mike and ruth

I was at the first Jazz home game in Salt Lake City last week and they played fairly well against the Los Angeles Clippers. (Here is the view from my seat in the rafters. Don’t you agree that it was a good idea to take binoculars?) Any team on a given day can be very good or very weak depending on the actions of the players and their own attitutdes and health. The fans are also a part of this because they can sway the attitude of the players and distract them or encourage them. The chance to sing there was exciting and went well, and I am pleased that the game also went well. This game was a tribute to the fans by the Miller family, and having the choir sing was a tribute to the late Larry Miller by his family. It was fun but I couldn’t stay for the entire game. I had to get back home to work. They have lost two games since then, and seem to be in trouble now, three games into the season. Who knows? On behalf of the choir members, we love the Millers and we love the Jazz and are grateful to be given the chance to take part on the festivities. Thank you!

This week I begin my 13th year as a member of the Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Some may not know that we are volunteers. Choir members are not paid. Singers are allowed up to 20 years of service, but are released when they reach 60 years of age if this comes first. My choir audition took place during the summer of 1997 and was accepted into the choir in October of that year, two weeks after General Conference. The seat I was assigned had been vacated the week before by Uncle Jim Kennard, who had just retired. (Jim, that was a great honor!) My mentor, Jim Young, sat right next to me and was a great help to me as I became acquainted with the methods and procedures of membership in the choir. I have formed fast friendships that will endure long past the time of my tenure, and I have also enjoyed seeing relatives on a more regular basis during the time of our mutual service. The year after I joined the choir we took a three-week trip to Europe, performing concerts in England, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. I have performed under the direction of such conductors as Rafael Fruhbruck de Burgos, John Williams, Keith Lockhart, Eric Kunzel, Jerold Ottley, Donald Ripplinger, Craig Jessop, and Mack Wilberg. The many highlights include performances with the Boston Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Utah Symphony, and Orchestra at Temple Square. Performance venues include locations such as Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles CA, Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto Canada, Chautauqua NY, Wolftrap in VA, Blossom in Cleveland OH, Ravinia in Chicago IL, Nashville Arena TN, FedEx Forum in Memphis TN, Tanglewood in MA, Lincoln Center in NYC, and Boston’s Esplanade on July 4th with the Boston Pops Orchestra and live on Public Television. The choir has provided “backup” for Angela Lansbury, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Bryn Terfel, Claire Bloom, Edward Herrmann, Frederica von Stade, Peter Graves, Renee Fleming, Sissel Kyrkjebo, The King’s Singers, Walter Cronkite, Yo Yo Ma, Sting, Gladys Knight, Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, The Oak Ridge Boys, and others. It has been an incredible journey, and I am happy to say that I anticipate many more such experiences in coming months and years.

The Church News of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has the story on their website of the experience the choir had with David Foster and Andrea Bocelli a few weeks ago. (See my entry for Sept. 11 regarding our own recording of a song these two made famous as composer and performer.) It was a wonderful experience, one that ended a very long week of recording for the choir and orchestra that began Tuesday evening and went each evening from 6:45 to 10pm and Saturday from 10am until 5:30 pm. What a special bonus for us at the end of a very long week! It was also a long day for me, as I worked Friday night and went directly to the sessions on Saturday. I had been up for more than 24 hours at this point. The photo above was published on the Church News internet site as part of the published story. I hope you will go and see see it online at http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/57913/Renowned-tenor-visits-Tabernacle.html. Also, Church Public Communications has posted a short movie on YouTube from the sessions that includes shots of both Mr. Bocelli and Mr. Foster with the choir and orchestra. Please take a look at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDe8QstVSes.

In this evening’s recording session (the fourth of six this week), the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square recorded a Mack Wilberg arrangement of “The Prayer”. This song has resonated with many people around the world, as sung by Charlotte Church & Josh Groban, and also by Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli. The music was written by David Foster. It is in both English and Italian. I really enjoyed singing in Italian again! The choir really enjoyed singing it and we are looking forward to the release of the new CD with this piece on it sometime in the next several months. This is representative of the kind of music on the recording: music of peace, reflection, and introspection. The CD contains mostly very quiet, peaceful music. Here are the words to this popular song that we recorded today. I hope you can see the message contained in the music.

