing trend of selfishness, of intolerance, of disrespect, and of amorality. 

Indeed, the scripture in 2 Timothy 3 fits nicely in describing what times we live in:

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. . .

So what can be done? 

I don't claim to have all the answers, but some, I think, are found in some of the lyrics we sang today. Here are a few of those lyrics for your thoughtful pondering and spiritual interpretation:

I hear a distant song: it fills the air.
I hear it, deep and strong, rise up in prayer:
'O Lord, we are many; help us to be one.
Heal our divisions: let thy will be done.'
I know the time will come when war must cease:
A time of truth and love, a time of peace.
The people cry, 'How long?
Till all our world can join the song
Of freedom, freedom.'
(From John Rutter's piece, DISTANT LAND. Click HERE to listen) 

Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright,
With freedom's holy light,
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God our King.
(From Samuel Francis Smith's MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE. Click HERE to listen)

Both of these songs acknowledge God as one who can heal and help. If we but turn to Him and His Son Jesus Christ, and live lives that reflect God's pattern for happy living, what an incredible difference that would make in our great nation.

May we all do just a little better.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #25 - Random Observations & Being Taught by Trials

As there was nothing particularly out of the ordinary this week with rehearsals and Music and the Spoken Word, I thought it might be somewhat interesting to jot down some observations I've made lately about the choir experience.

A. It's very interesting to think that during my lifetime in the choir (who knows how long I'll be in, but 17 more years is a possibility), I'll likely not actually meet everyone in the choir. It's a strange thought. But given how many people are in this organization, there's really not enough time or opportunity to even say "hello" to every person. Unless the individual was a fellow bass, I probably wouldn't recognize a tenor, alto, or soprano if I ran into them at a restaurant or a store or some local place. What's strange about this, even though we don't know each other, we can still be a unified choir by expecting everyone to do their part and by praying for everyone to work hard. 

B. I've noticed there are three types of people in the choir. You have your extremely social individuals who talk and comment each moment they get. They congregate during breaks to discuss this or that, walk with each other down our long hallways, and enjoy friendships. You have your non-social individuals who are often seen alone reading books during breaks, walking alone, and keep their heads down. They come to choir, sing well, and then go home. Then you have those who straddle the fence and perhaps could be called your "semi-social" group.

C. There are about 350 to 450 who attend our Thursday night rehearsals each week (and certainly several more who attend the Sunday broadcast--probably a couple of thousand). There are those who come for a few minutes; those who stay for a good hour or so, and those die-hards who stay from start to finish. There are always youth groups and groups from other countries who visit on Sunday. And occasionally we have guests of choir members sing with us for fun on Thursday nights. This last time we had a young man, probably in his 20s, who was studying to be a Lutheran pastor. As he was introduced, it was said that he loved the choir and loved talks given by President Uchtdorf! That produced quite a chuckle as you normally wouldn't expect that from someone trying to become a pastor of another faith.

D. The issues that Bro. Wilberg and Bro. Murphy have us fix each week as we rehearse music are very often the same things. Vowel placement and singing on pitch (which are related) win the top prize. It makes me wonder why, if we as a choir know that (and certainly everyone must know that), it takes so much work each week to get those two things implemented and/or fixed. 

E. Organ solos are truly cool. I don't think I noticed this when not in the choir, but our organists  Richard Elliott, Clay Christiansen, Andrew Unsworth, Bonnie Goodliffe, and Linda Margetts are VERY talented and know how to play some very inspirational and moving pieces. 

F. Us new choir members have a lot of work cut out for us as we try and learn and memorize new songs. We currently have two concerts in the not too distant future and we practically have to memorize the entire song lineup! It takes me a few days just to memorize one and now when I see I have twenty to commit to memory in just three to six weeks, I feel overwhelmed. I wonder what I'll be listening to on my iPhone several hours a day for next few months!

That's about it for this week. We have our Pioneer Day Concert coming up on July 18 and 19th. And we have the Deer Valley Musical Festival coming up on August 8th. 

To end on a spiritual uplifting note, here were the words spoken today by Bro. Newell on our Music and the Spoken Word broadcast:

The Bible records that the Apostle Paul had what he called "a thorn in the flesh"-a trial or difficulty that helped to keep him humble and steadfast. He asked the Lord three times to take it from him, but it remained. Yet Paul came to see divine purpose in his infirmities and hardships, declaring with great wisdom, "For when I am weak, then am I strong."

At times, for each of us, the path of life seems to be all uphill, filled with obstacles and hazards. But these struggles are not meant to stop us or discourage us. They are meant to change us. If we face our challenges with all of the courage, patience, and faith we have-undoubtedly developing a great deal more in the process-we'll reach the top of that hill and make an important discovery: In the journey of life, the destination is not as important as what we become along the way.


