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Helping to
Heal Our Land
by Robb Cundick
"Meridian's Voice from the Tabernacle Choir"
"What
you do for the Church—what you do for the spirituality of this
country—cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world." –Senator
Orrin Hatch to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
For the Tabernacle
Choir as for the rest of the world, many things look different since
September 11th. It seems everything we think of is colored
by it. A couple of weeks ago I didn't get to sing in "Music and
the Spoken Word". When you miss Thursday rehearsal you're still
encouraged to come, but you take on the role of observer in hopes
you'll learn things to make you a better participant. It is a humbling
experience to sit in the audience. You feel like a tiny fleck of
paint that, having fallen to the museum floor, looks up to see the
beautiful painting from whence it came. Longing to rejoin it, you
feel chagrinned to see it is just as glorious without you. People
nearby have no idea you're missing. Were you to point it out they'd
probably be amused you thought you mattered very much. But you can
take some comfort in the fact that the painting would indeed suffer
if enough of its brushstrokes peeled away; your contribution is
meaningful, though things would move along just fine without you.
In New York
and Washington, enough brushstrokes did suddenly vanish from the
picture that is America as to leave a void that will stand out for
generations. It is a wound that will ache for a long time. But we
have learned how important it is to continue living as fully and
bravely as we can, and since that day, helping our country heal
has become an important part of our work in the Choir.
The Memorial
Services
It was providential that we had previously scheduled a concert
for September 11; we were to sing for a convention of the National
Association of Insurance and Financial Underwriters. The concert was
quickly recast as a memorial service. Some of the lighter selections
were replaced with more solemn fare, and though there was no time
to rehearse the new (though familiar) material it didn't seem to matter;
the pent-up emotions of the day were channeled directly through our
hearts to our voices. Surely there was no better balm anywhere in
the world that night. In addition to the words of comfort from our
beloved First Presidency, we keenly felt the presence of Him who is
able to heal all wounds. The patriotic numbers were more poignant
than they have ever been—the audience standing spontaneously
as we sang favorites such as "America" and "God Bless America".
Such was also
the case later in the week when we performed in the services for
the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance. President Hinckley had
asked Brother Jessop about the possibility of providing a soloist
or small group from the Choir. "President Hinckley," Craig replied,
"all of the Choir members will want to participate." And nearly
all of us were indeed both willing and able to arrange our schedules
to come.
The opening
of the service with the 3-minute tolling of the Nauvoo Bell was
unprecedented. Each strike seemed to pound deeper into our hearts
the realization that this was an occasion like no other, for this
was a time for the entire world to mourn together. Blessed they.
Blessed are they that mourn. These words of the Savior, set
by Brahms in his beloved Requiem, put the week in its proper perspective:
it is we who are left behind that are most in need of the Lord's
comfort and blessing. Our brothers and sisters who perished are
already in His loving arms.
The experiences
of the week moved me deeply and were the inspiration for the following
words. Perhaps more prose than poetry, they nevertheless distill
the thoughts and emotions that filled me as I sang in the Choir:
From the north
they flew—from the wellspring of patriots.
Revere-like
in resolve, yet only to be revered
By madmen, fanatics,
and fools.
Sophist Silversmiths;
riding the bowels of great silver eagles
Whose valiant
eyes they had plucked
And replaced
with vacant orbs of viciousness.
Descending upon
the Alabaster City
They coldly
sacrificed our innocent brothers and sisters,
Plunging them
into the hearts of the giant Twin Towers
They supposed
to be our gods.
The gleaming
blue sky dimmed with smoke and ash,
Mingled with
human tears.
How to avenge
the thousands?
Perhaps by unmasking
the mockery of their martyrs.
By refusing
to worship gods of gold and greed and gluttony.
But rather look
to the founder of our freedom:
That God to
whom we turned in tortured tribulation.
With heart of
gold, who asks us to love even these brutal enemies
Who thought
themselves liberators,
While blinded
by their own desperate depravity.
The intervening
weeks have brought a return to some sense of normalcy, but as this
world-changing event has brought new opportunities for spiritual
renewal to our nation, so it has for the Choir as well. Every time
we sing of God and Country our hearts are full. General Conference
is always a spiritual peak, but I believe our singing this time
was filled with more feeling and devotion than ever. We sense the
need for unity in our nation and in the world at large, and our
hope is to uplift and unify through this great universal language
of music.
