MTC #200 - Never a Dull Moment

200.
This week marks 200 weeks since becoming a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. This choir has been referred to as "the train that never stops"--and indeed, it is that. While there are weeks that are certainly more exciting than others, even the "normal" weeks have something uplifting and worthwhile.

This past week at rehearsal, we were able to have a couple of interesting guests join us in the choir loft. The first was Spencer Cox, who is currently the Lieutenant Governor for the state of Utah. I honestly didn't recognize him at first--only that he was of some official importance since there was a camera honed in on him and our other guest for most of the rehearsal. The second guest was Luis Miranda, who's the father of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the Broadway hit musical, HAMILTON. Luis is heading up the Hamilton Education Program, which will allow students (including those attending Title 1 schools here in Utah) to see the musical when it comes here soon. He said it's always been a dream to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, so I guess he had his dream come true Thursday night! 

Today's broadcast was full of great music and many of the lyrics were "just for me." I had two friends come to the broadcast--two foreign exchange students from Germany who have come to visit us for a week. They very much enjoyed the 30 minute program, and their favorite was the spirited "Battle of Jericho". 

I don't know how many more years I'll be in the Choir. But here's to another 100 weeks I suppose!

Until next week, God be with you.

MTC #199 - G-B-D-A-D-G (Lullaby)

Oft times, the reality of certain emotional events or occurrences in life don't really sink in until long after they've come and gone. But several of those sank in, today, as the Choir sang a song called "A Lullaby".

Words just can't describe how beautiful this song is. Everything from the lyrics (which are taken from a poem by Eugene Field), to the orchestral arrangement, to the standout piano solos/accompaniment, to the chord combinations. Composer Ryan Murphy couldn't have done any better. And while the tragedy at Sandy Hook several years ago was indeed, a terrible tragedy, I'm thankful that this song came to be, because of it.

As I sang the words today, I was rather an emotional mess. I thought of my daughter, Rebekah, now attending college and soon to leave for a mission. I thought of all of my kids, now many years past their infant stage of life--and longing to get that time back when I could hold them in my arms again. I thought of singing songs to them when they were little, and when life was simpler. I thought of my brother and his wife just recently having to endure a still birth. I thought of the many parents who lost their little ones on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, and any parent who has had to endure the death of a child. 

With all of these thoughts and emotions going through my heart, it was difficult to get through the song at all. Particularly when the choir sang, and the orchestra played, a particular chord combination (as notated in the title of this blog entry). I've said it before, but I'll say it again: there are certain note combinations in songs I've sung over the course of my life, that seem to have some direct link into my emotions. They are so strong that it's all I can do to  keep singing and stay composed for those in the audience listening. 

As I pondered on the experience I had today, I was again grateful for the gifts in this life--one of those being little children. And I was grateful that good things, beautiful things, can come of tragedies. 

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC #198 - Of Brother James & Hans Zimmer

The longer I'm with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the more music I get to sing. But even though each year is filled with new pieces to learn and perform, there are favorites that continue to remain favorites. One of those is called Brother James' Air, which we got to perform today. Brother James refers to the composer of the song, James Leith Macbeth Bain (1860–1925), who was a Scottish hymn writer, religious minister, and author. The song's lyrics are based on Psalm 23. They talk of being led, of being restored, of being comforted, and of receiving goodness and mercy. And that is why I love them so much. The music itself brings out the feelings and emotions of these lyrics and I'm so grateful for Brother James being inspired to compose such beautiful music.

In stark contrast, I was able to sing some backup vocals for a very different type of music this past Friday--music from Mr. Hans Zimmer. He's a genius composer for movie soundtracks, including such films as The Dark Knight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator, Wonder Woman, Man of Steel, Inception, The Davinci Code, and many, many others. The background about how this opportunity came about it is a little bit lengthy and I honestly don't know the details, but a friend of a friend is affiliated with a local talent agency who secures performers when such a need arises. The Hans Zimmer touring group (who has been on tour this year all over the world) was doing a performance as part of a NuSkin event at the Vivint Arena last Friday and needed both orchestra members and singers to help with the performance. I was recruited along with some others and we had a fantastic time being on stage with Hans and his touring musicians.

