|
Silent
Night, Holy Night
Walter Cronkite and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
by
Robb
Cundick
Walter Cronkite conducts the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra
at Temple Square in the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah.
It has been
less than a year since the triumph of the 2002 Winter Olympics,
when Salt Lake City came together and showed the world its
very best; and yet we have recently experienced a painful period
of
divisiveness. Last week the controversy over free speech on
the Church’s Main Street Plaza reached a fever pitch. Hurtful
incidents occurred, with protestors shouting taunts and even
obscenities at people entering and leaving the temple. Thankfully,
things are cooling down now that Mayor Rocky Anderson has proposed
a second compromise. But even beyond these events, the prospect
of war with Iraq and persistent news of violence in the Holy
Land are discouraging reminders of the dark side of human nature.
It is a time when we are badly in need of the spirit of Christmas.
Plans for the
Christmas Concerts
Leaders of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir were elated when Walter
Cronkite agreed to be our special guest for the Christmas concerts,
but it was already late October and they had yet to decide how best
to use his talents. Given the mood of current events, they felt
it was an especially important time to foster the spirit of peace
and goodwill. Choir director Craig Jessop recalled a remarkable
story where the teachings of the Savior prevailed under the most
trying of circumstances; it was the story of a World War I Christmas
Eve, when opposing armies laid down their arms and celebrated Christmas
together. Thus it was that a narration of the events of that singular
night became the centerpiece of our 2002 Christmas
concert.
Many talents
were brought together for this endeavor. Brother Jessop said
he had never worked on a project where the Spirit of the Lord
poured down so freely. The script, “Silent Night, Holy Night,” was
researched and written by Steve Wunderli, a Creative Director
at Bonneville Communications (Steve is responsible for the creation
of the popular Homefront series of Public Service Announcements
for the Church). Mack Wilberg composed gorgeous background music
and arranged carols to be interwoven into the story; and five
talented young men were recruited to dress as World War I soldiers,
portraying men who participated in the events. Add to this the
talents of Walter Cronkite, and the potential became truly exciting.
For those of
you who may be too young to remember or who live outside the
United States, let me just say that there has never been a more
beloved newsman than Walter Cronkite. His voice is perhaps the
most famous in all of broadcasting. From his debut on the CBS
Evening News in 1962 until his retirement in 1981, he developed
such rapport with viewers that he was voted the most trusted
man in America. Those of us raised on a daily dose of the CBS
Evening News will never forget his familiar closing words at
the end of each broadcast – on his last day they would have been, “And
that's the way it is, Friday, March 6th, 1981. Good Night.” Walter
is a man of such character as to remind one of last year’s guest,
Angela Lansbury. Born in 1916 at St. Joseph, Missouri, he has
been married to Mary Elizabeth Maxwell (Betsy) for 62 years. In
his aging years he continues to be a shining example of the journalistic
values that form his credo: accuracy, fairness, and honesty.
Mr. Cronkite listens to instructions before the dress rehearsal.
When he was
introduced to the choir and orchestra, Mr. Cronkite expressed
delight at this opportunity to appear with us. He said that
when he was informed of the possibility, he found himself so
eager that he reacted more quickly than professionalism would
normally dictate (he later told the Deseret News, “We settled
the scheduling conflicts easily by canceling everything else.”). He
said this was an experience he looked forward to telling his
grandchildren about.
Starting with
the dress rehearsal on Thursday, the concert was performed on
three nights to a packed Conference Center. A shortened version
was presented Sunday morning for Music and the Spoken Word. While
there were some empty seats on Sunday, the combined number of
people to attend the performances was in the neighborhood of
75,000 – what a contrast to the old days in the Tabernacle!
Each night
as he greeted the audience, Mr. Cronkite offered a few personal
observations. He mentioned how his mother and father were among
the first to have a radio, and how every Sunday the family would
listen to the Tabernacle Choir. We laughed when he said, “I
hope that somewhere, Mom and Dad are proud that little Walter
is performing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.”
