mike and ruth

The tour was memorable in every way. Meals were scrumptious as usual. I helped with the luggage, which is a duty that we take turns with to help out. It adds to the fulfillment of performances and rehearsals. I thought I would add this epilogue to my previous entires about the tour… I had a lot to say each day about our music-making but felt like leaving the group is such a let-down that it really changes one’s life virtually in every way. I now have a new church job that will keep me busy though.

We finished up the tour with a performance at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This beautiful area is so green! We had time to visit several places and enjoyed relaxing in their beautiful city.

People have asked me when seeing this photo if I am left-handed. I am not, but the microphone stand was in the way so I rang the bell with my left hand. What an honor to be selected as one of about 40 ringers and to participate in this part of the concert as a bell-ringer/singer! I will watch with interest as the choir continues to provide uplifting music and commentary to those who will listen. Although this has been a large part of my life, now I will have more time to do things with my wife and family. I will relish memories of the time I spent in the Salt Lake Tabernacle and in the Conference Center in the “big seats” behind those who speak to the world. I will miss my close relationship with the singers, and also the thrilling experience of hearing the mighty Tabernacle Organ and Conference Center Organ from the close vantage of the choir seats. My God be with you all, as you continue your important part of sharing the love of God through music!

We were happy to find that the concerts we presented were successful and that it was now time to return home to our families. We are grateful to the people behind the scenes that made it possible for us to present our message to the many thousands for whom we sang. The stage crew including those who set up and took down the risers, the organ, the sound system, moved in and out all of the wardrobe cabinets, moved luggage in and out, and all of the myriad tasks that need to be taken care of to make it possible for such a series of concerts to take place. Some of our colleagues are still on their way home and won’t get here for a few more days, driving the trucks with all of the equipment back home. We salute you for your hard work! Thank you for the opportunity of sharing with others the joy in music we feel as we share our love of God, of music, and of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. And thank you to our families who also allow up to participate and be away from them while we pursue the endeavors of sharing this with others in person at other places.

Breakfast in the hotel was relaxing and each of the three groups left on buses for the airport in an orderly fashion. I was impressed with the organization that was put into place making it a very smooth process to get our bags checked in a special place, get through security, and then get onto the aircraft for our trip home. We encountered the roughest air I have experienced recently shortly after reaching our cruising altitude of 33,000 feet. Due to the dangers of moving around the cabin, this delayed our delicious meal but we enjoyed the time and the flight went quickly because of the circumstances.
My group traveled using Trax and Frontrunner back to Utah County. It was a relaxing and fairly uncrowded trip, and we were able to talk with other passengers about the trip and our experiences. Thank you everyone for a memorable trip, my last as a singer in the choir.

This morning we left very early on a long day of traveling towards Minnesota where the last concert will be held Thursday night. On the way we stopped at Black River Falls, a small town near the Black River where the location near the river and supply of white pine made it possible for the supply of lumber to be cut and moved to the water to be floated down towards the Mississippi, where it would be routed to Nauvoo for the construction of the Nauvoo Temple.

The supply of lumber anywhere near Nauvoo was much less plentiful. It was said that the trees were growing so thick and straight and tall, that one could walk a great distance under them without being in the sun. Their branches were limited to the very top of the trees where the sun was so there were few knots in the wood along their tall trunks. Many were as much as four to five feet around so there was a lot of wood there. The choir created and paid for a monument that was installed in the large green central park of the town where an aquatics center was located at one time. The monument is to honor those who spent many years there laboring to harvest the timber needed for the temple. Several people also lost their lives during the seasons when the materials were floated down the river as they helped clear log jams and were drowned in the river.
In 1911 the City suffered a tragic flood in the early 20th century that washed away many businesses and much of the downtown area. They build a very large canal to carry away any similar flood waters in the future. This canal runs by the side of the park. There were about 2,500 persons in attendance at the dedication ceremonies and the choir performed three pieces for them with piano accompaniment. Elder Craig Cardon of the First Quorum of the Seventy spoke to the crowd explaining the significance of the site and the lumber that was produced for the temple from the site. It was a moving tribute to a group of pioneer loggers who were largely unknown but who made a major contribution to the construction of the Nauvoo Temple through the harvest of lumber materials at this location.

We were able to sleep in a little later today and get some rest before traveling to Milwaukee. This wasn’t a long trip, only about 2 hours but we went directly to the venue and had a rehearsal without getting into hotel rooms first.

We walked the three blocks and went to dinner there before the performance. We are staying in the beautiful old Milwaukee City Center Hilton Hotel, probably built around 1920. Much of the beautiful period elegance has been restored and it is a beautiful place to stay. The concert was very successful and a lot of fun. Our guest conductor was the Archbishop of Milwaukee who seemed to be a very nice person. He did a great job too!Here I am with some good friends in the choir in this photo taken before tonight’s concert. We have spent many years performing together and I will really miss my close association with them! They will all be staying on when I have finished out next week.

I am told that Grandma is doing very well. Thanks to Richard and Yvonne for coming out to visit over the weekend and for their very kind help and assistance. Mom is staying with her tonight (and did so also last night). When I called they were watching a movie together so Grandma could get to sleep. I don’t think it will help. The movie is the North Avenue Irregulars. Too funny to go to sleep during that one!

