Tag: music

Categories
life

Surprise Musician

I really enjoy singing the hymns in church and most of the time I sing the Tenor part of the harmony. I enjoy those times when I hear others singing harmony as well when the congregation sings. Today I was really enjoying the gentleman sitting next to us who sang a variety of harmonies during the hymns – sometimes tenor, sometimes bass, sometimes a harmony that was not ever written in the book. (I was highly embarrassed when Isaac took it upon himself to start climbing our singing neighbor as if he were a mountain.)

Later this same gentleman, Brother Wright, sat next to me in priesthood meeting and introduced himself. As we talked and got to know a bit about each other I learned that he had moved here recently (it’s been a couple of years, but that’s recent for this area) in order to be a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. No wonder I enjoyed hearing him – I was singing with a member of a world renowned chior.

Categories
culture life

Christmas Program

As I was sitting in Sacrament meeting today anticipating the start of our Christmas program the thought struck me of how appropriate it is that we should celebrate the birth of our Savior through so much music. It seems to me that we use music more at this season of the year than for any other celebration.

I think it is appropriate to use so much music for such an important celebration because music communicates with people emotionally and intellectually in a very powerful way. In fact, it may be the generous use of music that helps to keeps our cultural celebration of Christmas so strong. While so many other holidays turn into nothing more than a day off of work or an excuse to hold retail sales Christmas has never yet been relegated to such a bleak fate. Despite any complaints by some about “Happy holidays” or “x-mas” the fact is that I have never found any holiday that carried more spiritual meaning that Christmas. Whatever of secularism might be carried by the figure of Santa Claus we still can hardly go anywhere without some display of the religious side of the season whether we are seeing Menorah’s or nativities or hearing references to Bethlehem and wise men.

An objective analysis would undoubtedly show that Christmas carries more religious significance in our secular society than any other holiday (with the possibility that Easter might rival it for religious/spiritual content). I really would not be surprised if music played a large part in keeping so much of that meaning intact.

Categories
life

Primary Songs by Mariah

Mariah sat down at the piano today and started playing and singing for Issac and me. The primary children’s songbook was opened to I Am a Child of God. Here is what Mariah sang to us:

I am a child of God and He has sent me toooo . . . go get the brass plates.

Isaac asked for her to sing the temple song so she turned to a page in the songbook with a picture of Jesus and started singing Isacc’s favorite “temple song.” Here were her lyrics:

I love to see the temple, I’m going there someday, to get the brass plates.

I wonder if anyone can guess what story has recently made an impression on Mariah.

Categories
life

Singing Hymns

When the Stake Priesthood Leadership Meeting was supposed to start yesterday the announcement came that the presiding authority had not arrived. Considering the traffic we had seen on the freeway (I-15 was a parking lot) we were not surprised. This announcement did not delay the beginning of the meeting. The chorister stood up and began to lead us, thousands of men, in a series of hymns. The words to the hymn were displayed on the view-screen for all to see and we sang one hymn after another for 20 minutes until President Monson arrived. I was hoarse from singing tenor and being sick, but I felt good. It was inspiring to hear so many men singing hymns, and harmonizing, while waiting for our priesthood leader.

The interesting thing as I look back is that I have had an endless supply of hymns going through my head for the entire 29 hours since then. Twenty minutes of that spirit has kept my head so full that I have not had time for any bad thought since then. I wonder how long it will last?

That is proof of the power of hymns.