The Prayer
I pray you’ll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don’t know
Let this be our prayer
As we go our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe

La luce che tu dai
I pray we’ll find your light
Nel cuore restero
And hold it in our hearts
A ricordarci che
When stars go out each night
L’eterna stella sei
Nella mia preghiera
Let this be our prayer
Quanta fede c’e
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe.

Sognamo un mondo senza piu violenza
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace e di fraternita

La forza che ci dai
We ask that life be kind
E’il desiderio che
And watch us from above
Ognuno trovi amore
We hope each soul will find
Intorno e dentro a se
Another soul to love
Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Just like every child
Needs to find a place,
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

E la fede che
Hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salvera.

The Tabernacle Choir has begun another series of recording sessions in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City for a CD to be released later this year. (Notice the quilts placed on the benches of the main floor of the photo below, to slighly warm the famous accoustics of this historic building.)

It will feature music of reflection and of quite comtemplation, and be different in this way. It will contrast with many of the choirs CDs which boast the huge sound of the 360-voice choir and 100-piece orchestra that will really raise one’s pulse with the huge, dramatic sound that results. This album will show how softly the huge forces can sing and how tenderly the lyrics can be sung to the delicate musical accompaniment. Sessions will take the entire week of evenings and all day on Saturday. A special videotaping session during the series will create a music video with singer Andrea Bocelli and pianist-composer David Foster with the choir, featuring them in the well-known song, “The Prayer” which is sung in Italian and English. We look forward to seeing the product in its finished form as well as the CD that will result. The choir will soon release a new CD and DVD for Christmas that was compiled from last year’s Christmas Concerts. The DVD features the entire concert with Baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell and actor Edward Herrmann which was widely praised as a triumph last year. You may want to see more information about these and other widely-acclaimed recordings of the choir and orchestra at http://mormontabernaclechoir.org/products/.

The progress on our kitchen is somewhat slow but we have had good people helping us out with the project. We are grateful for the help offered by everyone and we may yet use some of you to assist us as we move things from room to room for painting in preparation for carpet, and then for the laying of the carpet.

Here is what the kitcen looks like now. We still need the countertops and sink, as well as the dishwasher put in place. You can see the microwave and the under-counter lighting, which we really like. It will be really nice when it is finished. Although we have enjoyed our time with Grandma, we are very excited with the prospect of moving back in, and she is surely also looking forward to this so her life can get “back to normal” for a while. I have also been fortunate to replace my old Honda with a newer one after a parking-lot collision damaged my old car to the point it could not be economically repaired to pass inspection, which was due the end of July.

Tonight in Tab Choir we enjoyed the first preparations for the new Associate Music Director, Ryan Murphy’s first Choir Broadcast performance in his new position. I was in my place and found that Randy was missing today. Gosh Randy, I miss you! It was nice to sit with David though and Kent will be there to help keep us in line as we sing together. I look forward to the inclusing of Dan Gawthrop’s brilliant arrangement of “Press Forward, Saints” with Clay Christiansen at the organ on Sunday. It has a toccata-like accompaniment that is well-suited for Clay’s ample abilities and I really enjoy hearing him play the organ.

Tonight at rehearsal we had some guests in the loft. I was privileged to share my music with Brother Wilcox from Ogden who was joining us tonight with his wife, as a birthday gift for her. They are the guests of their daughter-in-law, who is a member of the choir. We were told that they have sung at many funeral and memorial services in the Ogden area over the years. Their daughter-in-law told me afterwards that he has had quickly diminishing health (he came in a wheelchair and was able to walk very carefully to a seat in the loft), the result of an illness from the past month. He has been diagnosed with some form of cancer although the doctors do not know where it is. He has lost a lot of weight and has become quite weak in recent days. He will begin chemotherapy tomorrow. Please pray for him and his family.

Charlotte is going to the hospital tomorrow morning to begin her labor! We are very excited for her and Andrew, and are praying for the health of mother and baby. More to come when news is available!