TCATS #452 - Christmas Concert Top Ten

Well, the Choir, orchestra, bells, conductors, support staff, the guest artists, and the families of all of those just mentioned, made it through the very busy Christmas Concert week! Everyone involved in the actual concert met on Tuesday night and again on Wednesday night to put it all together. The concerts followed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, with a "mini-concert" on Sunday (which consisted of the normal 30 min Music & the Spoken Word, followed by 30 additional minutes of parts of the Christmas Concert for just the in-house audience).

If you want to read professionally published articles on the concert, feel free to click on the multiple links below. The purpose of this particular blog entry, though, is to share with you my own experience and perhaps give you a peak behind what the audience saw.

ARTICLES

DesNews
LDSLiving
Church News
Salt Lake Tribune

 

My TOP TEN Moments (in no particular order)

10. There weren't any songs I didn't like singing this year, but the one I think I enjoyed the most personally was "Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming". I already blogged about this song, and like I said in that write-up, it's just a beautiful tune and singing it a cappella really brought it into my heart. Honorable Mention: "I Saw Three Ships"--especially the last 15 seconds of that song. 

9. Having the privilege of singing next to my very good friend, Bro. Wes Malquist for the Thurs and Fri night concerts. His side comments, funny jokes, impeccable knowledge of the music, enthusiasm, encouragement, and friendship were (and always are) very much appreciated.

8. Observing how the various men and women within the choir leadership effectively handled certain issues that came up--which could have caused several choir members to lose focus on what mattered the most.

7. Listening to a mini-devotional (including a Q&A) in which the guest artists (Lea Solonga, Sir David Suchet, and Nicholas Winton Jr) were given some time to talk about themselves, their experiences this week, and answer questions that choir members had. The experience was very insightful. Among lots of things they said, they were all in agreement that their time here with the choir organization has been life-changing. They have been extremely grateful for the hospitality and friendship they've felt and have been overwhelmed with the kindness they've experienced.

6. Hanging out with friends during the breaks we had. It was fun talking about how the "concert experience" was going for everyone and hearing each other's take on impressions, favorite musical numbers, and guest artist reactions. Of course we talked about lots of other topics too. 

5. Reading through all of the social media posts that members of the choir posted to our non-public FB group. So many shared how they or people they know had been affected by what they saw and heard. Many miracles, many inspirational stories, many thankful hearts from people going through hard things.

4. Being greeted after the concerts by the Choir presidency (including the wives) who congratulated us on a job well done.

3.  Seeing audience members turn on the lights of their phones after being invited to pledge their lives to serving and uplifting others in 2023. It was truly symbolic in so many ways. Even just one light in the darkness shines brightly and is noticeable (meaning that one person's light can be effective in helping someone else) but as that one light turned into thousands of lights, it was evident how quickly light can cut through the darkness and individual acts of goodness can add up.

2. Hearing the story of how Nicky Winton saved over six hundred children from certain death just as WWII was about to start. You can read more about that story at the link, but it was so inspirational. The last remaining child of Nicky was at the concert --and during the devotional, he spoke of additional acts of service his father did during his life which clearly painted the picture that Nicky was truly a man of service throughout his entire life.

1. Having my joy in singing with the choir reignited. Leave it to Christmas music to work a miracle.

Special thanks to my carpool buddies and to my wife and kids who came to support me (and kept things going on the home front while I was away). Love you all!

Until 2023, may God be with you.

 

(Pictures courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and LDSLiving.com)

Lea Solonga

Audience members holding up their lights

Lea Solonga

Sir David Suchet

Holding up lights to signify a pledge for good works

Wes and me after the 12/18 MSW

Carpool buddies having some pre-concert eats

Wes, myself, and Patrick

Wes & Patrick enjoying some dinner after our recording session

TCATS #451 - Es ist ein Ros entsprungen

I loved all of the Christmas songs the Tabernacle Choir got to perform today, but I think the one I enjoyed the most was "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" or, translated "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming". While I'm not a huge fan particularly of the title, the song itself--the tune--somehow embodies all of the good things about Christmas. Somewhere along the way when I was smack dab in the middle of my teenage years, Mannheim Steamroller's version of this song made an impression on me and tied together all the positive things about Christmas--which has carried over into my adult years. So, as I sang it today, I felt good and was hoping that others were feeling good listening to it.

