City of Joseph

It's the Sabbath and Father's Day. Barry, our personnel manager, sings to all the fathers an old Groucho Marx song, "I'll give you a tie, 'cause you're just an ordinary guy" or something like that. Happy Father's Day, Randy! Today you get to spend six hours on a bus and four hours outside in sticky 100 degree weather! Lucky Guy!

We sing a goodbye to the staff of the Des Moines Marriott, "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again." One Afro-American server is visibly moved and sings back to his table a song that speaks of the Mercy of Jesus... a very touching moment.

We take a detour on our way to Des Moines, Iowa, to have Sacrament Meeting in Nauvoo, IL. 

Elder Craig Christensen of the Seventy and his good wife will accompany us on this tour. They speak of the importance of being witnesses and suggest that we too must look forward as did Joseph and continually ask ourselves what part we have in this great work.

We walk across the vast lawn to the Visitors Center.

And enjoy the amazing work of artist, Angela Johnson. She has only been sculpting for six years. Take a moment to read her amazing story.

"One Thing is Needful"

"Be Thou Clean."

"It is I. Be not afraid."

I experience this piece depicting Christ walking on the water and feel the confidence and complete faith portrayed in his face. I am literally moved to tears.

The buildings in Nauvoo have been beautifully restored. Here is the Cheap Shoe and Boot Manufactory.

John Taylor's home.

And the Gun and Rifle Shop.

Maybe someday we will serve here as couple missionaries.

The most thrilling sight is the reconstructed Nauvoo Temple. Last time we visited in 1994, the temple sight consisted of a few foundation stones from the original built by the early saints in 1840 and destroyed by an arson fire and subsequent tornado after the saints were expelled seven years later. What a beautiful structure. I'll bet the early saints are cheering in heaven.

The Long Haul

What does it take to transport 569 musicians, guests, crew, and staff?

• 3 chartered aircraft
  
• 11 buses
  
• 4 semi tractor trailers  
  
• 4 luggage trucks
  
• 12 support vehicles
  

The Concert

Most of our concerts are held in large arenas to accommodate large audiences of 7-10 thousand. In St. Louis we perform in the Scottrade Center built originally for the St. Louis Blues hockey team.

Our concert clothing is transported by truck to each venue and we dress there just prior to each concert. You can only imagine how very challenging this is with 450 other musicians trying to do the same thing.  We instrumentalists then race to the stage before the choir lines up to enter 15 minutes prior to each concert.

Our program consists of 22 numbers in a variety of styles.

• Hymns of Praise
• Music of the Masters
• Music of the World
• Two American Folk Hymns
• Intermission
• Songs of the Land
• Songs of Faith and Hope
• Songs of Inspiration from the American Theater
• Music and the Spoken Word
  Alex Boye delights the audience with his whole heart and soul singing of "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me."

Organist Richard Elliot's rendition of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" brings cheers and applause in the middle of his unbelievable foot work. I have never before thought of organ playing as an athletic event, but Rick is amazing to put it mildly.

The encore number "This Land is Your Land" is often conducted by a local celebrity. Tonight it was John Ashcroft, former U.S. Attorney General.

“I thought it was so beautiful and lovely. Why don’t we do this every day? To go from normal life and have this Choir come on stage, out of nowhere, this sound and this spirit is what the whole world needs every day. Thank you so much.” 

June Sommer

After each concert we are very appreciative of the ice cold water waiting for us as we re-board the buses back to our hotel.

Meet Me in St. Louis

We arrive in St. Louis, step out onto the tarmac, and are hit with a wall of heat and humidity. Ninety-five degrees that easily feel like one hundred and five. We won't be needing our sweaters here! 