You may be thinking "Do those movie soundtracks have any words to sing?"  Well, no, most of them don't. So we did a lot of ooo-ing, and ahh-ing, essentially providing the notes to various chords that were being played by the other musicians. But talk about a stage! The lighting, the special effects, the overall sound--it is really too hard to describe. While I think us 24 singers had an important part to play, most of that importance was probably more for looks than anything else. The singing itself was challenging--not because we hadn't learned it well, but because it was so hard to hear ourselves sing. When we took our places on stage, each of us was outfitted with a mic headset, along with an earbud for each ear so we could hear each other. But the music was so loud that we mostly

had to go by how the notes felt--which was a very new experience for most of us. Usually when you sing a note, you know you're singing that note because you can hear yourself sing the correct pitch. But if you can't hear the pitch, you suddenly have to rely on how it feels in your throat, mouth, and head.

At any rate, it was quite the cool experience. I still wake up every day with the theme song to Pirates of the Caribbean in my head, but I'm grateful I had the opportunity. Mr. Zimmer is an extremely talented guy and his movie scores are just incredible. Where would movies be without him and Mr. John Williams? I have to confess, though, that as I was sitting on stage during the performance of The Dark Knight (one in which we didn't sing in), with fog swirling all around me, and a million lights going every which way, and deafening loud bass sounds about to tear me apart, I had this new found appreciation for the music, spirit, and simplicity of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. :)

(A special thanks to my wife who didn't see much of me last week at nights so I could rehearse; to Michelle who helped put together audio recordings to assist in learning the bass notes; and to Tammy & Meredith & Greg for the opportunity!)

With that, I'll end for today. Just a reminder, though, about tickets for the Christmas Concert. They'll go on sale THIS Saturday at 10 AM Mountain Time. Go HERE for more information.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC #197 - Simple

A blessing I received 32 years ago said that throughout my life I would "live simply". I've pondered that word "simple" ever since then, trying to discern its true meaning. When I joined the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I fell in love with one of the songs we sing quite often that has "simple" for its theme. A song called "Simple Gifts". 

The song mentions that it's a gift to be simple, and that true simplicity is gained when we're going through the process of bowing and bending and turning to "come 'round right." To me, this means that as we go through the ups and downs of life, the painful experiences as well as the joyful ones, that we are letting all of these experiences and emotions steer us in the right direction.  I don't think simple necessarily means easy. In fact, living simply can, paradoxically, be hard to do. And sometimes the choices we make don't allow ourselves to "come 'round right"--we don't "turn" to God and follow his commandments. But when we do, we find that the simple life is the best life, all things considered. 

Speaking of simple, today's broadcast was anything but, for many involved. Due to Elder Hales' funeral on Friday, the space the orchestra normally occupies was instead occupied with a rostrum and seating for general authorities. As such, the program for Music & the Spoken Word had to be reprogrammed with different songs that were for organ only. Also, several of the songs we sang today were accompanied by a few orchestra members--which made the music even more beautiful, but which required some tricky logistics in getting stands and mics and people on and off the stage at the right time. It all worked out of course, thanks to everyone working together, and the result was a very beautiful program, if I do say so myself.

To end this post, FYI, the artists for the 2017 Christmas Concert will be announced on The Doug Wright Show Thursday, October 12 at about 10:30 a.m. (time subject to change.). This year the ticket request date will be Saturday, October 21 at 10:00 a.m. This will give more people a chance to hear the artist announcement and also to set up the username and password required to request tickets. More details and an instructional video on the account setup will be forthcoming. Keep an eye on this website. 

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC #196 - 187th Semi-annual Conference

For no other performances is the Tabernacle Choir so visible to the world, then during General Conference. And, I might add, for no other performances are the choir seats so fully occupied as during General Conference. I'm sure that has to do with a number of reasons. One of those may be because there's a rather special feeling each conference as the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints instruct and edify members of the church who have come together in unity to listen. Another reason (in all honesty) might be the that some choir members just like the possibility of being on TV as they know friends and family from across the world, will be watching! 

The choir members worked hard in preparing for this weekend. With the several extra rehearsals and all of the outside-of-choir memorizing, many hours were logged in making sure we knew the notes, the rhythm, and the words (that goes double or triple for the newer members of the choir). The choir presidency and our directors always approach Conference preparations with a reverence as they, and all of us, realize that the songs we sing will portray a message and a spirit that someone might be praying to hear and to feel. Each rehearsal for conference not only starts with a prayer, but ends with one as well. And the directors put in extra hours praying about which music to sing and also listening to recordings of each rehearsal to find every little detail that needs to be cleaned up and put into shape. 

It's a great undertaking, but one we're all happy to be a part of. 