From that elevated perspective, we may notice that our hardships were the very things we needed to make us better and stronger. Becoming our best self often happens because of-rather than in spite of-unfavorable circumstances. Our greatest trials can become our greatest teachers.

Until next time...God be with you.

MTC Week #24 - Father Introspection

June 15, 2014

A very happy Father's Day to all of you fathers out there. It's not an easy job to be the father that God wants you to be but I know many fathers who try their best to live up to that ideal, including my own father. While my dad and I were not very close growing up (very different interests), I always respected him and was grateful for his example and what he taught me. So thanks Dad for who you were and who you are today.

For Music and the Spoken Word today, we sang a number of songs that made

me do some serious reflection (and which almost produced a few tears), about how I did, and how I'm doing, as a dad. My kids span six years old to 15 years old, and I naturally thought about my oldest and how she'll only be with us for another three years or so before she launches into the world. In some respects, three years is awhile. But as every year seems to go faster than the previous one, three years is going to fly by.

Incorporating some of the lyrics of today's songs into my thoughts, I asked myself these questions regarding my children: 

Am I a dad who is brave, strong, and true?
Do I fill the world with love and do you see that I do?
Do I spend enough time with you flying kites, swinging in the swings, playing ball?
Have I given you more than things? Have I given you a heart that sings? Do I have a place in your heart?
As I'm turning around and realizing how quickly time has gone, will I have taught you enough before you go out the door? Before you have kids of your own?
Have I helped provide a home where there's a special feeling of warmth, security, shelter, and love?

I'm thankful for being able to sing songs today that help remind me of my responsibilities of being a great dad. I'm grateful in general for being able to sing songs each week that speak to my soul. And as people come to watch the choir rehearse each week and to watch Sunday morning's performance, I have a prayer in my heart that they'll leave the experience inspired to be better.

After today's Music & Spoken Word broadcast

Until next time, God be with you!

MTC Week #23 - Normal?

June 9, 2014

So is this past week what they'd call a "normal" week with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir? I dare say it was. I'm not sure any of us who just joined back in January have ever known a normal week! At any rate, we met for rehearsal Thursday night and, as mentioned in my blog last week, the folks from the ACDA leadership were there in the audience listening and observing. Thankfully the rehearsal itself went "very well" (in the words of Bro. Wilberg) and the only hitch was that the orchestra was missing one of the pieces we'd be performing on Sunday. Thankfully they are a very bright orchestra and picked it up just fine as we rehearsed Sunday morning.

The theme for Sunday's Music & the Spoken Word was "The Root of Good Manners". I thought that was an interesting title and tried to think, offhand, what the root of good manners would actually be. Surely it's more than just being polite or being kind, though I'm sure those would fit in there somewhere.

Bro. Newell, who gives the spoken word each Sunday, said the following about this topic: 

Actor John Rhys-Davies says that it is quite natural to feel shy, to be uncomfortable in a room of strangers. His advice? "Turn it the other way around and think, 'I'm walking into a room full of very shy people, and my job is to make them feel at ease and comfortable in their situation.' That is really the root of good manners: making the people around you feel comfortable."

Some people are so skilled at making others feel comfortable. They're genuinely interested in others; they're kind and thoughtful; they're easy to be around. Instead of focusing on themselves, they choose to be considerate and responsive, and they seem to take sincere joy in making people happy.


It's easy to assume that some people are just naturally outgoing-that it comes easily to them-and the rest of us simply aren't that way. But the fact is that with a little effort and practice, anyone can choose to be open, loving, and warm. That might mean we attentively listen, or we think, "What can I learn from this person?" For others, it might mean we speak up a little more or make the effort to meet someone new.

The skill of good manners is not beyond anyone's reach-at its roots, it's simply a matter of forgetting ourselves and helping others feel comfortable.

My sister-in-law Jenny is an expert at this and my wife and I are amazed at her ability to make others around her feel comfortable. We try ourselves to do this but it doesn't quite come as naturally as she makes it look! What's interesting to think about though, is sure...you can walk into a room of people you may not not know and be content to just "lay low." And I suppose there are times when that's OK. But think about what you're missing out on. There are all of these people, each with a story, each with a personality, and each probably willing to get to know you if you take the initiative. Who knows how your life might be impacted or blessed just because of a conversation? In the eternal sense, we're all God's children so perhaps if we look at it as just getting to know one of your brothers or sisters, that might make it easier.
Go ahead...give it a try!