But what was
most inspiring was to observe how each night his praise for the
people of Salt Lake City became more enthusiastic. As was the
case with Miss Lansbury last year, the longer he stayed the more
he felt of the spirit. Brother Jessop relayed a comment he made
at lunch one day: “I have never been a religious person in the
conventional sense, but I have felt nearer to my God the past
couple of days than ever before.”
Conducting
the Hallelujah Chorus
Besides narrating the story about WWI, Mr. Cronkite was to
be featured in a surprise number that did not appear on the program. When
Brother Jessop learned that he had experienced leading a military
band, he decided to invite him to lead Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. At
the rehearsal, Mr. Cronkite said, “I’m going to conduct to the best
of my ability but for heaven’s sake, don’t follow me! Just kind
of go along with it and do exactly what you’d do if I weren’t
there.”
His smile and enthusiasm while leading the chorus made it clear that he
was having the time of his life; he did a terrific job – and had a great
sense of style. After the last performance he said, “I’m not a professional
conductor – not even an amateur. I’m just a really bad fake. I have learned
that the key is to reduce the number of ‘miniseconds’ between what you
do and what I do.” But he really did maintain a steady beat that was easy
to follow.
However I must make sure to be accurate, for he also said, “I don’t want
you to be guilty of the sin of fabrication and go out there and say, ‘he
was really great.’” So in light of that, I will concede that he didn’t
seem to quite know what to do at end of the piece. He made some dramatic
flourishes that looked spectacular but didn’t have much to do with the
music. But choir and orchestra had been coached to watch the concertmistress
at that point; we stayed together just fine, and the audience erupted in
enthusiastic applause.
Silent
Night, Holy Night
But
though the Handel was great fun, the highlight of the
evening was Wunderli and Wilbergs’ “Silent Night, Holy Night.” Talking
about the script, Mr. Cronkite told the Salt Lake Tribune, "The
first time I read through it, I had tears in my eyes. It said a
lot about human beings in this terrible situation of war."
I think we all learned
details about that special Christmas Eve that we had not known before. While
it lacks the eloquence of Brother Wunderli’s script, here is a brief
summary:
In December of 1914,
with World War I barely four months old, things had reached a stalemate
at Flanders Field in Belgium. Troops were dug into trenches just 60
yards apart and were suffering terribly from the hail of shrapnel, freezing
rain, and infestations of rats and lice. Snipers picked off those careless
enough to raise their heads above the earthen wall.
On Christmas Eve, a
group of German soldiers held a service in a bombed out monastery. Later
on they began to light candles on Christmas trees (“Tannenbaums” as they
were called). British soldiers began to take an interest in the trees
as they sang Christmas carols. Against orders, two British officers
ventured over to the German line to arrange a Christmas truce. But by
that time it was a mere formality, for all up and down the line, men
were crossing over to join one another in celebrations. One British
soldier wrote home to say, “We are going to give the enemy every conceivable
song, from carols to Tipperary.” English, French and German carols blended
in the quiet night air; a German violinist stood atop his parapet to
play Handel’s Largo. A singer from the Paris Opera sang, “O Holy Night;” a
chaplain read the 23rd Psalm.
On Christmas Day, soldiers
made their way through the barbed wire to exchange gifts and hold services
in honor of their fallen comrades. One witness remembered, “the Germans
formed up on one side, the English on the other; the officers standing
in front; every head bared. Yes, I think it is a sight one will never
see again.”
Levi
Smylie portrays a French soldier singing, "O Holy Night."
With Mack Wilberg’s
beautiful music, the singing of the choir, the deep, rich chords of the
orchestra, and Walter Cronkite’s moving narration, the story became so
much more poignant than it could ever be in print. The five young men
dressed in uniform brought added realism. I hope I have them straight;
it is my recollection that it was Levi Smylie who sang, “O Holy Night” in
French. Amman Starr from the Orchestra at Temple Square portrayed the
German violinist. Kirby Heyborne (of “Singles Ward” fame) gave a cultured
English chaplain’s reading of the 23rd Psalm. The men of
the choir sang a sequence of intertwined carols representing the many
songs heard simultaneously on the battlefield.
