Something Very Cool

Something very cool happened this week.

And it’s probably not what you’re thinking of. 

First a little background: 

For those of you who are unaware, I am a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  We rehearse every Thursday night from 7:00 to 9:30 PM.  Every Sunday morning, after donning the wardrobe of the day, we assemble in either the Tabernacle or the Conference Center at 7:25 AM (or possibly earlier) and rehearse.  (For me, that means I have to get up at 5:00 AM normally—4:45 AM today.  However, I’m lucky:  I only have to travel 50 miles each way.  Some choir members travel as much as 100 miles each way.)  At approximately 8:40 AM, we do a full run-through of our weekly broadcast of “Music and the Spoken Word”.  At 9:30 AM, we go live and do the actual broadcast.  After the broadcast, we frequently (about three out of four Sundays) have another rehearsal which runs till about 11:30 AM.  (I get attend my own ward Sunday meetings only on the years that we have the late, i.e., 1:00-4:00 PM schedule.  Other years, I attend another ward.) We often rehearse on Tuesday nights as well.  If we are recording a CD or preparing for a major concert  or series of concerts, we can be there Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights (sometimes starting as early as 6:00 PM and staying till 10:00 PM or later) and all day Saturday.  (And yes, we still have to be there bright and early on Sunday morning for the regular broadcast.)  The Choir performs 70-80 times each year.  Our repertoire contains literally thousands of songs and much of it must be memorized before it is performed.  When we are in the loft, every single minute of our time is scheduled.  (I meant that quite literally.  Brother Wilberg maps out exactly how many minutes we will spend working on each piece of music during a rehearsal.)  In addition to the weekly broadcast, there are Christmas concerts, Pioneer Day concerts, Tanner Gift of Music concerts, mini-concerts for special groups, concerts for inaugurations or dedications, recording sessions, filming sessions, special broadcasts, and, of course, three sessions of General Conference in April and three in October.  We go on tour every other year for about two weeks.  Some years, we will go on a mini-tour for a special concert in another state. 

Now, I’m NOT complaining.  Not one bit.  Every member of the Choir is an unpaid volunteer that has to pass through a rigorous audition and training process just to get into the Choir.  Usually less than 10% of those who audition each year are accepted into the Choir.  I feel VERY BLESSED to be a member.  So I’m not complaining: I’m just trying to paint an accurate picture of the time-commitment involved. 

Each year, the Choir receives many, many special requests: everything from special concerts for WW II veterans to “Could you sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to my grandmother?”  The vast majority of these requests simply cannot be granted due to time constraints.  And refusing some of these requests can be heart-breaking. 

One such request came from the family of a young man named Jody.

Jody lives in Cardston, Alberta, Canada.  Jody has Down’s syndrome.  He is a HUGE fan of the Choir.  He loves to watch “Music and the Spoken Word” on TV or YouTube and “conduct” the Choir.  His family came down to Utah for General Conference and to give Jody a chance to see the Choir that he loves.  The family made a special request for Jody to be allowed to conduct the Choir in person during a rehearsal. 

But the timing couldn’t have been worse. 

Tuesday night was our designated rehearsal for General Conference.  (Most people assume that the Choir prepares for several weeks for General Conference, but there is simply no time.  The first opportunity that we had to LOOK at the music for Conference was after the broadcast on the Sunday before, and even that rehearsal was largely devoted to music for the upcoming CD recording in May.)  Thursday night, we had to rehearse for the Sunday morning broadcast and Conference.  We stayed late both nights.  (Remember that some people have to travel 100 miles and still get up for work the next day.)

So the decision was made that, as wonderful as it would have been to accommodate the request and give 10 minutes to Jody (and believe me, there would not have been a dry eye in the place), it was simply not possible. 

Instead, Jody and his family were given a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Tabernacle and the Conference Center.  I wasn’t part of the tour, but I’m sure Jody and his family got to see the Choir offices (even I don’t get to go in there), the wardrobe/changing rooms, the rehearsal areas, the music library, the backstage areas, the massive pipe organs, and the network of tunnels under Temple Square.  After that, Jody and his family were allowed to attend the Tuesday night rehearsal (which is not normally open to the public). 

Jody was thrilled.  He was in heaven. 

But that’s not the best part. 

You see, during the rehearsal, as Jody and his family sat out in the seats of the Conference Center, listening to the Choir rehearse, Jody rose to his feet and waved his arms as we sang. 

It didn’t matter that he wasn’t standing at the podium: Jody got to conduct the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.