The song that touched me the most on the broadcast Sunday was the one we always close with:  God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again. For some reason, I felt as though it was really impacting someone in the audience as we sang it. Check out the background of this hymn, and also a wonderful conversion story regarding the Torgersens of Norway. One excerpt from that story: "They concluded the tour in the Tabernacle and were about to leave when a choir recording of “God Be with You Till We Meet Again” began to play. “I sat down and started crying,” recalls Solvor. “I couldn’t stop. Thor attributed my strange behavior to being overcome by beautiful music, but I didn’t tell him what really happened, because I couldn’t speak.”

Until next time, God be with you...

MTC Week #22 - Of Absences, Hope, & Future Performances

June 1, 2014

As is the case each year at this time, the Choir started rehearsing at the Conference Center instead of the Tabernacle to accommodate the larger crowds that come to Temple Square during the summer months. As we gathered in the choir seats, one thing became very obvious: there were a lot of men absent! In fact, most of them were tenors, interestingly enough, and there were so many gone that poor Bro. Gheris (who, along with his wife Deb, make the seating assignments) had quite the time trying to re-arrange everyone. Since seating on Thurs nights reflects where we should sit Sunday morning for the Music & Spoken Word broadcast, the rearranging was a necessity. Bro. Wilberg gave us all a mini-speech about summer attendance. He realizes that summer equates to vacations and family events. Which he wholeheartedly supports. "But when you are in town", he said, "please make sure and be here ready to rehearse and perform." Why would somebody not want to be here? I thought... I hope I never get into that mindset. I still pinch myself each time I'm there to make sure it's all real.

The rehearsal went well, except that I didn't have two pieces we were singing. Three things I learned from not having music: 1) choir members are very willing to let you look off their copy (even sometimes just giving it to you) 2) the library is not open after choir rehearsal is over, and 3) check the music in your folder BEFORE going to the choir seats. Lessons learned.

So while rehearsing with Ryan Murphy before the broadcast started, he told us the story behind one of the pieces (I really like when he does that). The song "O Love That Will Not Let Me Go" is about a man (George Matheson, the

George Matheson

lyricist) who was engaged to get married to the love of his life, and at the same time, found out he was going blind. As his bride to be came to terms with this news, she decided that she would not be able to go through with the marriage and live the life of someone being married to a blind person. As George dealt with this tragedy of losing his bride-to-be and losing his sight, he had every reason to be upset with God. But he did not go down that path. He chose HOPE, and let the love of God envelop and comfort him. A love that would "not let him go". 

It's true. God's love is always there. The prophet Isaiah says how God's "hand is stretched out still." It's still there--all the time. And especially when we're going through hard times.

(Here is a performance of the song you can take a look at)

Bro. Wilberg reminded us of some important upcoming performances... Next week, for rehearsal, over 100 choral directors involved with the 2015 ACDA Conference are coming to observe us so of course he'd like us at our best for Thursday's rehearsal. The upcoming conference (early next year) is being held in Salt Lake City and apparently we're going to have a large role in that. We have the Pioneer Day celebration concert and then the Deer Valley concert. Never a dull moment and lots of great music!

Until next time...God be with you.

MTC Week #21 - It is Finished

March 25, 2014

At approximately 8:50pm Thursday (5/22), having sung the last words of "For Unto Us a Child is Born" (for the upteenth time), there was complete silence in the Tabernacle. The only question on everyone's mind was "are we done? Was that last take good enough? Could this fulfilling, monumental project be over?" As the seconds went by, we awaited the final word from Ryan Murphy in the sound booth who would be the ultimate judge on whether this last attempt passed musical and professional scrutiny. And then we heard Ryan sing, not speak, "Hal-le-lu-jah!" and we knew that the moment had arrived. Cheers and clapping erupted and the ushers in the Tabernacle finally opened the doors to those patiently waiting outside to hear us rehearse.

Bro. Wilberg gave us a five minute break reminding us that we had a special Memorial Day Music & the Spoken Word to rehearse for and perform on Sunday. So we returned after those five minutes to rehearse for that while Temple Square visitors listened from the benches below.

This recording experience was the last experience that several retiring choir members were going to have in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. A fellow bass behind me was part of this group and he had taken several pictures during the rehearsal to capture the moment. On the way out, we happened to be walking down the stairs together and he turned to me (knowing I was a new member of the choir) and said, "enjoy it while it lasts. Time goes so very quickly." I turned to him and mentioned I would try. I wasn't completely without a frame of reference for such feelings as he was having. There are several awesome, soul-stirring experiences I've had in my own life that I often look back on and think, "wow, that sure did go by quickly." Indeed, it would be well to seize the day, capture the moment, and enjoy the journey.