Also, it's very rare that the Choir does anything a cappella. It just takes too long for a choir this size to work on and perfect an a cappella song. So when we performed this song today without any accompaniment, the experience seemed to make it all the more special. The happy feelings were a bit deeper--a bit more meaningful. It's almost like a cappella singing (particularly when it's a slower moving piece) causes each singer to have to rely on each other a little more than usual because we're much more exposed. As Bro. Wilberg would say "there's no where to hide". We each have to do our part very well.

Speaking of "very well" AND our conductor Bro. Wilberg AND things that are rare, our conductor gave us a compliment today that I don't think I've ever heard. He said our performance today was "exceptional". I turned to Wes and asked "Did he really just say that?" Haha. Yes, yes he did.

In other news, this next week is THE week! Our busiest week of the year. Rehearsals Tues and Wed, with performances Thur, Fri, and Sat. And Sun of course. I feel like we're ready. Some of the newer choir members will undoubtedly still be looking over their music right up until Thursday. But they are doing great. We'll all get there. 

A shout out to all of my fellow choir friends today who were extra loving and supportive. Compliments, hugs, well-wishes, comical commentary, and genuine concern about current life challenges--all of these things were given and received in abundance. Such good people. And on top of that, I got a nice text after the performance today from my wife who continues to support me in this musical journey (and puts up with all of my being gone this coming week). Thanks Jenn!

Last thing: if you weren't able to see last year's Christmas Concert, it will be shown on TV throughout December. Check out this link for details. Regarding this concert, guest narrator Neal McDonough said "Creating this show of Christmas, and talking about the things that I love most, it’s truly a highlight of my career,” said McDonough. It’s so emotional and so powerful what we say on stage. The whole true meaning of the show is all about family. I am just so honored to be part of a show, alongside a world-class group, that really talks about life. It’s about kindness and forgiveness and realizing that it’s not about us, it’s about the greater good. For me to be able to express how I feel onstage, it’s such an empowering feeling because I haven’t really had that ability to be able to speak about how I feel about life and how I like that to be with my art. It’s an inspiring, humbling, fantastic feeling.”

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #450 - The Little Things

Today was a long day. Sundays for the Choir are normally long, but today I spent 9 1/2 hrs as a musical missionary. We had the normal broadcast in the morning. And then we regrouped at 4:30pm to prep for the First Presidency Christmas Devotional at 6pm. By the time I got home I was weary. 

That said, singing Christmas music is always satisfying and I tried to find the little things that made the long hours of today more of a delight. Ready for a few?

1. I got to get into a car this morning that had been inside my [warmer] garage instead of outside in the very cold air.

2. The roads and weather were good throughout the day. 

3. I sat by two good friends for both the MSW broadcast and the devotional. We talked of good, important things.

4. I got a few hugs.

5. My friend Patrick was back after a week of being out sick, right ready to sing and be a part of the magic again.

6. The full carpool gang drove to and from the devotional together. It's probably been five months since all four of us drove in together.

7. I was able to stifle a sneeze and two facial itches while potentially on camera. 

8. I appreciated how beautiful and Christmasy decorated the Conference Center was. (Bless those people who spent countless hours doing that)

9. I got to help a fellow bass by taking his music back to the library and checking to see if his new badge had come in.

10. I got a few nice texts from family and friends showing their love and support for time spent today.

There's ALWAYS something good to find, even within days that are very full, or very tiring, or very stressful, or very draining, or very hard. Sure, you might have to really think about the day's events to find what exactly made you even the least bit happy, but I know you'll find something. Give it a try the next time you are tempted to think the day was a complete disappointment.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #449 - Christmas

