mike and ruth

One of the many historical highlights of the choir tour took place early in the morning in Iowa. (Pictures are by Gerry Avant of The Church News.) We arrived at a park near Council Bluffs on June 24th at 6:30 am for a photo session at Progressive Park, on the banks of the Missouri River. The early time was scheduled in hopes of avoiding the heat of the day in the humidity. The experience was memorable for us as well as for the people who were watching — including the owners of the park. It was a great start to the day for us.

It was my great privilege to participate in the most recent tour of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as a singing member of the choir. We visited several midwestern cities and sang concerts in Cincinnati OH (with the Pops), St. Louis MO, Des Moines IA, Omaha NB, Kansas City MO, Norman OK, and Denver CO. We sang for a few small groups of senior citizens and visited some historic sites on the way.

The trip lasted about 13 days and involved about 320 singers, 60 orchestra members, 150 guests, 25 crew members, and all of the associated luggage and other equipment required for the trip. We began by taking a flight to Cincinnati and took 11 buses to the other venues as well as three luggage trucks, four semis with full-size trailers for equipment, and four support vehicles. The tour ended at Denver with a concert at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater.

We returned to Salt Lake City the next day. What a trip it was! This kind of trip is not a vacation, but a rigorous effort every day, but what a great experience.