Actor Kirby Heyborne portrayed an English Chaplain, reciting the 23rd Psalm.
And then, to finish
the story, what to sing but the world’s most beloved Christmas carol? Timothy
Workman and Rex Kocherhans, as English and German soldiers, began the
first verse of “Silent Night” as a duet. Timothy sang a phrase in English,
Rex then echoed in German. Their voices blended as one when they reached
each unison note. Gradually, the men of the choir joined to reverently
extend the tender scene; and while we sang, pictures were displayed on
the Conference Center’s video screens. The audience found themselves
looking into the faces of men and women who actually participated in
the First World War – ancestors of members of the choir and orchestra. And
towards the end came a picture of President Hinckley’s elder brother,
who died in the war. There was much food for thought. And finally,
in a twist on his famous closing words, Walter Cronkite concluded by
saying: “And that’s the way it was one Christmas almost a hundred years
ago. And that’s the way it can be as we embrace the message of that
silent, holy night.” Final Impressions
After the Sunday morning
broadcast it was time to say goodbye. When
asked if he would like to join us again one day, Mr. Cronkite said, “You’ll
have to beat me off with a stick!” Then, in a familiar but ever soul-stirring
scene, Mr. Cronkite, his assistant, Marlene Adler, and her husband stood
upon the podium as we sang, “God Be With You ‘Til We Meet Again.” All three
were visibly moved and who could blame them? Every week we conclude exactly
the same way; and whether we are singing to celebrities or to ordinary everyday
folks, it is a moment of sincere truth: Christ’s love is radiated from 360
hearts to mingle with our voices and touch the souls of those who listen.
Ron Gunnell, a member
of the choir assigned to make arrangements with celebrities such as Mr.
Cronkite, accompanied him on the flight back New York. Mr. Cronkite told
him this had been a “life-altering experience.” His only regret was that
it hadn’t happened earlier in his life. He still couldn’t get over the
people, the experiences, and the spirit he had felt. Marlene Adler called
after her return to remark that she still couldn’t get the smile off her
face after her experiences in Salt Lake City.
Ron also told of accompanying
Mr. Cronkite to visit President Hinckley. What fun it was to see these
two remarkable elderly men sit and joke about the ailments of age. President
Hinckley removed his hearing aid and asked Mr. Cronkite what brand he used. Every
time President Hinckley brought up a particular malady, Mr. Cronkite would
say, “been there.”
Brother Jessop also relayed
that in the same meeting, Mr. Cronkite remarked that until the past couple
of years he had always been optimistic about the world, but he is discouraged
at what he sees happening now. President Hinckley replied that he is still
an optimist – that he has faith in mankind and firmly believes good will
triumph over evil. And on that reassurance from our Prophet, I have reached
a good place to end, for it expresses so well the spirit of the 2002 Mormon
Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square Christmas concerts. Such
is the vision that sustains our hope while living in a world so filled
with turmoil – that one day the spirit of that silent, holy night at Flanders
Field will prevail throughout the world, and evil and injustice will be
vanquished once and for all.
Note:
See the list below for several opportunities to hear or see a repeat broadcast
of “Silent Night, Holy Night” (all times are Mountain Time):
BYU TV (available nationwide
via satellite)
Sat. Dec 21 7-8:30 PM
Mon. Dec 23 9-10:30 PM
Wed. Dec 25 3-4:30 PM
Thurs. Dec 26 9-10:30 AM
KBYU TV (Channel 11 in
Utah)
Sat. Dec 21 8-9:30 PM
Tues. Dec 24 9-10:30 PM
KBYU FM Radio (available
via Internet streaming: http://kbyufm.org/streaming/)
Sat. Dec 21 2:00 PM
Wed. Dec 25 3:00 PM
Fri. Dec 27 5:30 PM
Click
here to sign up for Meridian's FREE email updates.
© 2002 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
|