The Christmas season on Temple Square officially got underway today with the first of five Christmas Special editions of Music and the Spoken Word. I must say, I always enjoy singing Christmas music.  And it felt nice to participate in something that helped many, today, to tap into that Christmas spirit. There is plenty about this time of year that I don't like: the crowds, trying to adhere to a Christmas budget for gifts, the cold snowy weather, and the sicknesses that seem to make their rounds. But I do like the emphasis on Christ, the family time and family traditions, and Christmas music (well, let me qualify that by saying SOME Christmas music, since the overplayed playlists that are prevalent on the radio stations are to be avoided! I mean, who really wants to hear "Santa Baby", or "Mele Kalikimaka", or "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time" yet again for the umteenth time??)

I think my favorites from today were the two Christmas classics "The First Noel" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", along with a French carol "Dance and Sing". The arrangements of all three of these really resonate with me. And that last 40 seconds or so of The First Noel  is just really powerful. 

As a bonus today, I got to sing right next to my friend Wes, which seems to only happen every couple of years. Week to week, we're always two or three seats in proximity to each other.  But for whatever reason, we hardly ever sit right next to each other. He's a good person.

The next three weeks will be the busiest ones for the Choir. Along with Thursday rehearsals, we add Tuesday rehearsals and then an extra rehearsal each Sunday. But the finished product should be worth all of the time and effort. It always is. 

I was thinking about the words to The First Noel today. And as I did so, I realized I didn't really know what the word "noel" actually meant. As far as I've been able to discover, it has both a French origin and a Latin one. From French, it means "of or born on Christmas". From the Latin, it means "birthday". So....while Christ was certainly not the first person born on the day he was born, He actually was the first person born on Christmas (since it's because of Him we have Christmas in the first place--which, technically was in April). Anyway, I'm grateful for Christ's birth and everything that Christ has done (and still does) for me. I hope you'll join me in trying to be more like Him this Christmas season. I'd also invite you to watch or re-watch some short music videos the choir has done in recent years that have Christ-like themes. My favorite is HERE, but these are also awesome: HERE and HERE.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #448 - Living in Thanks + Meeting Reaction

From today's Spoken Word: "Of course, the great God of the universe wants to bless us, and He invites us to ask, seek, and knock. But it’s also true that one of the greatest blessings He offers is the peace and perspective that fill our souls when we live in thanks."

Along with the beautiful songs we were able to sing today, I pondered a bit about how the last line of that quote, above, is true for me. Do I really feel more peace and more perspective when I live in thanks? And what does "living in thanks"  really mean? 

I guess for me, living in thanks means that I don't wait until I pray to express thanks to God for my blessings. Sure, expressing thanks in a formal prayer is  definitely a good thing. But when I do it that way, I think I miss a lot. The bigger blessings always stand out and it's pretty easy to remember those. But if I am actively looking for blessings throughout the day, I can recognize them better (including some of the precious "smaller" ones) and I can give thanks for them in real-time. 

This proactive approach is hard to do when you're having a bad day, when you just don't feel good, or things have happened that have caused disappointment or despair. But I guess that's the best type of day to really put this blessing of "peace and perspective" to the test. While I'm not very good at this proactive approach on bad days, I can say that when I stop for a few seconds and open my eyes to what's around me and think about things from a more holistic point of view, I actually do feel an increase of peace and perspective. It doesn't take away any of the hurt or frustration, but is lessens the effects of it just a bit. And, actually, it can help in having that hurt and frustration either go away more quickly, or, I end up learning something valuable that can help me the next time such difficult emotions encircle and threaten to consume. 

My invitation to you is to try it. Be actively thankful not only on the good days, but on the bad ones. And see what happens. 

