The Most Amazing Sabbath Morning Ever!
This morning Chelsea, Myself and her room mate Jessie got up and got ready to go to the tabernacle to see Music and The Spoken Word....the tabernacle is like a ten min walk from their apt. As we were walking over and passing the conference center we noticed that every one was going into the conference center. So we asked and sure enough the program was being broadcast from there this morning.
So we went inside and found pretty good seats and realized that the dress rehearsal was already going. Very quickly we realized that this wasn't just an ordinary broadcast. For the past two nights there was a concert at the conference center featuring..metz0 soprano Denyce Graves and baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell....and they were special guests at this broadcast. We were pretty stoked as we listened to the dress rehearsal and realized that we would get to hear them twice.,.,.can I say amazing...just doesn't cover the incredible performance. As I was watching and listening to Brian Stokes Mitchell...I kept thinking I have seen and heard him before but where? It isn't like I attend operatic performances on a regular basis if ever.The last song they performed was from the musical Ragtime...and Like a bolt of lightening it hit me!
A number of years ago our son Craig and his wife Shelley had treated us to tickets for a performance of Ragtime in Vancouver BC and he was the main lead....I was so excited to hear him again.
Then it was getting time for the live performance and the usual announcements we being made....the choir was getting back to their seats when everyone in the congregation stood up and we quickly realized that the Prophet Thomas S. Monson and Elder Henry B. Eyring were entering the hall. I was close enough to actually see them and was filled with much emotion. and surprise
The performance got under way and I must say the choir and performers were absolutely outstanding....enough to take your breath away. The orchestra from temple square were also performing.The spirit was incredible and the tears started to flow. And then before you knew it it was done....the cameras turned off and we all stood and applauded those who performed. and yet we were in for more
President Monson and other dignitaries came on to the staging area. President Monson gave a few short words where he talked about Tiny Tim from the novel A Christmas Carol especially where he arrives home on sunday morning after attending church with his dad. His mom asks if he was good and his dad replies he is always good. Then Tiny Tim says he enjoys being where they talk about Him who made the blind man see and the lame man walk( my interpretation) In the end of his short remark...President Monson looked to the audience and with tears in his eyes he said." I say as did Tiny Tim " God bless us everyone" .... I think at that point I lost it. They then presented the performers with teddy bears dressed in tuxedos that when you pressed their paw it played a song from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They had the peformers turn and face the choir ......who then sang to them" God be with you Till we meet again" Did I say I lost it,.,.,..even more then! Then President Monson greeted them ...and hugged Denyce Graves who by this time is in tears trying to maintain composure.
It was pretty much over then...the performers left and President Monson came off the stage greeted a few people, waved and then left the building...Did I say it was the most amazing sabbath ever! Then we walked out into the foyer and a group of sister missionaries were singing hymns and one of them was from my home ward! I walked out into the sunshine thinking I am the luckiest person ever to have been here this day and to have the priviledge of the experience I just had., I have had the best time here in Salt Lake, as I sat in the temple yesterday I felt like if I could be here...live in the housing complex where the missionary couples live ( near chelseas)
attend the temple all the time...I would ask for little more.
This morning Chelsea, Myself and her room mate Jessie got up and got ready to go to the tabernacle to see Music and The Spoken Word....the tabernacle is like a ten min walk from their apt. As we were walking over and passing the conference center we noticed that every one was going into the conference center. So we asked and sure enough the program was being broadcast from there this morning.
So we went inside and found pretty good seats and realized that the dress rehearsal was already going. Very quickly we realized that this wasn't just an ordinary broadcast. For the past two nights there was a concert at the conference center featuring..metz0 soprano Denyce Graves and baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell....and they were special guests at this broadcast. We were pretty stoked as we listened to the dress rehearsal and realized that we would get to hear them twice.,.,.can I say amazing...just doesn't cover the incredible performance. As I was watching and listening to Brian Stokes Mitchell...I kept thinking I have seen and heard him before but where? It isn't like I attend operatic performances on a regular basis if ever.The last song they performed was from the musical Ragtime...and Like a bolt of lightening it hit me!
A number of years ago our son Craig and his wife Shelley had treated us to tickets for a performance of Ragtime in Vancouver BC and he was the main lead....I was so excited to hear him again.
Then it was getting time for the live performance and the usual announcements we being made....the choir was getting back to their seats when everyone in the congregation stood up and we quickly realized that the Prophet Thomas S. Monson and Elder Henry B. Eyring were entering the hall. I was close enough to actually see them and was filled with much emotion. and surprise
The performance got under way and I must say the choir and performers were absolutely outstanding....enough to take your breath away. The orchestra from temple square were also performing.The spirit was incredible and the tears started to flow. And then before you knew it it was done....the cameras turned off and we all stood and applauded those who performed. and yet we were in for more
President Monson and other dignitaries came on to the staging area. President Monson gave a few short words where he talked about Tiny Tim from the novel A Christmas Carol especially where he arrives home on sunday morning after attending church with his dad. His mom asks if he was good and his dad replies he is always good. Then Tiny Tim says he enjoys being where they talk about Him who made the blind man see and the lame man walk( my interpretation) In the end of his short remark...President Monson looked to the audience and with tears in his eyes he said." I say as did Tiny Tim " God bless us everyone" .... I think at that point I lost it. They then presented the performers with teddy bears dressed in tuxedos that when you pressed their paw it played a song from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They had the peformers turn and face the choir ......who then sang to them" God be with you Till we meet again" Did I say I lost it,.,.,..even more then! Then President Monson greeted them ...and hugged Denyce Graves who by this time is in tears trying to maintain composure.
It was pretty much over then...the performers left and President Monson came off the stage greeted a few people, waved and then left the building...Did I say it was the most amazing sabbath ever! Then we walked out into the foyer and a group of sister missionaries were singing hymns and one of them was from my home ward! I walked out into the sunshine thinking I am the luckiest person ever to have been here this day and to have the priviledge of the experience I just had., I have had the best time here in Salt Lake, as I sat in the temple yesterday I felt like if I could be here...live in the housing complex where the missionary couples live ( near chelseas)
attend the temple all the time...I would ask for little more.
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