Christmas singing

It doesn't truly seem like Christmas if I'm not singing in some performance or another. I must admit, it was strange (and a little bit sad) to not be singing in the Sally Bytheway Chorale Christmas concerts. There is something rather wonderful about a really big (and really good) choir singing Christmas songs. But though I was not singing with them, I surely did enjoy their concert from the audience! (I'll be back for spring season...yay!)

This year, I found myself doing my holiday singing with Higher Ground. Because the season is so busy, we tried to keep our performance schedule somewhat simple. We sang in a Sacrament Meeting here, a musical number for a Bishop's Storehouse fireside there. Our two big ones where we were able to share our whole program, were at Temple Square and for a Relief Society in Taylorsville...the ward I grew up in, actually. My mother, who was the Relief Society President at the time, booked our group to come sing for their Christmas party way back in March. When my parents decided to move last summer, I asked my mom about the program. "Oh, I'm sure we'll still be around at Christmastime. Houses take a long time to sale, don't they?" Not theirs. It sold the day after they put it on the market. So I worked the details with the new Relief Society president...not a problem in the slightest seeing as I had known this woman since I was very little. If I'm remembering correctly, I think she was even one of my young women leaders when I was a teenager. And though it's been over 20 years since I officially moved out of the ward (obviously I've come back for visits and been kept up to date on all the ward news by my parents as time has passed) I was surprised at how many familiar faces I recognized, and how well they still remembered me.

Our program wrapped around Mary, the mother of Christ. I especially liked this quote by Bruce R. McConkie that I had the opportunity to share in the program...
"Can we speak to highly of her whom the Lord has blessed above all women? There is only one Christ, and there is only one Mary."

The Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square. Such an amazingly beautiful place to sing! We also sang at the Church History Library.

Singing 40's style for Veterans Day

It was a shocker when we got a call from the vice president of publicity for music from Deseret Book a few weeks ago. She had heard of us and got our names from the Davis Arts Council...and was wondering if we'd be willing to dress up '40's style and sing for their Veterans Day Event at their flagship store at the City Creek Mall in Salt Lake City. We were interested and excited just at the invite to perform....but while on the phone she also felt us out for future possibilities of performing at Time Out For Women and Women's Conference and also recording. Well, oh my and holy wow!!

 Needless to say, despite the fact that we had a performance already scheduled for a Relief Society two days later and it would be an entirely different program, we jumped at the opportunity and started some heavy duty rehearsing immediately. That heavy duty rehearsing was a hindrance AND a blessing to our daily lives. It was a little overwhelming at times to make arrangements for the extra rehearsals, to plan and prepare two entirely different programs. There were a few tears shed here and there. But the spirit we felt as we buckled down and dug into our music and the messages we planned to share was equally overwhelming in a truly wonderful way. We knew we were being aided in what we were trying to accomplish and our families were being blessed for their sacrifices.

The Veterans Day program was also the DVD release of Saints and Soldiers Airborne Creed. The program consisted not only of the seven numbers that we performed but also messages from the director and actors of the movie, the author who wrote the book the movie was based on, and speakers Representative Curtis Oda and Congressman-elect (and author) Chris Stewart. But the true stars of the day were the veterans. A few even from as far back as WWII, the room was filled with them. I'm not even sure I have the words to express what it felt like to sing The Star Spangled Banner with all those veterans, most in their dress uniforms and medals, standing at attention with their hands in a salute. Veterans Day took on a whole new meaning for me...a more deeply appreciative one. And even if nothing else comes from this opportunity with Deseret Book other than this one performance...it was still incredibly worth it!

After the performance was finished, the meet and greet was concluded and all the pictures had been taken, we headed across the street to the Blue Lemon Cafe for lunch. The Saints and Soldiers group had the same idea. They teasingly and often called out to us from across the room to sing. "Hey....flash mob in 5 minutes. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. Okay?" ha. ha. ha. We had fun joking around with them. But as we were getting ready to leave, they directed our attention toward a table in the corner where a newly returned missionary was enjoying lunch with his family for the first time in 2 years. Stephanie marched right over to welcome the missionary home, understanding well that first day home feeling, she having served a mission herself...albeit many years ago. I'm sure the family was rather surprised to have a quintet of women all dressed up in bright red lipstick and '40's garb come over to talk to them....and even more surprised when we broke into a 5-part harmony rendition of "I'm a Child of God." Surprise or no, they were all in tears, the whole family, when we finished. And as we walked away we decided thatIt was the frosting on the cake. What an amazing day!