Choir soundcheck before the Columbus performance |
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
I’m writing this while on one of the most unique journeys of my
life--on tour with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I’m writing unofficially, but
as a happy participant.
My husband is a 2nd Bass in the Choir and has been a
member for 17 years, and when we can manage it, I go with him on tour. Every
other year or so the Choir takes their music on the road. This year, certain
cities in the Midwest are the lucky ones--Columbus, Indianapolis, Chicago,
Milwaukee, Madison, and Minneapolis.
Traveling with the Choir is like nothing else. The statistics
are crazy. I've forgotten the exact number, but by the time you add the choir
(350 or so), the orchestra (100?) staff, and lucky guests like me, there are
over 600 people along. They charter three big jets to fly east, and then 11
buses take them from city to city. There are semis full of luggage and
equipment since the Choir brings much of its own tech, staging, and sound. Yes,
even an organ, although the big beautiful pipes have to stay home in Salt Lake
City.
handbells, waiting for the bell ringers |
This is the fifth trip I've taken with the Choir, so in some
ways I’m a veteran, but I will never get used to what an amazing experience it
is. Of course it’s super organized. By now these people really know what they’re
doing. But they also know why they
are doing it. Concert after concert, they bring their hearts, and people’s
lives are touched. Members cry when they hear the songs of Zion, and they feel
their connections reforged. Others sometimes feel the stirrings of the Spirit
for the first time and stare in wonder: what is that feeling? I must know. I
must feel it again.
Even someone like me--who’s attended more concerts than I can
count--can’t get enough of sitting in the audience and feeling the music zing right
down to my bones. I love to hear the murmurs from the people around me as they
try to take it all in. Along with everyone else, I jump to my feet and clap my
hands until they’re red when the last notes sound.
The Choir knows how much it means to these people, so they
continue to give up their vacations, time, and energy to come out to members
who sometimes feel isolated from the core of the Church--and to make new
friends.
orchestra member warming up |
For those who can’t make it to a concert in person, there are
fantastic new ways to connect with the Choir. They've launched a beautiful new
website at www.mormontabernaclechoir.org, and have their
own YouTube channel where you can watch dozens of recordings for free, free,
free. They are on Twitter and Facebook, too.
I like to say that music can be a shortcut to feeling the
Spirit, and with a Tabernacle Choir concert, it’s so easy it almost feels like
cheating... and I’m going back for second helpings tonight.
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Margot is a mom of seven and pretty much crazy from it. Online she's known as the Damsel in Dis Dress and blogs at the Old School and twitters at @the_damsel. A blog about her writing adventures is found at Inklings.