The Music of Betsy Lee Bailey - My Musical Musings Blog | BetsyLeeBaileyMusic.com

Choosing Hymns

7/20/2026

When I began this calling of leading the hymns for Sacrament Meeting, I decided to choose hymns for three months at a time. Of course I would prefer to be given themes for each meeting, but I found very quickly that would never happen. I was also tasked with introducing the new hymns, but slowly. Our population of mostly older folks in our ward don't look on change kindly.

So, I do the best I can choosing the hymns so far in advance by being aware of upcoming events (mission farewells and homecomings, holidays, etc.) days of historical significance (Joseph Smith's martyrdom, Relief Society birthday, etc.), and themes from the Come Follow Me lessons.

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by how apropos certain hymns turn out to be. I have often thought that as long as the hymns are contrasting as to meter, tempi, key relationships, and how they invite all to come unto Christ, my choices should work out fine. But when the hymn choices support the themes of the talks so perfectly they must have been "planned," I am astonished.

We had a young returned missionary report on his mission to Thailand yesterday. He spoke about 10 important points he learned on his mission. What he concluded with was exactly what the closing hymn supported best. He talked about how we can all join in the work of inviting all to come unto Christ. The closing hymn spoke precisely about that.

I chose the hymn "With Faith in Every Footstep" because in Utah, Pioneer Day is this week. Of course, that hymn talks about the marvelous saints who crossed the plains as pioneers with faith in every footstep. But two other verses were more about missionary work and how we are all pioneers in moving that work along.

K. Newell Dayley

What I didn't know was that the composer of that hymn had once lived in our ward. Many people stopped me to say how they remembered when K. Newell Dayley first wrote that hymn and he showed it to different people in the ward. In short, that hymn and its composer were well remembered and loved in this ward. So many people thanked me especially for choosing that hymn.
Pretty great...

Let Out to Pasture

7/14/2026

Carolyn Thompson in about 1940

When my mother moved back to Utah after many years of living all over the United States, she mentioned that she felt like she had been let out to pasture. I suppose after spending 40 years serving in many capacities in the Church and doing a lot of performing and teaching private lessons, she felt less busy. Less utilized. Less noticed for her talents.

True, she was getting older. Her health was not as good as it had been earlier in her life. But she still felt like she had a lot to give.

To put her situation in perspective, as my dad's work moved us to different places all over America following government contracts, Mom was always fussed over and treated almost like a celebrity. She sang like an angel, she could play the piano very well (many times without even having the music in front of her), she had grand ideas for super activites, and she loved people. And when folks learned that she had sung with the Tabernacle Choir, her social status really shot up.

She made close friends wherever she went. Her usual situation was to hold down several music/activities callings in the Wards and Stakes, teach 20-30 music lessons a week, plus manage her large family. Just having one calling leading the hymns for Sacrament meeting seemed like being let out to pasture indeed.

Tom and Carolyn Lee about 2000

My mother Carolyn Thompson Lee was pushing 60 when her galavanting days of moving every couple of years came to an end. My father found a new career teaching Physics and Astronomy at the Utah Valley University. He taught there until he turned 89 (his second 30-year career). My dad was also called as Bishop again when they moved to Utah. My mother however was pretty lost.

She was also back in her sister Janie Thompson's rather considerable shadow. Janie was still performing into her 90s. Janie often gave interviews to authors who wrote books and articles about her. My mother went on Janie's many performing dates to accompany her singing, but she didn't get the accolades or recognition that Janie did.

Then, unfortunately in her 70s, dementia set in. Our mother gradually lost her memory of people and experiences during the last ten years of her life. But through it all, even when she was reduced to her essentials, she was still ever sweet. She'd say, "I don't know your name, but I know I love you."

Her musical memory was still amazing, even when she was in the rest home. We'd go spend time with her, push her around in the wheel chair, and sing songs. She could out-sing any of us and still create lovely harmonies and remember all the lyrics.

She would have turned 97 on her birthday June 28th. Oh, how we all still miss her. Whenever I sing the high notes in a choir now, I feel her encouraging me. Especially hearing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" sung by the Tabernacle Choir during the 4th of July celebrations, I thought of Mom. I am always so happy to sing those high B flats and think of her Gold Record performance with the Choir back in the 1960s. She'll always be a rock star to me.

