The Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Look Out, Southern States, Here We Come!
by Robb Cundick
John Longhurst at the mighty Rogers.
In Salt Lake City there is an army hard at work, training intensely and honing its skills in preparation for a sweep through the Southern United States in June. Fortunately, these are gentle warriors who plot no schemes of destruction; for this is a great choral army: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Surely in the annals of touring musicians, it is no exaggeration to characterize us as an army. The total number of travelers will be around of 500, including:
. Approximately 330 singers.
. 2 Conductors (Craig Jessop and Mack Wilberg).
. 3 Tabernacle Organists (John Longhurst, Clay Christiansen, and Richard Elliot).
. A 20-piece ensemble from the Orchestra at Temple Square.
. Choir Staff members (under President Mac Christensen).
. A stage crew to transport (via an 18 wheeler) and set up risers, a traveling electronic organ and a synthesizer.
. An entourage of spouses and other family members (all of whom pay their own way).
To carry the military metaphor a little further, we are training under “combat conditions.” Weekly tour rehearsals (which began May 1) take place in the new Conference Center Theater, where our comfortable choir loft seats have been traded for closely packed folding chairs. The crowded stage holds Choir, instrumentalists, a synthesizer (which will be used primarily for piano parts), and a Rogers electronic organ. The Rogers, while no competitor to the peerless pipes of the Tabernacle, does a credible job. Finally, let’s not forget that the famed Tabernacle acoustics have been left across the street as well. But all of this is important to prepare us for conditions “on the road”.
Our “General” instructs his troops.
Two years have passed since our last major trip (Europe in 1998), so excitement is mounting. A full-blown tour within the United States does not happen as often as you may think – there has only been one previous since I joined in 1990. While such a tour may sound fun – and is indeed a glorious experience – you may be surprised to learn of its demands. Consider the itinerary (all dates are in June):
. 15th – Fly to Houston, TX. Afternoon rehearsal and evening concert in Jones Hall for the Performing Arts.
. 16th – 260 mile bus ride to Ft Worth. Afternoon rehearsal and evening concert at Bass Auditorium.
. 17th – 520 mile bus ride to New Orleans, LA.
. 18th – Afternoon rehearsal and evening concert at Saenger Theatre, New Orleans.
. 19th – 350 mile bus ride to Birmingham, AL.
. 20th – Afternoon taping of “Music and the Spoken Word,” evening concert at Jefferson Civic Center Concert Hall, Birmingham.
. 21st – 150 mile bus ride to Atlanta, GA. Afternoon rehearsal and evening concert at Fox Theater (site of the premier of Gone With The Wind).
. 22nd – 450 mile bus ride to Tampa, FL.
. 23rd – Afternoon rehearsal and evening concert at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
. 24th – 85 mile Bus ride to Orlando, FL.
. 25th – Afternoon rehearsal and evening concert at Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, Orlando.
. 26th – 230 mile bus ride to Miami, FL.
. 27th – Afternoon rehearsal and evening concert at Knight Performing Arts Center, Miami.
. 28th – Return flight to Salt Lake City.
As you can see, though most of us have full time jobs and must carefully ration time off to participate, touring with the Choir is no vacation. Still, there will be enough free time for quick bus tours of many of the cities and perhaps a bit of shopping [the Choir has been known to descend on a souvenir shop like a swarm of those famous Mormon crickets]. And this trip promises a unique opportunity for some extracurricular fun: a day and a half at Walt Disney World. But the primary motivation for such a journey is not to see interesting sights; it’s to serve the Lord. Singing in the Choir is, simply put, a mission.
Those of you who have been on missions know there’s a lot of day-to-day grind interspersed with the spiritual high points. The condensed mission of this tour will be no different – except that perhaps the heaven-sent highs will be more predictable. Nothing will top the exhilarating concerts where the Spirit of the Lord enraptures our hearts and enlivens our voices. And no sight will linger more in our minds than the smiles and glow on the faces of those whose lives we have gladdened.
Choir member David Jackman arrived at practice early to work on memorization.
