June 25, 2009 “If it’s Thursday, we must be in Kansas City” A billboard advertises the concert in Kansas City. (Click to enlarge). We’ve been on the road for a week. Our mornings rarely start later than 7 a.m. In fact, two mornings have started with choir members getting ready before 5:30 a.m. in order to head out for a 6 a.m. photo shoot. (Reason? To get the perfect lighting. ANY good photographer knows you can’t beat the dawn’s early light!) We’ve traveled over a thousand miles, stayed in five different hotels, and performed in five different venues. So how can we say this concert felt like the best ever?! Shouldn’t we be so tired that performing “the best ever” is out of the question?   Time to sing/play again! The Choir and Orchestra in Kansas City (Click to enlarge). There’s an interesting phenomenon that happens with performers. Regardless of how physically taxing, emotionally and mentally draining a schedule such as ours has been, there is a reservoir of strength and stamina that we draw from to give our audience a performance that surprises even us. Ask any member of the Choir or Orchestra and you will get a similar response, “I am so tired before a performance, but as we get changed and line up backstage, anticipation rejuvenates us, the adrenalin starts flowing, and we are able to give 110% to the listeners.” That inner reserve yielded the following comments from audience members in Kansas City: “I thought it was out of this world.  I liked it from the very moment it began until the end.  I liked the variety. I think it touched everybody’s heart.” Leann Diskin “I loved the spirit and the variety.” Georgia Anderson “I enjoyed ‘Danny Boy.’ It was a wonderful presentation. I will remember the uplift I felt.” Carrie Casey “It was great. I loved all of it.  I’m going to go home and listen to my new CD.” Cindy Hammick “Having never heard the choir in person before, but knowing their reputation, we had high expectations and we were not disappointed!” Janice and Chris Garcia (Chris is the former mayor of Basehor, Kansas). One couple planned their vacation around the Kansas City concert, traveling all the way from Florida to hear our performance. Others have had their tickets for over a year. Hearing stories like this makes us dig a little deeper to find that reserve to give another 110% performance! Even with the hectic schedule, there is time for a little sightseeing. Thanks to Barry Anderson, administrative manager for the Choir and Orchestra responsible to tour arrangements, our rather large contingency visited several sites in Independence, Missouri and other areas this morning—ending at the Sprint Center for another sound check, a lovely dinner, and a performance to one of our most responsive crowds thus far. There was much to see in the area of Independance, Missouri. Clockwise from upper left: 1. Site dedicated by Church founder Joseph Smith for a temple to be built. 2. Stained glass windows at the Community of Christ Temple. 3. Visiting Liberty Jail, where Joseph Smith and others were imprisoned for several months. 4. Enjoying ice cream at Clinton's Soda Fountain, where U.S. President Harry S Truman had his first job. (Click to enlarge). Tabernacle Organists Richard Elliott and Andrew Unsworth (seated) enjoyed the opportunity of trying out the organ at the Community of Christ Auditorium. The organ was built by the Aeolian-Skinner Company, the same company that rebuilt the Mormon Tabernacle Organ in 1948. (Click to enlarge). We had several guests participate with us in Kansas City. During the sound check while rehearsing “Amazing Grace,” we were honored to have Kim Murphree and her son Mike sing with us on stage. Kim worked many long hours promoting our concert. She works with a radio station in Lawrence, KS. She and her son have a tender spot in their hearts for “Amazing Grace.” It was one of the first pieces that she taught to her son. Mike is a young and talented musician. He said that the way he communicates with Heavenly Father is through music. Mike said, “It’s a second language that makes me appreciate what the Choir does. They are speaking a language of music.” Kim Murphree singing "Amazing Grace" with the Choir. (Click to enlarge). Getting a birthday present of conducting the Choir and Orchestra at sound check was Bryan Busby, a meteorologist for TV station KMBC Channel 9 here in Kansas City. Bryan had been presented this “gift” on air and had been promoting the concert during his reports. A camera from Channel 9 was there to cover Bryan conducting. Bryan told the Choir and Orchestra that he had originally begun studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music until he decided he wanted to go into something “a little less competitive”—(he laughed at the irony!)—and chose broadcasting. What a wonderful conducting style for a weatherman! Bryan is hoping to come to Salt Lake to sing a Thursday rehearsal with the Choir some time soon. Bryan Busby exhibited a precise, steady beat as he led us in "Battle Hymn of the Republic." He was very easy to follow! (Click to enlarge). Our guest conductor for our encore “This Land is Your Land” was local philanthropist and patron of the arts, Julia Irene Kauffmann. Julia spent the first 14 years of her life in Toronto, Canada singing in children’s choirs and becoming a very talented pianist through studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has always been interested in the arts and through her family foundations has donated millions of dollars to the construction of a performing arts center that will open here in Kansas City in 2011. When asked how she felt about standing on a podium and conducting the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, Julia’s quick response was “Terrified!” But her infectious smile and excitement for conducting a Percy Faith arrangement hid any terror she may have been feeling. Percy Faith was an arranger for her father back in Toronto. She grew up knowing the arranger through his association with her father! Julia Irene Kauffmann did a terrific job with "This Land Is Your Land." (Click to enlarge). For those of you who are “on tour” with us by virtue of these articles, you may be interested to know a little “backstage” talk about one of our orchestra members. If you have our latest CD, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, you have no doubt listened to the fantastic arrangement of “Amazing Grace” and wondered how we could perform that piece on tour without the bagpipes. Here’s how it’s done: Daron Bradford, a music professor at Brigham Young University, plays so many instruments that my word count for this article can’t afford to list them all. He is also the principal clarinetist in the Orchestra at Temple Square, and is our penny whistler in “Danny Boy” and “Homeward Bound.” Because of his expert woodwind abilities, it just seemed natural that Mack Wilberg and Daron Bradford would come up with the idea that Daron learn to play the bagpipes. So Daron ordered a set and waited patiently for their arrival. One might think that these events happened months ago. But this particular package was delivered Tuesday afternoon. What Tuesday afternoon you ask? Well, the Tuesday afternoon right before our Tuesday evening pre-tour concert—2 days before we left on tour!! Daron Bradford (standing) learned to play a bagpipe chanter specifically for his solo in "Amazing Grace." (Click to enlarge). If you are one of those lucky individuals who have procured a ticket for a concert during this tour, you will notice that Daron’s bagpipes are without the pipes or stick-like pieces on the bagpipe. Those sounds are being provided by Andy Unsworth on the Rogers organ that is traveling with us on tour. There is a story behind every member of the Orchestra and Choir. Each brings something unique to the organization. And because of these talents and gifts, our concert in Kansas City was a hit. On the buses we will go for a 5 hour trip to Oklahoma City! By Carol Salmon, 2nd Alto