Love you, Mom.

A Quiet Celebration

7/5/2026

Here in Utah, all home fireworks were banned from the 4th of July Celebrations. That is such a foreign concept for this town. Provo, Utah, is known for hosting the largest Freedom Festival in the western United States. So, in order to experience fireworks of any kind, we went to the Stadium of Fire at the BYU football stadium. (Professional fireworks displays were allowed.)

Before the fireworks, we also went to the downtown parade, drove up to the mountains to hike around a beautiful natural springs and see the waterfalls, and visited with extended family that lingered from our Family Reunion. Still, without doing our own fireworks, the teenagers were a bit disappointed. They didn't even get to hike to the Y on the mountain above BYU campus. The trail was closed due to the high fire risk in our area. Too bad.

My children and their cousins of that generation were trying to recreate the fun they had had for so many years with their Grandpa Tom Lee and their fathers in hopes that their children would appreciate a similar experience. Nothing can really be the same, though. It's sad, but true.

Also, if truth be told, I have not missed the endless fireworks set off by the people living nearby me. In former days, they would have been allowed to set off big fireworks in our neighborhoods for two days before and two days after the major holidays like the 4th of July and Pioneer Day. Those antics are just too loud and nerve-wracking for me!

This morning at Church we sang Patriotic Hymns and people talked of how thankful they were for the many freedoms we enjoy in this nation. We even got to sing three verses of our national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner." After hearing many loud, raucous versions sung and played last night during the Stadium of Fire concert, I was happy to sing this amazing hymn in a more reverent way.

When we moved to Maryland, one of the first places we visited was Fort McHenry in the Baltimore Harbor. During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombarding of this fort through the night of September 13-14, 1814. He was astonished that in the early morning light, the American flag was still waving over the fort. The Americans had survived and won this battle. Immediately, he penned his famous poem.

The last verse of this anthem is very powerful:

"O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto - "In God is our trust,"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

May we also be grateful that the Star-Spangled Banner still waves over our beloved Nation!

Celebrating My Dad's 100th Birthday

6/26/2026

On July 2nd, 2026, we will celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of my dad Thomas W. Lee at a Family Reunion. We are spending the evening at a campsite in Aspen Grove and telling stories and sharing memories about our dad and grandpa Tom Lee.

Thomas Wilford Lee 1926-2016

We always loved getting together for his birthday because first of all, we loved him, but it helped that the extended family could make time to visit Provo during the 4th of July. My dad, in his quirky humor, always referred to his birthday as July the 2th (tooth).

So, that's what we call it as we continue the celebration with a Family Reunion in his honor.

Things I remember most about my dad:

Tom and Carolyn Lee about 2006

Most of all he loved our mother.  We knew it because he said it often, but he also showed his love in how he treated her. One time he caught my young son teasing his little sister. Dad took Michael aside and gave him a tongue lashing about how he should always treat women with respect. Michael straightened up after that.

My dad loved the mountains.  In his early years (during the 1930s), his parents spent summers at the BYU Aspen Grove "campus." Grandpa Wilford Lee taught English during the summer school sessions. Dad told us that traveling up the un-improved winding roads to Aspen Grove in those days was treacherous. Once there, they were not in any hurry to travel down them again until fall. Dad and his brothers roamed all over the hills and trails. He always felt that Timpanogos was his mountain.

He enjoyed reading.  My dad was a speed reader. He would go to the library weekly and pick up the box of Science Fiction or Adventure novels the librarians would set aside for him. It was normal for him to read 25-30 books a week. His favorite place to read was up in the canyon. I remember him loading up the station wagon with a bunch of us kids to go to Aspen Grove or Canyon Glen. This was his way of babysitting: He would spread out a blanket under a tree, lean against it with his pillow and his book, and turn the kids loose to roam. None of us got lost. We knew we had to come back when he gave his distinctive whistle. And we always did.

