June 27, 2009 Oklahoma! As a member of the Orchestra at Temple Square, I have long since held that we Orchestra members have the “best seats in the house” when it comes to experiencing a performance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. This may be particularly true from my vantage point as a bassoonist, as our section is usually placed in the middle and toward the back of the Orchestra, and hence, “at the foot” of the Choir. I think only Mack Wilberg could claim a more coveted “seat assignment.” The woodwind and horn sections of the Orchestra at Temple Square. (Click to enlarge). While I have always loved performing with the Choir in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, with its acoustic beauties and wonders, tour venues commonly place the Orchestra much nearer to the Choir. Not only does this closer juxtaposition of Choir and Orchestra help to musically unify the nearly 400 musicians on stage, but there is an additional welcome aural advantage for us as instrumentalists in that we find ourselves more fully awash of all the choral sonorities, something we Orchestra members never tire of. I relish the sonic experience of absorbing the myriad musical colors, energy, and emotions, all the while hoping that the sounds I add as a bassoonist somehow compliment the overall texture and feeling. As I’ve mused over these and other experiences I continue to have with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I thought it would be interesting to ask other Orchestra at Temple Square members about their experience. To a handful of Orchestra members, I asked two questions: “Do you have a favorite moment in the concerts we are playing?” and “Why is this a favorite moment?” Some of these Orchestra members have been with the organization—now celebrating its 10-year anniversary with the Choir—since its inception in 1999. Here are several responses: Jennifer Gremillion, flute/piccolo—“One of my favorite moments of the concert has to be at the end of the final song of the concert—‘Battle Hymn of the Republic.’ I love when the audience is invited to sing along with the Choir and for a few amazing moments all the masses are united in singing glory to God. The Spirit is so strong during that time and I think it is a chance for us all to express to God and to each other our desire to see the truth of God march on in glory.” Larry Lowe, principal horn—“My favorite moment in the concert has been, is, and will be: during ‘Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing’ when the horns take over the Orchestra loud and proud right before the final glorious iteration of the melody. Then playing that last page with the noble horn obligato, the breathtaking string figurations, and of course, the Choir doing what it does best—raising the sleeping saints with its patented ‘friendly hurricane’ crescendo at the end!” The string section. (Click to enlarge). Meredith Campbell, concert master —“Some favorite moments for me occurred in Sprint Hall, which had a wonderful acoustic for a monster sports area (reminiscent of the Portland Trailblazers venue). The first half highlights included the marvelous Russian bass timbre the men have perfected in the Chesnokov, along with the joy of the fortissimo coda section. ‘Danny Boy’ is always a highlight for two reasons: one, the intimate, supportive yet individual countermelody Mack has created for the Orchestra, and two, I have already scheduled that piece to be performed at my funeral.” Daron Bradford, principal clarinet, ethnic flutes, bagpipe—“My favorite moment in the concert is in Alex Boye’s first solo piece, ‘I Want Jesus to Walk With Me,’ when he floats up in his fabulous falsetto to the high C near the end. Magical. You can feel every sinew of sincerity in his soul. My next favorite moment is when ‘Amazing Grace’ ends and I am done with the bagpipe! Those around me also give thanks.” The percussion and brass sections. (Click to enlarge). Dennis Griffith, timpani/percussion—“Alex’s solo with the Choir is my favorite moment in the concert. There is nothing quite like the pure sound of the a capella Choir and the pure magic of the emotional connection that Alex makes with the audience during that number. Of course, I am able to appreciate the number fully since the Orchestra is not playing. ‘Cindy’ is my favorite piece to play - the part for timpani is just a lot of fun. It makes a real rhythmic contribution to the piece and moves around the drums in a very natural way. It’s just very well written. Thanks, Mack!” David Marsh, cello—“I've had a lot of great musical experiences on tour, but the one that stands out the most didn't happen during a concert.  It happened on Sunday at Sacrament meeting in the Nauvoo Stake Center.  The meeting started as usual, but as soon as the opening hymn started, it took my breath away. My wife and I just sat there looking at each other in amazement and couldn't stop grinning as we listened to the glorious sound of the entire Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square singing. It seemed like the world stood still, the heavens opened, and ‘saints and angels’ sang. The same thing happened for the sacrament hymn and the closing hymn.  I wish that every member of the Church could have this experience!  It was also fun to see the expressions on Elder and Sister Christensen's faces as they listened. As far as concerts go, my favorite piece is ‘Homeward Bound.’  It is such a beautiful piece with Daron playing the penny whistle with obvious feeling and heart.  One comment from the audience that my wife heard was that, ‘It speaks to the soul.’” Seretta Hart, trumpet—“I love the soloists who sing with the Choir. They remind me of the individual talents that make up this incredible group. Each musician has spent time and effort apart from the Choir or Orchestra to develop the skills they have to contribute. Then together we are able to create great things. When Jim Shumway sings the solo in ‘Betelehemu,’ his personal talent shines apart for a moment. Since I’m but feet away from him, I can feel the energy as he projects his great big voice across a huge arena. During the solo, the Choir members shout and cheer in the background. It evokes a feeling of support and love for the individual as we all know that we succeed together when each individual succeeds. And it’s exciting to know that everyone is working that hard during the performance. As Jim Shumway sings with his powerful voice, it reminds me of the effort I want to give to share the spirit of the music.” James Shumway's solo in "Betelehemu" carries throughout the arena. (Click to enlarge). Julie Aamodt, viola—“It is ironic that one of the most touching moments for me in the entire concert is during the a cappella number, ‘O Lord God,’ by Chesnokov, which takes its text from Psalm 104:33. Together, the words and the music create an exquisite combination and for me, bring the Spirit into my soul like no other piece. A favorite song the Choir and Orchestra do together is ‘Cindy,’ an American folk tune arrange for Choir and Orchestra by Mack Wilberg. I absolutely love watching how the audience comes alive and is surprised  by this piece right from the beginning. I adore the syncopations in the music, and the hoedown section is a riot to play! As a violist in the Orchestra, I have a wonderful view of the audience from where I sit. One of my favorite things during each concert is to watch audience reaction to the music. In Oklahoma, there  was an 8 year-old boy right on the front row that loved the drummers in ‘Betelehemu!’ A man, I assume to be his grandfather, put this boy way up on his lap so he could have a better look. The boy drummed the entire song and even did the hand actions at the end. There was also a 70 year-old cowboy with a long silver ponytail who tipped his hat at the Orchestra after every song and shouted, "Thank you!" He did not stop smiling the entire concert and his friend had to  keep him from standing after every song. He looked like he had the time of his life!” James Findlay, principal bass—“I have always loved Psalm 150 because of the beauty of the language and the images it evokes. I know the psalm has been set to music in a number of settings, but I appreciate this one the most. Brother Wilberg’s arrangement of ‘Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,’ in my mind best captures the mood of Psalm 150: vibrant and exuberant, full of energy, cymbals, bells, bright brass, rich strings, and of course, the world’s best big choral sound that has trademarked the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for generations. I could not think of a better opening to the concert. It sets the mood immediately.” Information and Highlights from Our Stay and Performance in Oklahoma Located approximately 20 miles to the south of Oklahoma City, Norman, Oklahoma is the third largest city in the state with over 100,000 residents. The city is named for the young 19th century engineer, Abner E. Norman, who was contracted by the United States government in 1870 to survey much of the Oklahoma Territory. Today, the city is perhaps best known as being home to the University of Oklahoma, which maintains a full-time student population of 35,000. As the home of the “Sooners” (a term which refers to the settlers who arrived and claimed area land before April 22, 1889, the official Land Run date). The Choir and Orchestra benefited from some free time on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Among the various interesting sights here were the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum which is a memorial honoring the victims, survivors, and rescuers of the tragic bombing of April 19, 1995. (Those I spoke to who walked these memorial grounds were deeply touched from the experience.) Other sights included the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge Conservatory, and a renovated part of the city known as Bricktown. Those who strolled through Bricktown enjoyed a number of cuisine choices, opportunities to shop or see a movie, hear live musicians perform, and/or take a boat ride on a man-made waterway. Many used their free time to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial. (Click to enlarge). For me, it was amusing to observe that the same weekend we were in Oklahoma City to perform an area concert, the city was full of thousands of Harley Davidson aficionados (an annual gathering being hosted by Oklahoma City for the first time in its 25-year tradition) who were making their own “joyful noise,” as they rumbled around town on their “Hogs.” The Choir and Orchestra onstage at Lloyd Noble Center. (Click to enlarge). As for Saturday evening’s performance, the audience in the Lloyd Noble Center (the basketball arena for the University of Oklahoma Sooners) was possibly the most responsive and enthusiastic thus far in the tour. Our guest conductor was President David Boren, the current president of OU, who previously served as a United States Senator, as well as the Governor of the state in the 1970s. During the rehearsal when President Boren stepped up to the podium to run us through “This Land is Your Land,” he quipped that he was both “honored . . . and terrified” to conduct this music for us. He also related that years ago, “Woody Guthrie [the composer of the piece] lived 18 miles from me. When I was nine years old, his sister was my Sunday School teacher.” Of additional interest is that tonight the national board members of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) were in attendance—some 18 members of this distinguished group! OU President David Boren at the rehearsal. He was a great hit with the audience! (Click to enlarge). Quotes from Our Concert Audience Willa Johnson: “I thought it was absolutely awesome. I don’t think I’ve really got a favorite piece. They’re just so good I can’t choose one above any other. I will remember that they brought a lot of Oklahomans out, who sat beside each other and patted each others’ hands and had some camaraderie and that everybody here tonight was happy! It was a very, very, very welcoming experience.” One of our listeners. (Click to enlarge). Bill Smith: “I thought the Choir was magnificent, especially given the size of the Choir. It was so articulate; the sound was just overpowering. It was wonderful. I’ve heard the Choir before, I’ve been to the Tabernacle. I’m so delighted that you were able to come tonight. The variety of the program was amazing; I liked it all. I’ll remember being here with my family. Oddly enough, we just buried my sister today.  She was a great singer herself and she would have loved being here. Her children sang at the gravesite--and this epitaph after a sad day.” Ron Johnston: “This was so magnificent.  I can’t thank my son-in-law enough for providing the tickets for us to come.  It was so wonderful.” Teri Martin: “It was beautiful with wonderful arrangements.  I love the Nigerian carol.  It showed music in a way I hadn’t heard it before.  It had a great amount of soul to it and they were very good at singing it.  It was lovely that the Choir and the musicians and the support staff sang a blessing to the audience at the end.” The Norman audience was the largest and most enthusiastic yet! (Click to enlarge). Dwain Abance: “I enjoyed it a great deal.  I looked forward to it for months. I’ll remember how well they sell the song;  the enthusiasm of the members and the outstanding musicianship.” Marianne Hopza: “I love the Choir.  But the ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ just rocked me!  We have a brand new organ in our church so I was noticing what was going on.  It was wonderful!” By Christian Smith, principal bassoon