mike and ruth

Last weekend I had a very unique experience: the opportunity to participate in a pair of live performances of the Mahler 2nd Symphony in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. This very large work has become known as the “Resurrection Symphony” because of Mahler’s own text which he used in the choral parts of the last movement. This was this year’s program for the “Gift of Music” presented to the community by O.C. Tanner Company, featuring the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Returning as a guest conductor was the recently-emeritus conductor of the Utah Symphony, Keith Lockhart. I am a member of the choir and our seats were among the best in the house as the Symphony performed the first four movements without us, and used only one of the two soloists. The last movement was saved for both soloists and the choir. The dynamics of the piece go from both extremes, extremely soft to extremely loud. There are extras in every section. Here is what the score calls for: 4 Flutes (all four doubling Piccolos); 4 Oboes (3rd and 4th oboe doubling English Horns); 3 Clarinets in B-flat, A, C (3rd clarinet doubling Bass Clarinet), 2 E-flat Clarinets (2nd E-flat clarinet doubling 4th clarinet); 4 Bassoons (3rd and 4th Bassoon doubling Contra bassoon); 10 Horns in F, four used offstage until the last movement; 8-10 Trumpets in F and C, four to six used offstage; 4 Trombones and Tuba; A total of seven percussion players playing on the following instruments: Timpani (2 players and 8 timpani, with a third player in the last movement using two of the second timpanist’s drums), Several Snare Drums, Bass Drum, Crash Cymbals, Triangle, Glockenspiel, 3 deep, untuned steel rods or bells, Rute, or “switch”, to be played on the shell of the bass drum, 2 Tam-tams or Gongs (high and low), and offstage percussion in Movement 5; and “the largest possible contingent of strings”. These together with the 350-voice choir and two soloists, made for an ensemble approaching 500 for the performance. It was stunning to say the least. I am grateful I was able to be a participant.

Grandpa came to the Thursday evening rehearsal as a guest of his three sons who are members, and was a participant during the rehearsal as one of the choir members. This privilege is offered only very sparingly to persons acquainted with choir members, with strict guidelines. [Grandpa joined the Salt Lake Tabernacle Choir in 1947 at the age of 17, and sang with the choir over a period of 41 years. Part of that time he was serving in other positions that kept him from active participation with the choir. He encouraged Grandma to audition, and they were both choir members before they were married. They became engaged between general conference sessions while participating as choir members. They were both participants in the choir when the famed recording of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra was made back in 1957, but Grandma decided to stay at home with the children shortly after Eric was born. They retired from active participation in the choir in 1988.] Grandpa was invited to sit with the basses, and Uncle Mark was seated next to him. It was an evening of patriotic music as the choir was preparing for the broadcast for Veterans Day. The final piece in the rehearsal was one which used a lot of organ, unlike everything else, which was accompanied by the orchestra. Grandpa really loves the organ and was thrilled to hear it. Happy 80th Birthday!

Richard Elliott gave an amazing recital tonight at the Salt Lake City Tabernacle on the 207 rank Aeolean Skinner organ installed in that building in 1948. This was a remarkable study of contrasts including music from the time of Sweelinck to middle 20th Century. Grandpa and I were fotunate to arrive early enough to find seats on the front row of the east balcony, a location we consider to be the best in the house. Not only was the music memorable but the visual effects provided by the lighting technicians was unique and quite spectacular. The organ sounded superb, reflecting careful work by the organ technicians. Congratulations to Rick and his colleagues for an absolutely first-rate performance in every regard. In recent weeks a newly-issued recording of the organ was presented to me by Richard Elliott. The recording was made in November 2004, about a month before the Tabernacle was closed for rennovation for over two years. I was invited by the organist to assist, and turned pages at the console for several pieces during the recording sessions. What an honor this was, and I was pleased to be asked also to help in the studio when not turning pages. This new album is a treat; the first new CD of the organ in many years. I believe Clay Christiansen’s Klavier CD was the latest, released in the late 1990’s. That makes this one the first organ solo CD released from the Tabernacle Organ in more than ten years. It’s about time! Ask me anything you like about it.

The leaves are now brown and red and yellow, and the temperatues are getting cooler as the days and weeks move towards the end of the year. I took this photo after work, with the moon still showing in the mist of the early morning sun above the reds and yellows of the trees around our building. It was cool, quiet, and beautiful. Word has it that snow is not too far away again. Our last major snowfall was April 17, and I will add a photo to this post later on to show you what it looked like.