As an interesting aside, we sang two songs during Conference that were specifically for President Monson (two of his favorites). The first was Consider the Lilies, and the second was Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd. We hope he felt our love for him as he wasn't able to attend any of the sessions this weekend.

With the conclusion of Conference, the Choir now turns it's attention to Christmas music. Yes, it's only October. And we probably won't immediately jump into it. But, the Christmas Concert, which is certainly the most popular concert we put on, is only about 11 weeks away. Which, really, is just right around the corner.

Until next time, may God be with you.

PS: Below are some Twitter feedback pics, along with a few others (click to enlarge). 

PPS: A big thanks to my wife and kids who are always such a support! I love them so much.

Most of the songs we sang this weekend

MTC #195 - Happy Birthday Tabernacle!

Today was a special day for the dear old Tabernacle. She turned 150! It seemed only fitting that we dedicate today's Music and the Spoken Word program to celebrating not only this unique and important structure, but those who helped worked so hard to build it. There's a great write-up here, and here, if you'd like to check 'em out. One paragraph from Bro. Newell's spoken word today: 

"Just as people have personalities, this building has a personality. Like the pioneers who built it, the Tabernacle is hardy and resilient, yet warm and welcoming, venerable while also true to its humble roots. And even after all these years, it retains its original pioneer character. Other than some seismic and technological updates, the Tabernacle’s unique appearance, its 19th-century craftsmanship, and its renowned acoustics have remained unchanged. This beloved companion and friend is today, as it was 150 years ago, a peaceful place of history, beauty, worship, and refuge."

Along with the other great songs we sang today, my favorite was "The Spirit of God." Almost every time we sing that song, I feel like the choir is joined with individuals from the other side of the veil, many of who were present at the Kirtland Temple Dedication in 1836 when the hymn was first sung. There's just something special about that song. Each  time I get to sing it, I get tingly and teary. 

Three choir members providing the opening for The Spirit of God

I have to comment on one other thing today that impacted me--unrelated to the Tabernacle's birthday. When Jason (middle, above) started singing the first verse, Mack Wilberg, who was conducting, was carefully paying attention to how the solo was sounding. A few seconds into it, he gave a warm smile and encouraging gestures that instantly communicated back a sense of confidence and gratitude. Then when Matt (right) came in, the same thing occurred after he pointed down, signaling Matt to adjust his pitch down just slightly. I can't really describe the whole interchange, but it was as if Mack was lending them not only his music expertise, but his love, encouragement, and gratitude as well. 

On one level, love is what the Tabernacle is, and has always been, about. It's a building where people from around the world both perform, and listen, to songs and music about the love that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for everyone. It's a place that provides encouragement and peace for all who enter. I'm really grateful that I get to sing in this building each week, and see how the spirit here impacts so many. 

Until next time God be with you.

One of the veterans of the choir pointed this out to me. If you look at
the back of Tabernacle, where the light shines in the corner, you'll note
there are four "sentinels" keeping watch over the building.

A copy of the program from today's broadcast. Also, they gave us
this cool commemorative "150".

MTC #194 - Recording + West Coast Tour

Back in May of this year, we started a recording project which we left half undone. This past week, we finished it. From the link above, you can read about how recording sessions go. But to give you an even better perspective, you can watch this video, HERE, that our audio/video team put together. The captions for this short video say:

It takes 85 Instruments... 150 Blankets... 450 Volunteers... Over 31,000 Hours... to make one GREAT album. Coming May 2018 from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.

While it's always a blessing and privilege to be part of a new CD project, I don't think you'd here any MoTab member say "Give me another week of recording!" We're all excited though, about the finished product coming out next year. Hopefully the publicity department will soon release details regarding the content of the new CD.

Speaking of the publicity department, they were busy near the end of this week announcing the 2018 tour. Turns out we'll be headed to the West Coast, including California, Washington, and Vancouver. You can read all about that here, and here. For me, the best part about going on tour is not so much where we go, but the people we get to sing for. Our musical message is for everyone, and we're thrilled to share it every two years, outside of Utah, in cities and countries all over the world.

Behind the scenes, choir members are figuring out if they'll be one of the ones going on this tour. There are always work, family, and personal considerations, and several hope that their spouse will be selected to go (being able to go on tour, and to have your spouse join you, is mainly determined by the choir member's attendance record for the past year). Roommate selection comes next, followed by many extra rehearsals to memorize 20+ songs as part of the concert that will be presented. It's all quite a process! Not to mention the choir staff preparing buses, flights, accommodations, and a hundred other details that will ensure the success of the tour.

Until next time, God be with you.