Well, all of that aside, I just want to chime in with how grateful I am for singing in today's Memorial Day special. First, I'm glad I was actually able

to sing it (I had an allergy attack the night before and miraculously, when arriving at the Tabernacle, my eyes and nose cleared up so I could sing OK). Second, even though I don't have any relatives I know of that lost their lives in the military, I do have plenty of relatives that "fought the good fight" so to speak and lived their lives with honor and doing good to many people. They were true examples of our Savior Jesus Christ. And I'm thankful for them.

Our broadcast of today's program won't be up for several weeks to come, but here are few songs we sang today: Here, here, and here.

Until next time, God be with you....

MTC Week #20 - Recording: Applying it to Life

May 18, 2014

The Tabernacle was like a second home this week as the choir members gathered Tuesday thru Saturday to record Handel's Messiah. From 6:30pm to 10:00pm each evening (and 9:45am to 5:00pm on Saturday), we took our places in the loft to create a work of art. Bro. Wilberg was directing the choir and orchestra, while Bro. Murphy was in the sound recording room listening to our sound through microphones and letting us know, continuously, what we needed to fix.

It's a taxing, exhausting, arduous process full of patience and hard work. Consider this: for every minute it takes to perform a piece, it takes about an hour to record. So with 17 chorus pieces, at anywhere from 90 sec to 7 min each, well, you can do the math. That all said, Bro. Wilberg reminded us often of how significant the project was and what a special/historical recording we'd end up with. One that would bless the lives of many people who would listen to it (and be inspired by it) for years and years to come.

Ryan Murphy and others in the sound booth

So...rather than take up space in this blog to write out exactly how the recording process works, I thought I'd liken it to life in general and lessons that can be learned to aid us in becoming more like our Savior.

A. Any worthwhile endeavor takes persistence and effort. Just as this CD would not create itself, and just as getting a really good take of a certain passage took numerous attempts, we've got to keep at at. Work hard and things will pay off.

B. It's important to routinely emphasize the positive. Bro. Wilberg and Bro. Murphy both, while certainly giving us plenty to correct and improve upon as we sang, would also tell us what we did well. "This is very, very good," they would say, or "Some great things are happening," or "Sopranos, you really nailed that section." Etc. I'm sure we could all do better in giving out compliments and praise (when warranted) along with giving out the criticism. 

C. Being kind and being nice are critical virtues. There were times during the recording process that choir members would say something or do something (accidentally bump someone, have to wait for others while exiting or entering the loft or row, complain, not follow instructions, keep singing the notes the wrong way, etc) to slightly annoy or frustrate. Such situations always end up better when both parties remember kindness. Life is the same way. 

D. To get good at something takes a lot of repetition. Is this not true? After the 12th take of a certain passage, we wouldn't even have to look at our music any more. Those notes, rhythms, dynamics, etc. had been integrated into our neural pathways and could be recalled at will. Whatever skill we're trying to obtain in life, whatever habit we're trying to develop, repetition is an important thing to keep in mind.

E. Perspective. If we had looked at this recording process minute by minute, we all would have gone crazy knowing just how many minutes we had left. Knowing the end goal and focusing on finding joy in the journey gives us the needed perspective. As I thought of this CD finally in the hands of listeners and the satisfaction and inspiration it would give them, those minutes didn't seen so long (OK..well, most of the time!)

F. Savor the little things. While recording, we often had to stand for long periods of time. Of course the feet would start to ache and the back would go from a good singer's stance to a slouch... Then Bro. Wilberg would say "Please have a seat." And oh, how good it felt to sit! There are little things every day to savor. Lots of blessings all around. It does us good to find them and be thankful for them.

G. We're all in this together (I think that phrase was already in my head with my wife and daughter just recently participating in a junior high production of High School Musical 2). Taking one page or passage of music at a time, we ALL had to play our part in order to make progress. None of us can really make much progress in life unless we have an interest, love, and respect for our fellowmen around us. Neal A. Maxwell once said "To withdraw into our private sanctuaries not only deprives others of our love, our talents, and our service, but it also deprives us of chances to serve, to love, and to be loved." And one more: "Everyone, in seeking the interest of his neighbor, seeks the larger interest. As a man blesses his neighbor, he also blesses himself, but the contrary is not always so. Let a person or a people persistently seek only their own interests, and there will finally come both a poverty of purse and a shrinking of soul."

There were other things I learned, but those are some main ones. 

I'm just grateful, again, to be part of this organization and to have the opportunities I've been given to sing in this capacity. What a blessing. And I must let my wife and kids know how grateful I am for their support. It's weeks like these when I'm gone so much that I appreciate even more all they do to keep the wheels of life turning.

One last thing I learned as I was signing on the Music & Spoken Word broadcast this morning: it's much less stressful to perform music to a worldwide audience if I have sung that music more than once :) (We all did our best today having been so tired from the week of recording)

Until next time, God be with YOU.