The story of the night last night was the weather. Things went really well for the concert but the weather forecasters showed a major storm moving east from Texas that went clear up to the Canadian border.

They expected heavy rain in the area around 6pm, just before the concert was supposed to start. We saw lots of clouds at that time, and they had experienced rain in the earlier afternoon. When we arrived it has been raining and was quite cool. As the rehearsal went on the sun came out and brightened up the theater and the park around it, but the clouds continued to be present. After the rehearsal and our dinner the clouds looked a little more ominous but we were praying that the rain would wait. No rain came and then at the intermission we checked the radar reports for the storm. It had divided itself and was moving south and north of where we were while everywhere else was getting a good soaking. The only explanation was that our prayers were answered. Quite miraculous!

We had a very nice day today beginning with Sacrament meeting this morning. Elder and Sister Cardon spoke about the importance of faith and following the promptings of the Holy Ghost in our lives. The Italian speaking members were invited to sing a hymn in Italian as a special number, which we really enjoyed. I took a nap this afternoon and did some reading, as well as listening to some BYU Devotionals from many years ago.

Dinner tonight was delicious as you can see, and we ended the day with a wonderful fireside presented by one of our own, Ron Gunnell, who takes care of arrangements with the guests we have for the Christmas and other special concerts. It was fascinating.

It is hard to believe but my time in the choir is actually coming to an end. We are doing a recording with Bryn Terfel in May for Deutsche Gramophone Records and the retirees have been invited to ‘stay on’ and participate in this event. Some have also been asked to participate in the Central States Tour of the choir. I was not asked to be a participant in the tour at first but was pleased to be asked later on when they had a cancellation. This means that I will also be going with the choir to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan in June. My last day of participation in Music and the Spoken Word will be June 23rd. It has been a wonderful treat to associate with the choice people who comprise the members of the choir and orchestra. They have always been very kind and helpful, among the best people I know. They are, as it is said, ‘the salt of the earth’ and come from many backgrounds. Although I know many people in the Orchestra we seldom get a chance to even say hello to them except for the few minutes between the run-through Sunday morning and the live broadcast itself. Even then we are all trying to take a quick break and get ready so there isn’t time for really any fraternizing then. I will post a few photos from the tour after this post. It has been a great experience participating with my choir friends and I will miss them!!

We had a wonderful experiece today at Ravinia near Chicago, Illinois. We drove from Indianapolis today, and had to take an alternate route due to road construction. The alternate was closed in one place too so we had to go through a residential area slowing us down even more. After a nice rehearsal we had a very nice meal on the site. I noticed right away that the organ sounded better her than in the other venues so far on this outing. The guest conductor at the end of tonight’s concert was a military man who represented all of the armed services personnel who protect US interests around the world. He was the recipient of the Bronze Star for valor in circumstances that were a peril to his life. We noticed right away that the stage and performing area at this location is much like what we are used to in the Tabernacle and we were comfortable with the way things sounded. Mack is having a great time, especially on the Rossini Gloria and he said that he was very comfortable with it. The encore was decided by the concert attendees (by calling a number from their cell phones and entering a code representing their choice) was “Climb Every Mountain”. At the other two venues so far we had sung, “God Bless America”. It was a great evening in a wonderful setting!

We are in Columbus Ohio for the first concert of the 2013 Concert tour of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir organization including the Orchestra at Temple Square. We left early this morning and rehearsed this afternoon in the hockey arena downtown. The stage and all the chairs are placed on a superstructure of coverings that have been places over the ice. We are looking a forward to having a great audience including David and Tamara tonight!

After over 15 years of participation It is hard to believe but my time in the choir is actually coming to an end. This photo was taken after the retirement program from April 21st was over. There were a lot of people there!

Since that time we have just finished a recording with Bryn Terfel for Deutsche Gramophone Records, and all the retirees were invited to ‘stay on’ and participate in this event, which was nothing less than totally amazing! See the blog entries from members about this experience beginning here. (Each successive page has a new number at the end, up to 7.) Some retirees have also been asked to participate in the Central States Tour of the choir. I was not asked to participate in the tour at first but was pleased to be asked later on when they had a cancellation. This means that I will also be going with the choir to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan in June. My last day of participation in Music and the Spoken Word will be June 23rd. It has been a wonderful treat to associate with the choice people who comprise the members of the choir and orchestra. They have always been very kind and helpful, among the best people I know. They are, as it is said, ‘the salt of the earth’ and come from many backgrounds. Although I know many people in the Orchestra we seldom get a chance to even say hello to them except for the few minutes between the run-through Sunday morning and the live broadcast itself. Even then we are all trying to take a quick break and get ready so there isn’t time for much fraternizing then. This has been an amazing and uplifting experience, and a great opportunity to share my testimony of the gospel to others including my own family. It has been so fun in recent years to have two brothers participating, Mark in the choir, and more recently Neil in the Orchestra. (Mark and I were roommates on the 2003 tour right after he joined the choir.) Dad and Mom were both members the choir when they were married 64 years ago so participation in the choir has always been a part of our lives, right from the very beginning of our family. Here we are together in the balcony after a recent performance, as taken by the choir’s photographer. I want to get in the orchestra if I can, and will be pursuing this during the summer to be more ready for that possibility in the fall.