Switching gears, I did want to report on the semi-annual business meeting that the Choir organization was invited to this past Tuesday. You can actually read about what was discussed, HERE.  As for my take on it all... Well, I'm really happy that our weekly program will start to be offered in Spanish and Portuguese. And to emphasize, this does not mean that they are going to take the regular English program and just add subtitles or audio dub to it. No. Everything that gets displayed on the screen (including the Music & Spoken Word logo), and everything that is spoken (i.e. the "spoken word") will be in the native language. Obviously the music itself will still be in English primarily, but everything else will more country-friendly. INCLUDING, might I add, those video segments you often see on screen while we sing. Instead of seeing a white family of four running in a field of flowers in slow motion for example, you'll perhaps see a Latino family participating in some country-specific activity. Anyway, I think this is a very good move.

For the next initiative of going on tour more frequently but for shorter periods of time, I think that's also a great thing. Taking three weeks of personal leave from work to go on tour (thus sacrificing those vacation days to spend with family) was a tall order. Seven to 10 days is much more do-able. And I think more people will be able to make that work. The big blow that came to choir member spouses during that announcement  was that spouses will no longer be invited to go on tour. And for some spouses, that was a very hard thing to hear. Spouses already have a difficult time feeling included in this choir journey, and despite the occasional "thank you for your sacrifice and support" that comes from choir leaders, there really isn't a lot that is done for spouses to actually show them how much they are valued. Case in point: we typically have had a nice dinner the week after the Christmas Concert, held at the Grand America. This was a nice fancy occasion that plenty of the spouses looked forward to. It was seen as a nice token of thanks for all the support they had given throughout the year. Unfortunately, that dinner was discontinued and replaced with some unspecified summer activity. And many of us weren't very happy about it. 

The third pilot program that was spoken about was flying people in from other countries to sing at Conference. I'm waiting to hear more details on this (you can read the announcement linked above for a few more details), but I sort of struggle with this one. Are they doing this just so that the choir can appear more diverse? And what will happen to these people who go through a try-out process, get picked to learn the songs and participate in conference, and then fly back to their home country once conference is over?  Are they done? Do they get to do it again? What do they do between the time they fly back and the next conference? Too many questions, so I will defer judgment on this one until I know more.

 Well, this blog entry is running a bit long so I'll wrap it up. Just two quick things. One, after the meeting each choir member had to fill out a survey, and one of the questions was an open-ended one regarding general feedback. It was rather amazing! They've never asked for feedback and have never encouraged us giving it before. Two, my friend Willy had his sister sing with the choir at Thursday night's rehearsal as a guest and it was fun to see how excited he was. He introduced me to her after the rehearsal and it sounded like the whole experience for her was a positive one. 

And with that, I'll bid you all adieu!

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #447 - West Point Glee Club

The West Point Glee Club, from the West Point Military Academy in New York, joined us on Music & the Spoken Word today--which was fitting since today's broadcast was honoring the veterans. There was plenty of patriotic music to go around, from the familiar America the Beautiful and Battle Hymn of the Republic, the less familiar Because of the Brave and Mansions of the Lord. The Glee Club joined us on two numbers, and also sang their own piece, God is Nigh. Some interesting facts about the Glee Club. First, the president of the club is a young man from Farmington, UT, and is also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He sang a brief solo in the song that the Glee Club performed today. Second, six male members of the Glee Club make up an a cappella group called the KnightCaps, and six females make up the a cappella group called the Knightingales. Third, the Glee Club's motto is “No Fun Without Music, No Music Without Fun!” And fourth, on their Instagram account today, they posted "As a finale to our Veteran’s Day tour in Utah, the Glee Club had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform for the Tabernacle Choir’s “Music and the Spoken Word” broadcast. This program has aired every Sunday since 1929 with the longest continuous broadcast on air. It was broadcast live on several stations throughout the US and will be available to watch for years to come by audiences around the world! What an honor to join this historic and internationally acclaimed ensemble!"

