Pioneer Day Concert 2015

I am tired. I'm mentally and physically tired. (Do I sound like a whiny baby yet? Don't worry, it doesn't last. Wait until I talk about Come, Come Ye Saints below. Checkmate.)

As I was sitting in the loft on Tuesday evening I looked around and saw everyone. We were all abuzz and excited but everyone looked a little tired. Maybe everything of the past few weeks have caught up with us. For the past three weeks we have all been on an East Coast Tour, sang for a funeral, performed a broadcast and were now preparing for the Pioneer Day Concerts. It's a lot. Well, I think it's a lot.

Yet, music has an amazing ability to lift spirits and I feel as though rehearsals were a good way to get excited for the things to come. So even though I am mentally and physically tired, I am emotionally and spiritually happy.

The amazing Laura Osnes joined us for the Pioneer Day Concerts this year. She sings like a Disney Princess only 10 times better. Her voice is so pleasant to listen to that I really enjoyed all the numbers she performed.

What has been most amazing to me is just how the music program is so perfect for the Pioneer Day Concert. Programming the right music for the right program and mood is tricky for sure. Finding something that creates a cohesive program is tricky considering the limited amount of time to rehearse and the music available to use. 

I was so happy to hear the orchestra would begin the concert with the theme from the film, The Magnificent Seven. I was freaking out inside. It is my favorite Western and it was another reminder of my dad. When he was in High School he belonged to a band. They named themselves The Liahona Seven, after their High School (Liahona High School) and the movie. There were obviously seven members of the band. I grew up watching and listening to movie and music. I always imagined myself as a mix between Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen. I remember watching the DVD with the director and actor commentary and how much competition there was during filming between the two actors.  Steve McQueen did things to draw attention to himself during his scenes with Yul Brenner. It is so evident in the movie that I'm surprised the director left it all in but he probably didn't have a choice. To hear this music live was a dream come true for me. There is one thing hearing music on a recording and another thing to hear it live. I loved it.

Fun Fact: The orchestra only had a few rehearsals to learn the piece. They also returned from tour so it was a whirlwind adventure for them. They are amazing.

Richard Elliot brought down the house again with his organ solo of Cohen's "Give My Regards to Broadway" and he truly shows why he is a true master with his craft.

Laura Osnes is so relatable and likable on stage I can see why she has played 5 of Rodger's and Hammerstein's heroines. On stage she is everything you would imagine Cinderella to be.

I still cannot sing Come, Come Ye Saints with the choir without getting weepy. I try not to but I just can't. We sang it on tour and it was a struggle every time and it still is. I think of my grandparents and parents and how much they sacrificed and the blessings I have received because of them. Then I think of how much I think that I'm tired. Seriously? I'm tired. What of the Pioneers? What of President Monson? He came on Friday night. He is old and I know it is difficult to get around and yet he does. I'm sure he is tired too at times. If I were a Pioneer looking down on me I would probably hurt myself with a huge eye roll. We are all tired and the work requires us to give all we have. I realized how my feelings of being tired are minimal and it put things in perspective for me. I'm glad to have learned this lesson. That's why I'm writing it in here. I don't want to forget it. If I'm in heaven and I see my future grandchildren complaining about how tired they are I might just freak out on them and tell them how much worse things were when I was a child. Haha. The circle of life. LOL.

So we had a concert on Friday and Saturday evening. I returned home and went to bed at midnight on Saturday only to get up at 5:30 am to go the the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast. It wasn't hard though to get up. I was excited to go and I feel blessed that I can participate.

Laura Osnes performed with us during the Broadcast and sang the classic Somewhere Over the Rainbow and we sang backup.  She did such a great job. Such an innocence in her voice. After the official broadcast we had to rerecord the song. It was great to hear her sing it again. We sang, God Be With You to her and her husband afterward and you could see the tears in her eyes.

I left the Tabernacle with Dennis and while driving home I kept thinking of how busy it has been during the past few months. Choir has literally taken up a lot of my time including two full weeks while on tour.

Now that the Pioneer Day Concert is over the choir is slowing down for a few weeks. We will only have to prepare for the Music and the Spoken Word Broadcasts until around September. In September we will begin preparing for General Conference, the Christmas Concert, Gustav Mahler Symphony 1 with the Utah Symphony and Handel's Messiah for Easter. This train is not stopping and I'm so glad I get to ride.

Watch the Pioneer Day Concert here:


Read about the East Coast Tour:
Temple Square to Times Square
Carnegie Hall
Tour Wrap Up

Read about President Packers Funeral:
President Packer's Funeral