MTC #204 - Into Christmas We Go!

I got to rehearsal Tuesday night and while sitting there waiting for it to begin, I suddenly realized that something was different. I looked around, and it quickly became evident what that "something" was: Christmas decorations! Boughs of pine lined the banisters and drooped from the balcony, interwoven with lots of miniature lights. Other decor had also been hung to symbolize the season and bring a festive spirit into the Tabernacle. Later in the week, Temple Square flipped the switch and millions of lights brightened up the night, symbolizing how Christ is the light of the world. And, on a personal note, my family and I decorated our house yesterday with our traditional variety of Christmas items, including a nativity set, stockings, miniature lighted trees, and the "main" Christmas tree. My son and I even strung lights on the outside of our home (which I can't say was lots of fun, but the results were satisfying). 

Welcome Christmas!

While this season is filled with lots of stress related to demands on time and financial resources--which, at times, can almost overshadow the wonderful parts of this season--I am grateful for several things related to Christmas. The first is an emphasis on Jesus Christ and His birth into this world (with activities our family does throughout the month to focus on that emphasis). The second is additional time to be with family. The third is watching various videos that help keep my Christmas in perspective (including this new one). And lastly, it probably comes as no surprise that I really, really enjoy Christmas music. Especially singing it. But listening to it, too.

On that note, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir commenced its "Extra Rehearsal for Christmas #4" today after the broadcast. With six more to go, and some outside memorizing time, we'll be ready to present the 2017 Christmas Concert in a few weeks. I feel extra grateful to part of the Choir during Christmas time. Yes, it's a lot of time away from home (and I'm always so thankful for my wife and kids' support), but getting to sing so many wonderful Christmas songs is always a highlight for me. I've said it before, but I truly believe that God has inspired musicians around the world and throughout time to compose and arrange some of the BEST music this world has to offer--music infused with the spirit of Christmas. 

Favorite Christmas songs of mine? There are many, but my top three may very well include The Wexford Carol, The Drummer Boy, and Angels from the Realms of Glory.

I hope your Christmas season is off to a meaningful start!

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC #203 - The Wonder of Gratitude

From time to time, it becomes necessary for us in the Choir to be put in its place.

Today was that day.

Obviously, each rehearsal is filled with suggestions and instruction from our conductors on how to sing better--to sing with better vowels, to sing more in tune, to sing with more unity. And the list goes on. But when we are stopped four, five, or six times to fix a certain note or set of notes, it's both embarrassing and frustrating. Embarrassing because we're better than that. And frustrating because it's really difficult to know sometimes whether it's you who is being counted as one of the singing offenders. One might say, "Well you should know, shouldn't you?" I would argue that it's not always that easy. Today's main problem was singing in-tune. Our pitch just wasn't high enough. And not just for one song, but for multiple songs.

If I was one of those individuals not singing high enough, my apologies. I was certainly trying!

Along with the choir being called out for intonation issues, we were also reminded of what a privilege it is to be in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We should never feel entitled. We should never feel apathetic. We should avoid feeling content. And we should always feel grateful. 

I appreciate re-hearing that counsel and I thought it not only applied to singing in this great choir, but also to other aspects of life. Regardless of our religion or beliefs, regardless of what type of responsibilities or challenges we have, we would do well to be hard workers, to be concerned and passionate about the opportunities we have in our lives, and to be more grateful for all we have. 

Speaking of grateful, I saw a very uplifting movie over the weekend called WONDER. It was about a 10 yr-old boy with a severe facial deformity and the interactions he had with people as he went through a transition from home schooling to public schooling. I walked out of the theater with increased gratitude for both kids and adults who are kind, loving, and can see past their own self-interest to help others. And I was reminded how being grateful can put my own trials in perspective. After all, everyone is dealing with something.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 

Until next time, God be with you. 

Was grateful to sing today, and to sit next to Siope. It was our first time singing together!

MTC #202 - 4600

For the 4600th episode of Music & the Spoken Word today (that's a lot of episodes!), we celebrated by paying tribute to our veterans. The music we sang spoke of their bravery, their courage, their sacrifice, and their love of country and freedom. We're grateful for them and humbly acknowledge that the freedoms we all enjoy, today, have been preserved by their hard work and sacrifice. So to veterans everywhere, we thank you.

Following the broadcast, the choir was involved in a special project that was rather galactic in nature (sworn to secrecy) and then we continued our journey to learn Christmas music for our upcoming concert. Just how many of these extra Christmas rehearsals do we have, you might ask? Eleven of them--each about 90 min. long, with some being as long as 120 min. So, if my math adds up, that's roughly 18 hours. We've been sworn to secrecy as to WHAT we'll be singing and any other Christmas Concert details, but rest assured it will all be great.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC #201 - Reaching Out

One of the greatest Christian beliefs is that all of us are brothers and sisters. And as such, we have a responsibility and opportunity to be kind and loving to each other. It's the "we're all in this together" mentality--and that God uses people in our lives to do what He'd do if He were here on earth (help, uplift, love, and inspire).

I just want to thank all of the choir members who continually live up to this Christian belief. At choir today, I think I received more "hello's" and "how are things going?" and questions regarding my well being, than I have in recent memory. I also received at least three genuine hugs from my fellow brethren in the choir. Needless to say, I felt very loved and felt very grateful as well. 

One of the songs we sang today had the following words:

Come home, come home,
Ye who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling;
Calling, "O sinner, come home!"

One primary interpretation of these lyrics is about turning to God through repentance. Those who have turned away from Him, or who are upset at Him, or who are determined to live life without Him, or have even strayed only a little (isn't that all of us, at times?) have a continued invitation to come back. And what better way for God to follow-up with that invitation, then to inspire those around us to show love and kindness? 

God is counting on all of us.

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Switching topics, we officially kicked off the the rehearsals for our upcoming Christmas Concert. While the "choir train" never stops throughout the year, it certainly kicks into a higher gear for the next month and a half. Lots and lots and lots to rehearse. But what better music to sing than Christmas music? 

Until next time, God be with you.

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.