Having the Club perform with us today brought back some nice memories of when the Tabernacle Choir sang at West Point on the 4th of July of 2015 (as part of our East Coast tour). It was a very cool experience. There's a partial write-up on that experience HERE, if you're interested. (And a video of our performance, HERE)

For those who have faithfully followed my blog, this next comment will come as no surprise:  I'm always conflicted when we devote an entire broadcast to some holiday or event that is U.S.-centric. Since we are a worldwide Choir trying to represent a global Church, it doesn't seem quite fair that several of our broadcasts throughout the year cater to United States holidays. That said, I try very hard to remember that even though it may not be fair, these broadcasts do bring a lot of joy to people. And if THAT'S true, then I suppose an unfair thing can still be a good thing. 

To end today's post, I did want to comment that the Choir is having it's semi-annual business meeting this coming Tuesday. At this meeting, the Choir leadership will announce three new pilot projects, which will involve Music and the Spoken Word, the Choir’s future travel schedule, as well as ways for the Choir to better reflect the worldwide mission of the Church. At the end of the meeting, President Russell M. Nelson will address the members of the Tabernacle Choir Organization and their families. Sister Wendy W. Nelson will also speak.

Looking forward to hearing what will be announced.

Until next time, God be with you.

Pictures from today's performance, below. Click to enlarge...

 

TCATS #446 - The Canon Conundrum

It's been a very long time since I've seen just about every choir member scramble to learn a piece of music. But for the past several weeks, we've all been trying to sear into our memories this song that's based on Pachabel's Canon in D. The main difficulty was this: the song repeats the same phrase ( "Alleluia in excelsius") 16 times. And while there are a couple of repeated phrases, most of them are all structurally different note-wise. There's no pattern! While I can't speak for the entire men's section, I can say that every person around me and in my carpool group was trying to figure out the best creative way he could learn the song--and spent many hours in the process.

One guy simply used repetition after labeling each of the phrases 1-16. He'd memorize #1, then do #1 and #2, then #1, #2, and #3, and so forth, all the way to the end of the song. Over and over again. Another guy used some music software and put each phrase on it's own line, all the way down the page, so he could quickly see the differences. I decided to go through each phrase and label them with letters so I could see what was repeated and where the differences were. It looked like this

{Intro}
A  B
C  D
E  F
E  G
E  G
H  B
A  I
A  I
H  J
A  I
A  I
A  I
H  K
E  L
E  M

As you can see, it was sort of a mess. The A-I pattern was most prevalent, but you'll notice that there were four variations of "Alleluia" (A, C, E, H) and nine variations of "in-excelsius" (B, D, F, G, I, J, K, L, M). 

At any rate, most of us spent a lot of time on this song that debuted on today's Music & the Spoken Word (take a listen HERE). Mack seemed pleased with the performance but indicated we have a little more work to do before we perform it at the Christmas Concert in December. I sat there trying to figure out why Mack didn't arrange the song with more of a pattern we could follow. But I'm sure he had his reasons. I know next to nothing about arranging...

We spent the extra rehearsal today going through Christmas music, music for the Veteran's Day special next week, and the choral work ELIJAH. I'm having a terribly difficult time with ELIJAH. The words (at least to the songs we've learned thus far) aren't very uplifting or hopeful. A sampling:

"Yet doth the Lord see it not, He mocketh at us; His curse hath fallen down upon us, His wrath will pursue us till He destroy us."

"Though thousands languish and fall beside thee, and tens of thousands around thee perish, yet still it shall not come nigh thee."

"Behold, God the Lord passed by! And a mighty wind rent the mountains around, brake in pieces the rocks, brake them before the Lord. But yet the Lord was not in the tempest."

I'll try and keep an open mind.

Looking ahead to Christmas, if any of you did "put your name in the hat" for Christmas concert tickets, best of luck to you. If luck does not prevail for you this year, tune into your local PBS station on Dec 13th for the premiere showing of last year's concert (see HERE for details).  You can also stream the songs from that concert on any of the major streaming services or purchase the CD/DVD at various places around. Also, check out this comprehensive list of all-things-Christmas related to the Tabernacle Choir. Very handy.

And that's all I have!

Until next time, God be with you.