Tabernacle Choir, Voices of Friendship Festival Choir,
and 21-harp orchestra rehearse for Music and the Spoken Word
(photo by Tom Cundick).
A Brotherhood
of Nations
I felt this particularly when we sang a very unusual episode
of Music and the Spoken Word. In late October children's choirs
from all over the world were in Salt Lake City for a concert entitled
"Voices of Friendship". It was the first major non-Church-sponsored
event to be held in the Conference Center. The following morning
the Festival Chorus (made up of about 300 children from Denmark,
Estonia, Israel, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Romania, Korea, and
Slovakia dressed in native costume) joined with the Tabernacle Choir
for the broadcast. But if that weren't impressive enough, a "harp
orchestra" of 21 harps also performed.
I have never
heard so many harps play at once. What a heavenly sound! And it
struck me that 21 harps are a symbolically appropriate salute to
the Lord. But events like this are not brought about with ease.
When so many children from so many time zones are awakened early
on a Sunday morning it is a recipe for pandemonium. Mack Wilberg
drew the wrong straw to be conducting this one and he was very relieved
when it came off well.
The challenges
aside, I have not had many more moving experiences than when we
closed with Mack's arrangement of the hymn, "Thou Gracious God Whose
Mercy Lends". Think of these words in light of September 11th:
Thou gracious
God, Whose mercy lends
The light of
home, the smile of friends
Our gathered
flock Thine arms enfold.
As in the peaceful
days of old.
Wilt thou not
hear us while we raise,
In sweet accord
of solemn praise,
The voices that
have mingled long
In joyous flow
of mirth and song?
For all the
blessings life has brought,
For all the
sorrowing hours have taught.
For all we mourn,
for all we keep,
The hands we
clasp, the loved that sleep.
The noontide
sunshine of the past
These brief,
bright moments fading fast.
The stars that
gild our darkening years,
The twilight
ray from holier spheres.
We thank Thee,
Father, let Thy grace
Our loving circle
still embrace,
Thy mercies
shed its heav'nly store,
Thy peace be
with us evermore.
Poignant words
in their own right—but then imagine them sung by over 600 children
and adult voices accompanied by 21 harps and the full power of the
Mormon Tabernacle Organ. There could be no more glorious symbol
of the brotherhood of nations. Perhaps it was a foreshadowing of
what it will be like to sing in Choirs above!
Singing the National Anthem at the Utah Jazz Basketball
Game (photo by Gretel Cundick).
Singing for
the Utah Jazz
It seems that nearly every public occasion since the attacks
has included some kind of special observance. Such was the case
for the season-opening NBA basketball games, and guess who was asked
to sing at the first Utah Jazz Game? I doubt the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir has ever been called upon to sing the National Anthem at a
sporting event, but these are extraordinary times.
The weekend
before the game we were on a "mini-tour" to Idaho where we performed
for the centennial of Idaho State University in Pocatello and at
BYU-Idaho in Rexburg. We used the same program as last Spring's
Southern States tour. Singing that beautiful music which we have
all committed to memory was once again a moving experience. The
audiences were large and appreciative, and we again reveled together
in a great celebration of love for the Lord.
Indoor Football Arena at Idaho State University where we
performed and also practiced our walkon for the Jazz Game.
While rehearsing
in a huge indoor football arena in Pocatello we also did a blocking
practice to figure out how to march the Choir on and off the Delta
Center basketball floor in less than two minutes each way. It was
a rather amusing experience. The men and women entered from opposite
sides marching quickly, two rows at a time. We repeated it several
times and felt a bit like soldiers drilling on a parade ground.
But when game
time arrived on Tuesday night we felt a huge responsibility resting
on our shoulders. Expectations are high whenever and wherever the
Tabernacle Choir performs. An elevator operator at the Delta Center
said, "We're so glad to have you. It will be wonderful to hear our
national anthem sung right for a change!" In our formal concert
attire we felt as out of place at the Jazz game as we had last June
marching through Disney World. But as at all times we wanted to
conduct ourselves with dignity and under the influence of our Heavenly
Father's Spirit.
Choir members pictured on the Utah Jazz Scoreboard (photo
by Gretel Cundick).
When our time
came we marched smartly out to fill the entire playing surface.
