Archive for October, 2009

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Happy 80th Birthday Next Week, Dad!

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Mom and Dad on their 60th Anniversary

Mom and Dad on their 60th Anniversary

Dad will celebrate his 80th birthday next week! Here is a photo of Mom and Dad taken on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary. He has taken very good care of her over the years and provided well for his large family. I remember when he was working two full-time jobs (at the same time) to bring in enough income to feed and clothe us, and pay for piano lessons and other “extras” for everyone. He sometimes slept only a few hours and then had to get up and have Mom point him in the direction of his next responsibility so he would get there. Dad auditioned and was accepted into the Tabernacle Choir at age 17 and has always loved singing. He has a special place in his heart for the Tabernacle Choir and for the Tabernacle Organ. He persuaded Mom to audition for the choir the next spring, and they were both members of the choir when they became engaged during October Conference 1948 between sessions of conference. They were married that winter (1949) in the Salt Lake Temple on a snowy morning. His father’s car was a ragtop, and Dad says they had to brush the snow off of their laps when they drove to the temple. Happy Birthday Dad and Grandpa!

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Orchestra At Temple Square Concerts

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Orchestra photo from 2008.

Orchestra photo from 2008, click to enlarge.

The Orchestra at Temple Square is performing two concerts this weekend with Igor Grupmann, Music Director conducting. Works to be presented in the concerts include Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor), Wagner’s “Vorspiel und Liebestod” from Tristan and Isolde, and Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony. They present three or four concerts each year on their own in addition to accompanying the Mormon Tabernacle Choir almost every weekend for television and radio broadcasts of “Music and the Spoken Word”. The orchestra is comprised of about 75 talented and expertly-trained instrumental musicians from the Salt Lake City area. They have been performing together now for 10 years and have made a large contribution to the musical experiences available in Salt Lake City.

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Utah Valley Symphony Opens 51st Season

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

Utah Valley Symphony

Utah Valley Symphony in performance

The Utah Valley Symphony opened their 51st concert season last week at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo, UT. This local community orchestra is directed by Dr. Bryce Rytting and has become a staple of community fine arts offerings for the area. To celebrate the 51st season the orchestra is playing new music which has never been programmed before. There are still a few of the founding members of the orchestra who play in current concerts. Their concerts present orchestra classics and pops in a beautiful setting that are well-prepared and performed by volunteers in the best tradition of musical excellence, performing for the love of the music and of performing it. More information including performance dates, music on each program, and other items of interest, is available online at http://utahvalleysymphony.org

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Tab Choir to sing at Jazz Opening Home Game

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

jazzThe Tabernacle Choir will be singing the national anthem at the Utah Jazz’ first home game of the season on Friday October 30. If you want to see or hear them you will need to get your tickets right away! I have heard that the games will not be on commercial television. I have heard some cable stations will have their games but this one might not be available in the local market. The last time the choir sang for a basketball game here was in 2001. We will be rehearsing at the Energy Solutions Arena (pka Delta Center) tonight before the regular rehearsal. Go Jazz!

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Scout Leader Training at Maple Dell

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

I was invited to participate in a Basic Training Course for new Boy Scout leaders this weekend at the Maple Dell Scout Camp about 30 miles from home. The course was in Spanish!

Rob, Brent, and Jay

Rob, Brent, and Jay

My assignment was to help teach Dutch oven cooking (we had a translator) and cook meals for the trainees and the staff. There were 30 people to feed. We went shopping for the food and arrived at Maple Dell early in the evening to prepare for dinner. The evening was beautiful and cool, and the leaders were the most enthusiastic group of trainees I have ever worked with.
Fall color contrasts at Maple Dell Camp

Fall color contrasts at Maple Dell Camp

I have not been active in scouting since I joined the choir 12 years ago except for occasional participation in events like this. Before I was very involved on almost a weekly basis in the District, and on a monthly basis as a roundtable commissioner. At that time I knew most of the scouting leaders in the Utah Lake District. (Now I know very few of the current leaders.) We had dinner and taught our Dutch oven cooking class, put together three fruit cobblers, and then I drove back to town for work. I worked all night and returned directly to the camp to help prepare breakfast. After the meal the only sister (participating with her huaband) went about helping to clean up. It was unexpected but appreciated.
Fall colors close-up in Maples

