The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square have just returned from an exciting concert tour to the central United States. Stops included Cincinnati, Ohio (Choir only; appearing with Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops); St. Louis, Missouri; Des Moines, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska; Kansas City, Missouri; Norman, Oklahoma; and Denver, Colorado.

Over the past several years I have written much about the tours of the Choir and Orchestra. Since this was my last tour--my mandatory 20 year retirement date comes before the next one)--I felt it would be good to pass off the baton and enjoy a little more relaxed pace. A staff of volunteers from the Choir and Orchestra took turns writing about our activities. Their articles were posted on the Choir’s website—one for each day of the tour.

As volunteer webmaster for the Choir I still had plenty to do, posting the stories along with accompanying pictures by Deb Gehris, the Choir’s photographer. But the many hours on the bus and the miracle of wireless internet meant that at least there were no late nights at the laptop this time.

All of the articles were so terrific that I wanted to make sure and share them with Meridian’s readers. Below are photographs from the tour along with a brief description of each article and a link to it on the Choir’s website.

Bonita Cross of the 1st Alto Section wrote “The Concert at Riverbend,” which tells of our wonderful experience with Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops. Although he is battling cancer, Maestro Kunzel was his usual vigorous self. This was our third appearance with him over the past two years and as always, he was excited to work us and extremely complimentary. We were also treated to a rare public appearance by Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon!

In “Discovery: Choir Tour Compared to Early Lewis & Clark Travels,” 2nd Tenor David Bush wrote about our drive from Cincinnati to St. Louis. The trip retraced the route taken by explorer Meriwether Lewis. David offers some interesting contrasts between the two journeys.

“St. Louis: Tour Gateway for Choir and Orchestra,” was written by Baritone Eric Huntsman. He tells of our experience singing at a filming session near the famous St. Louis Arch, and the concert in the Scottrade Center. Former Missouri governor, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft had a fantastic time as guest conductor for the final encore.

As we journeyed from St. Louis to Des Moines, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to stop in Nauvoo, Illinois. What an especially appropriate place to spend a Sabbath afternoon! In “Nauvoo, Beautiful City on the Way to Des Moines,” 2nd Soprano Janine Greene relates some our feelings on visiting this hallowed place.

“Des Moines: Service Through Singing,” by 1st Alto Celia R. Baker, tells how ensembles from the Choir sang at two rest homes. This touching experience was one of the highlights of the tour. It also afforded the opportunity to personally meet with listeners and make new friends.

Rob Prince of the Bass section wrote “Home, Home on the Plains,” which describes another opportunity to visit historic sites, including Winter Quarters and a replica of the Kanesville Tabernacle, where Brigham Young was sustained as the 2nd President of the Church. Omaha was the only opportunity on this tour to sing in a beautiful concert hall. The sold out performance was a magnificent success!

Bill Holman, Clarinetist in the Orchestra at Temple Square, also wrote of our experiences in the Omaha area. “On the Road: Historic Pioneer and Church History sites in and near Omaha,” gives Bill’s perspective on the Omaha concert “from the back row of the orchestra.” The article includes an account of a second filming session—this time on the banks of the Missouri River.

You can tell that we were beginning to get a little travel weary by the title of the next article: “If it’s Thursday, this must be Kansas City,” by 2nd Alto Carol Salmon. But that doesn’t mean that Kansas City was any less exciting. On our way to the concert, we visited Church history sites in Independence, and then sang for an enthusiastic audience in the Sprint Center.

“The Feet of the Duck: Our Superb Crew,” again by 1st Alto Bonita Cross, pays homage to the technical crew that worked so hard behind the scenes. Read about the tremendous effort it takes to keep everything running smoothly for the Choir and Orchestra.

“Oklahoma!” again provides the perspective of a member of the Orchestra at Temple Square. Christian Smith, principal bassoon, not only relates his own observations but includes quotes from several others in the Orchestra. He made a special effort after the concert to elicit comments from a few of the very enthusiastic 8,000+ member audience at Oklahoma University’s Lloyd Noble Center.

The 12 hour-plus journey from Oklahoma to Denver, Colorado, was by far our toughest travel day. Still, it was hard to feel too sorry for ourselves after having been reminded of pioneer sacrifices in our visit to Winter Quarters. But how do you find a suitable place to feed 569 people “in the middle of nowhere?” Find out how in “Crossing the Plains” by 1st Alto Beth Breinhold.

The concert at Denver was a perfect climax for the tour. Set in the beautiful outdoor amphitheater at Red Rocks, we were treated to a cool, breezy night.  The governors of both Colorado and Wyoming were present (the former conducting an encore), but we were even more excited by the appearance a surprise guest—President Thomas S. Monson! Read about our grand finale in “Almost Home: Denver Concert at Red Rocks Concludes Tour” by violist Kathleen Anderson of the Orchestra.

Although a few paid their own way to fly home from Denver, most of us spent one last day on the bus back to Salt Lake City. Read about that last day along with some concluding thoughts about the tour in “Homeward Bound: Tour’s End” by French Horn player Will Francis.

To conclude, let me add some thoughts about my “swan song tour.” Beforehand, I wondered if I would experience feelings of sadness, but in actual practice we were simply too busy for me to think much about it. Tours are hard work, but the great reward is the smiles on the faces of our listeners and the feeling that we really do make a difference in people’s lives.

Last week in ward testimony meeting, a brother spoke about how he looks forward to the wonderful spirit he feels each week at church. That got me thinking about how that same spirit was present in each of our tour concerts. Touring offers an opportunity for many who are not of our faith to partake of that spirit; it gives them a better sense for what “makes us tick” as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No better answer to the question of what draws us to the Church could be given than that which is felt in these concerts.

This is the third tour that we have used the Indian Trails bus company of Michigan. By all accounts, they love us, and the feeling is mutual. Several of the drivers have been with us multiple times and have told us how they looked forward to being with us again. During a stop on the long ride to Denver, they were recognized for their faithful service and each was presented with a gift—a blanket with the Choir logo

On return to the bus we noted that our driver, Larry, was among those who had been with us on previous tours. Someone thought to ask which of all the gifts he had received was his favorite. To our surprise and delight, he reached into an overhead compartment and pulled out a copy of The Book of Mormon. “It helps me get to sleep,” he teased. But we could tell that he finds pleasure and inspiration in reading it.

Larry and the other drivers have enjoyed the spirit I have described not only in the concerts, but throughout our travels together. While we are far from perfect, a spirit of love prevails in everything we do while on tour. And that is what I will miss most about touring with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square!

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