As we looked up at the faces in the crowd while singing "The Star
Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America", we knew that for those
few moments this worldly occasion was transported to a higher plane.
Eyes were moist and faces solemn as all contemplated the true meaning
of those patriotic words. I looked over to catch a glimpse of team
owner Larry Miller, standing just a few feet away and struggling
to contain his emotions. After we finished, we changed clothes and
most of us stayed to enjoy the game.
Upcoming Events
The 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics are also raising the Choir's
visibility and creating opportunities to share our joyous message
in new ways. December will be a remarkable month. Television's "Sixty
Minutes II" has taped a segment to be shown sometime during the month
(it shows on Wednesday nights, so keep an eye out for it). On December
22nd we will be featured on what I understand is to be
the series finale of "Touched by an Angel". It was taped last week.
I wish I could tell you what it was like but I was unable to participate.
[I heard it was quite an ordeal. The Choir arrived at 10 AM and didn't
finish until after 10 PM. Most of the time was spent waiting around.]
Then on Christmas Eve, PBS will air a nationwide broadcast of a Christmas
Special we taped last year featuring Ralph Vaughn Williams' Christmas
Cantata, "Hodie" (meaning, "This Day").
There is no
better recipe for healing than the blessed Christmas season, especially
when we focus on its proper observance. We have the Church-wide
First Presidency Devotional broadcast to look forward to on the
evening of December 2nd. Then the Choir and Orchestra
will join with special guest Angela Lansbury for our Christmas Concerts
on December 7th and 8th, and for "Music and
the Spoken Word" and a concert following on Sunday morning the 9th.
All will be held in the Conference Center and I believe there are
tickets remaining for the Sunday morning performance.
In February
we'll join with the world to celebrate the long-anticipated 2002
Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, singing at the Opening Ceremonies
on the 8th. There is something scheduled almost every
night but Mondays for the entire month of February. We'll participate
in "Light of the World: A Celebration of Life" —the Church's
multimedia theatrical and musical production for the Olympics. There
will also be special Cultural Olympiad concerts in the Tabernacle
with opera star Frederika Von Stade, clarinetist Richard Stoltzman,
the King's Singers, and percussionist Evelyn Glennie. All of that
in addition to our regular rehearsals and performances of "Music
and the Spoken Word."
So we will not
completely sacrifice our family lives by feeling obligated to participate
in everything, the size of the Choir has temporarily been boosted
from 320 to 360. Those who were to have retired recently were granted
a few more precious months, and remaining singers from Mormon Youth
Chorus who have passed the Tabernacle Choir auditions but are still
younger than the minimum 25 year age limit have been invited to
join us through the Olympics.
All that and
we have just released a new album! "The Sound of Glory" features
hymns arranged by Barlow Bradford and Mack Wilberg as well as Tabernacle
Organist John Longhurst. Thanks to the Internet you can listen to
samples of the selections and even download a full mp3 of our most-requested
selection, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
See: http://www.telarc.com/gscripts/title.asp?gsku=0579&mscssid=4EFSV5C3U8S92PJ70G05AFURQN3521T3
There is also
a page with samples of our latest Christmas Album, "A Mormon Tabernacle
Choir Christmas" at:
http://www.telarc.com/gscripts/title.asp?gsku=0552&mscssid=4EFSV5C3U8S92PJ70G05AFURQN3521T3
Both albums
include full orchestral accompaniments with the Orchestra at Temple
Square. Our new recording partner, TelArc, does superb work. You
should see the Tabernacle when we have a recording session. We bring
quilts from home to cover the balcony benches and make the hall
a little less "live". All those multi-colored quilts make for quite
a sight!
At the beginning
of this article I quoted Senator Orrin Hatch, who spoke to us after
the broadcast on November 18th. The program included
a performance of "Heal Our Land," with text by Senator Hatch and
music by former Choir Member Janice Kapp Perry. Both were present
for the performance and were very moved. The words are in the form
of a prayer, and I thought the following excerpt would provide a
fitting close to this article:
Heal our land,
heal our land
And guide us with Thy hand
Keep us ever on the path of liberty.
Heal our land, heal our land
And help us understand
That we must put our trust in thee
If we would be free.
May our faith
and trust be in the Lord, and may this Christmas season be a happy
and healing one for us all.
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