Audrey feels like a celebrity as she walks down the ramp. Buses are there waiting for us right there on the tarmac and we are whisked away to the hotel.
We arrive with less than one hour to spare. Knowing this is our only chance and despite the heat, we take a quick walk to experience the awesome Gateway Arch.
Designed by Finnish architect, Eero Saarinen, it is the tallest monument in the U.S. and was built from 1963-1967.
Audrey and Lauren receive loads of attention as the youngest members of this tour. Each just five feet tall, choir members are constantly asking them how old they are. Most think 15... or 17... and are very surprised to find that they are 21 years old. "You two look too young to be in the orchestra; do your mothers know where you are?" Audrey just smiles and points to me.
On the 21st and 23rd floors of the hotel, we have some pretty terrific views from our window. Randy and I enjoy this beautiful stretch of park smack dab in the middle of St. Louis where numerous wedding parties gather for photographs.

Audrey and Lauren have a great view of the Cardinal's home stadium.
We have a bite to eat and race to the Scottrade Center where we meet up with the choir. Their tour experience began two days prior when they performed at Riverbend with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

2009 Tour - Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square

4:00 AM - The alarm calls us to rise and shine. Shine? This early in the morning? Absolutely! It's tour week - and an chance to spread love and light to the people of the Midwest!  Audrey and I meet in the hallway. Great -- Our clothes match! We're going to get guff for this; no time to change. We dawn our "missionary" name tags, grab our bags, and head for the airport. We leave on a charter flight at 6:30 AM.

Audrey meets up with fellow violinist, Lauren. They will be roommates for the week. Lauren and Audrey are the youngest on the tour, I believe. Each just five feet tall - people are surprised to find out they are actually twenty-one years of age. Lauren has been called to a full-time mission in Argentina. She leaves this August.

Happy to find that we are in First Class, Randy and I settle into our very LARGE seats. I've never flown first class before!Linen table coverings and a delicious and more than ample breakfast.

As we climb through the clouds to the blue sky above, I think of President Uchtdorf's message in the Ensign this month.

 

"One of the things I loved most about flying was departing from a dark and rainy airport, climbing through thick and threatening winter clouds, and then suddenly breaking through the dark mist and steeply gaining altitude into the bright sunshine and endless blue sky."

"Prayer helps us transcend the stormy times. It gives us a glimpse of that blue sky that we cannot see from our earthly vantage point, and it reveals to us another vista—a glorious spiritual horizon filled with hope and the assurance of the bright blessings the Lord has promised to those who love and follow Him."

It isn't long before we spot the famous arch marking our arrival at our first destination.

EGG ON HIS FACE

Time for our annual springtime clean up trip to Grandma and Grandpa's home in Bellevue. Audrey beefed up our family group by inviting three friends -- Shaun, Tom, and Jake. They were happy to work for FOOD!

Randy did indoor fix-up while the remainder of us trimmed and washed outdoors. It had rained and rained and the ground was just too soggy to plant flowers. Sorry, Grandma.
After Grandma's delicious lunch, Tom issued the challenge: Try to break an egg by squeezing it in the palm of one hand. Randy tried with all his might... No success. I tried -- same result. We went around the table a ways. It was Jake's turn. I took it in his hand, and gave it a powerful squeeze... That egg SHOT out of it's shell, grazed Shaun's cheek, flew past the table and landed SPLAT! right on Grandma's white curtains. I shrieked! We all sat stunned. Gratefully Grandma, herself started the laughter. Jake was more than just mortified! We cleaned up the best we could and Grandma's curtains got a good cleaning that day. YES, an egg CAN be broken by squeezing in the palm of one hand. Jake proved it!

Il Divo

Performed with Il Divo at the Energy Solutions Arena. The audience (made up mostly of middle-aged women) went absolutely nuts! Il Divo sings loads of what I call "Popera" - pops with a classical flare. Want to hear some? Click HERE.  I do love these opportunities!

The New Couch

We purchased a new couch for the living room. Please keep your feet off the couch.... for at least a week!

It has become "the favorite place."

It is SO enormous that the entire family can fit on it for family home evening!