Daddy Tom was a terrific storyteller. Some of his stories have become legend. One summer, he took the oldest grandkids and their dads up the canyon for a Camp Out. Each evening he told a story that he continued to make up for days. Finally, he wrote it down for the family to enjoy for future generations, but it was 18 pages of 12-point single-spaced font. Most of us found it too long and technical to read to our kids. Besides we all misplaced our copies.

In 2024, I wrote my version of his story in a children's picture book to honor my dad, Johnny in the Moon. (It's shorter and has pictures.)

Bonnie, Bill, Barbara, Ben, Betsy, and Bob

He loved his family. My dad often said that he hated children. But none of us ever believed him. He always kept a stash of candy in his drawer by the bed and always allowed the kids to raid it while they climbed up on the bed to hear a story or watch sports with him. Grandpa Tom was a big softy.

Dad was a wonderful listener. We knew we could always go to Dad with our problems. We always felt that he gave good advice. But really, he just listened and asked the right questions so that we could figure out the solutions to our own problems ourselves. (That's how I passed Trigonometry in High School.) No wonder he was such a revered Bishop.

He loved God and his country. Dad always served diligently in his callings in the Church. He bore his testimony frequently. He and Mom were such wonderful examples of their faith. They also loved the United States of America. They were history buffs and loved having opportunities to take the family on cross country trips. They really couldn't pass any Historical Marker without stopping to read it!

I am so pleased that so many of their kids and grandkids and great-grandkids will be at the Descendants of Tom and Carolyn Lee Family Reunion. It is so important to pass on the stories of our loved ones!

America, the Beautiful Even in Smoke

6/22/2026

Here in Utah, 2026 was the year of no winter. We hardly got any snowpack. And now, our mountains and open spaces are highly susceptible to fires. Currently, there are several fires burning in northern Utah. The skies are hazy and full of drifting ashes falling all over the place. So scary.

Usually our mountains are so beautiful with the pines and aspen trees, plus the waterfalls and lakes.

We pray constantly for rain to come our way this summer.

Still, I love where I live, just as I have loved all of the other places I have lived in the continental United States - Los Angeles, Monterey, Denver, Houston, Dayton, and Baltimore, to name a few. One summer I remember driving up to the summit of Pikes Peak to the elevation of 14,115 ft (4,302 m) above sea level. We looked out over the plains in one direction and the Rocky Mountains in the other direction. Spectacular and breathtaking!

View from Pike's Peak Summit

My young self wondered why "America, the Beautiful" with text by Katharine Lee Bates was not our national anthem. Bates got her inspiration from ascending to Pike's Peak in 1895. Her poem was published in a magazine on July 4th, 1904. She always said that she thought her poem became so popular because Americans are inherently idealists.

One line became especially poignant for me just after the bombings of 911. "Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears." That always brings me to tears because of the deeper meaning we have now.

Years ago, I wrote this trio arrangement for me and my two sisters to sing in Church on the Sunday near the 4th of July. We love singing it as a trio, as well as singing it with others of our family. I especially enjoy singing it with my daughters and many granddaughters.

Looking forward to a beautiful celebration of our country's 250th Independence Day.

Singing Beethoven at Light Speed

5/26/2026

Our edition's marked tempo was 130. Our Conductor's tempo was at least 180. Sure it was marked as Prestissimo and open for interpretation. Who's to say if Beethoven himself marked the tempi or it has just been interpreted certain ways over the years in edited editions. All I know is that singing the end of Beethoven's 9th Symphony at Prestissimo for this conductor was really something!

I guess I am getting old. Singing above the staff has never been a problem for me before. In fact, I used to enjoy singing the very high notes. But trying to keep up singing German words so fast way up in the stratosphere made me feel like I was a squeaking mouse.

My voice teachers always taught that the high notes must be modified and shaped towards "ah." There's a good reason why most obligato passages for high soprano are less about words and more about sounding like flutes. Anyway, the conductor kept encouraging the choir to sing with crisper diction and more deliberate consonants. That is nearly impossible to do successfully at such a fast rate up so high.

When I listened to recordings of other choirs singing the prestissimo section, the tempo was much slower. The consonants and tone quality came through beautifully. I am not so sure how we sounded in the performance.