In a past article I mentioned how President Hinckley has exhorted the Choir to become even better than it is. Are we doing anything to meet that challenge? Absolutely! For example: this is the first time in my experience (and perhaps ever) that the Choir will be memorizing all of the music for the tour. While we’ll be performing the same program everywhere – and many of the favorites have been memorized in the past – that’s not to detract from what is a very intimidating challenge for many of us. Here is the program:
I. Hymns of Praise
. A Choral Fanfare (by Mack Wilberg)
. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (arr. Mack Wilberg)
. The King of Love My Shepherd Is (arr. Mack Wilberg)
. All Creatures of Our God and King (arr. Barlow Bradford)
II. Choral Masterworks
. We Hasten Thee (Women’s Voices. JS Bach)
. Hallelujah Chorus (from Beethoven’s “Mount of Olives”)
. Slava (sung in Russian. From Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil”)
. Glory (Rimsky-Korsakoff)
III. Two Sacred American Choral Works
. O Magnum Mysterium (by Morten Lauridsen)
. How Beautiful Upon the Mountains (from Robert Cundick’s “The Redeemer”)
IV. Songs of the Land
. America the Beautiful (arr. Mack Wilberg)
. This Land is Your Land (arr. Perry Faith/Michael Davis)
. Down In the Valley (Men’s voices, arr. George Mead)
. Climb Every Mountain (arr. Arthur Harris)
. The Battle of Jericho (arr. Moses Hogan)
. Cindy (arr. Mack Wilberg)
IV. Hymns of Faith
. Amazing Grace (arr. Mack Wilberg)
. Come, Come Ye Saints (arr. Spencer Cornwall)
. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (arr. Mack Wilberg)
The arranging and composing talents of Mack Wilberg and Barlow Bradford have added new vigor and beauty to the Choir’s repertoire, and this will be the first tour where we will be able to take full advantage of them. But not to break with tradition, the favorite encore will be Peter Wilhousky’s arrangement of The Battle Hymn of the Republic. I wonder how many times I have sung that in my 11 years in the Choir? I’ll bet at least 60, and even so, the climax never fails to send chills down my spine. These concerts will be rapidly paced and without intermission. The music offers ample showcase of both the mighty fortissimos for which the Choir is famous, and the velvet pianissimos that breathe our Heavenly Father’s Spirit so profoundly. No recording can match the experience of a live performance by the Choir.
Memorizing so much music will take many hours of concentration but is worth the effort. We will be free to better watch our conductors and connect with the audience. Beyond that, faith and sacrifice do indeed precede the miracles we hope to bring to pass in the lives of those who hear us.
Let me illustrate the kind of miracle I am talking about. During the 1998 European tour the Choir gave a concert in a church at El Escorial, which is near Madrid, Spain. It is a national landmark where many Spanish Royalty are buried, and is particularly close to the hearts of the Spanish people. It was a great honor to be invited to perform there. At the beginning of the concert many of us noticed a Priest who sat down, folded his arms and seemed to obstinately say, “Show me something I don’t already know.” This man looked as though he would be impossible to reach, and yet we watched his face gradually transform from hardness to happiness as the concert progressed. I can still remember his smile and vigorous applause – we had gained a new friend. Seldom have we seen the Choir’s ability to change hearts demonstrated so visibly. It is improbable that he will join the Church in this life, yet surely he will never again smirk at the mention of Mormonism.
Our intense training has but one purpose: that we may be ready vassals to our Heavenly Father; that through us, He may touch all who come to our concerts. So if you live within driving distance of, Houston, Ft. Worth, New Orleans, Birmingham, Atlanta, Tampa, Orlando, or Miami, come and see us – and bring your friends! Tickets can be obtained online at the following addresses:
Houston
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Ft. Worth
Info on the concert can be found at:
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Note: Page indicates that this concert is sold out.
New Orleans
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Birmingham
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Atlanta
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Tampa
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Orlando
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Miami
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In the interest of family budgets, most concerts have some tickets that are lower priced than you would find for similar events. The choice seats are pricey, but in line with other events at these concert halls. The Church does not finance the Choir’s tours. Rather, the money comes from album royalties and private donations, so it is important to obtain some of the funds through ticket sales. But remember that this Choral Army promises to deliver something that doesn’t come through town every day – a musical and spiritual feast full of the love and Spirit of our Heavenly Father.
2001 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