Fall colors close-up in Maples

I took a nap before lunch. Brent and our assistant got started on lunch before I returned and they had the sandwiches all made. We didn’t cook for lunch but served a cold meal that was enthusicastically shared by the participants. After a nature hike for the trainees were were engaged to teach methods of cooking without utinsels (pots, pans, stoves, etc.) by suggesting ways of cooking food on a campfire without them. This was a subject they were a little less interested in (they were also getting tired), and after the first few minutes it was decided to shorten the class and have them move on to their next– and final class. We cleaned up, again with the help of one sister, and left for home late in the afternoon. It was a successful venture and good to see that the leaders of Spanish-speaking units are so enthusiastically embracing the program of teaching the boys about scouting. It was an inspiration to see this excitement.

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Natalie Cole to sing with Choir this Christmas

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Natalie Cole

Natalie Cole

Singer and songwriter Natalie Cole and famed historian David McCullough will take the stage with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square on December 10-13 for “The Wondrous Gift of Christmas.” This is going to be another of a series of memorable performances in the 21,000 seat Conference Center complete with coreography and music written especially for this concert by Music Director Mack Wilberg. We look forward with great anticipation to the experience we will be a part of. Many of us are very excited about the oppportunity of working closely with this well-known and beloved musician. She has been an institution to music in the United State for decades, following in the footsteps of her father Nat “King” Cole. See details about the concert at http://www.lds.org/events/info/0,8197,726-1-740,00.html#.

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Retreat for five sisters and mother

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

A look at the great room in one of the resort homes

A look at the great room in one of the resort homes

Mom and her four sisters and their mother (Grandma) are enjoying a well-deserved retreat together near Park City at Exclusive Resorts, which is the company for which Uncle Robert works. He made the arrangements for them and they all went up for a few days. I hear that they are enjoying their time together and are working on a few projects. We all hope that they have a great time and enjoy their “time off” with each other. Mom was worried about us but we are getting along OK without her. It helps us appreciate the many things she does for us, because we now have to do them for ourselves. Thank you dear, for all you do, and have a good time!

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Serving in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Salt Lake Tabernacle, home of the choir

Salt Lake Tabernacle, home of the choir

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.
Choir and Orchestra in the Tabernacle in front of the Great Organ

Choir and Orchestra in the Tabernacle in front of the Great Organ

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.

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My 2nd Anniversary at Convergys

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

convergys_logo2I just finished my second year working nights at Convergys for NetApp. It has been a good experience most of the time, supposing that challenges are going to take place no matter where you work. I spend time there with some great people, which makes the experience of working at night more tolerable and sometimes downright entertaining. NetApp has a lot of great products that we support, and it is a pleasure speaking with NetApp customers. Occasionally we are called for issues that are not ours but we try to help the customer see where the issue is so it can be resolved.

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What an Incredible Universe

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

Galaxy viewed from space

Galaxy viewed from space

This photo is a view of the nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672 taken by the NASA Hubble Space Telescope. It is the featured photo of the day on Wikipedia, and was a candidate for picture of the year in 2007. It was also the picture of the day one day in 2007. We live in a place that is so beautiful! Photos like this one are so amazing to me. I have always been fascinated by the stars and constellations in the skies. In junior high school I was a member of the astonomy club, hosted by Mr. Miller. Many of my friends were also in the club. I have seen the planet Saturn through the telescope at the University of Utah. The rings were so amazing to see. Photos taken in recent years of Saturn and its moons are just amazing to me. I have a few friends who have timers that will allow them to take time exposure photos of the moon and stars, which will keep the camera in place while the earth moves. This makes it possible to take photos of celestial objects over time with clarity. A time exposure of the moon becomes a stripe of light without such equipment. We live in a fascinating world.

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