We tried the best we could. That's all I can say.

The Finale section of Beethoven's 9th is truly a masterwork. During our chorale rehearsals, separate from the orchestra, it was a joy to sing. The Hymn tune "Ode to Joy" is probably one of the most recognizable tunes ever. When the choir bursts forth with that tune at full volume near the end, the effect is truly powerful and joyous.

I am so sad thinking that Beethoven, who was deaf at the time he wrote this piece, never actually heard it performed in his lifetime. I wonder what he would have thought of our orchestral conductor's tempo at the Prestissimo?

Sing-Alongs by the Campfire

5/20/2026

Remember when sitting around the camp fire and singing songs was common?

Going out into nature, camping, building a fire to cook hot dogs and roast marshmallows, telling tall tales, doing skits, and singing songs everybody knew by heart?

Sure, I grew up in a musical family (for many generations). It didn't take much to get us to start singing. One of our favorite things to do was sing in the car on long rides (of which there were many). But the songs we sang were not the typical sing-around-the-campfire songs, even for that time. We sang choral works in 4 to 6 part harmony. We sang pop songs, and Broadway tunes, and even John Phillip Sousa marches. (Yeah, not normal.)

In elementary school, our music teacher taught us American Folk Songs. She told us that remembering the songs that helped to build our country was very important, even foundational. She also taught us Folk dances on Fridays. We learned songs that most adults knew by heart.

Home on the Range, She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain, Don't Fence Me In, Down in the Valley, Yellow Rose of Texas, Red River Valley, Deep In the Heart of Texas, You Are My Sunshine, Ragtime Cowboy Joe, I'm an Old Cowhand, Shenandoah, and many others.

After looking at this list, it is possible that my teacher was a bit partial to western and cowboy songs. We lived in Texas, after all. But that's all right. Kids that went to summer camp, on Boy Scout trips, or camping with their families all knew those songs and could join in singing them around the campfire.

Unfortunately, the tradition of singing around the campfire is dying. I don't know if any American folk songs or cowboy songs are taught to the rising generation nowadays.

In a couple of weeks, our Ward neighbors have been invited to my backyard to have a Campfire party. The organizers are even bringing portable fire pits so that we can roast marshmallows and make s'mores. Because my yard has a stage, they asked if we can have a Talent Show.

I'm thinking that I'd better prepare some sing-alongs. Maybe we should square dance or do a Virginia Reel too? Might as well try to keep some traditions alive...

I Found Them!!!

5/15/2026

Janie Thompson 1980

For the upcoming Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Jubilee, I have been asked to provide some entertainment. Since the Jubilee celebration always coordinates with the birth date of Brigham Young on June 1st, I thought it would be great to use songs that mention him by name.

Then I remembered some Pioneer songs my Aunt Janie used on lots of programs. Janie Thompson was known for her clever reworking of lyrics to match whatever event she was asked to provide entertainment for.

She loved writing parody songs using famous commercials, pop songs, or TV theme songs as a framework, just changing the words. What made the songs funny, though, was how people could remember the original lyrics (maybe even the products) and chuckle at how Janie changed them just slightly to fit the new setting.

I knew about those Pioneer songs because my mother taught them to me to sing for a Pioneer Day celebration she was in charge of in Houston, Texas. (I was probably 12 at the time.) Janie lived in Utah and our family kept moving all over the United States. My mother thought having Janie's songs for specialty numbers was such an ace up her sleeve. "Janie songs" were always a hit no matter where we lived, no matter who mom taught to sing them.

Since I needed to find a couple of specialty numbers for this Jubilee, my mind went straight to Janie's Pioneer Parody songs. I inherited several boxes of Janie's music when she died. Would I get lucky and find these songs somewhere in the stacks?

Well, I managed to find them. I just needed a Urim and Thummin to decipher them. The pages are so faded, they're difficult to read. I actually can't decide whose handwriting this is, either. It could be Janie's, or my mother Carolyn's, or maybe even mine. (We all have similar handwriting.)

But honestly, these pages have not much to work with. Janie rarely wrote out the sheet music. She and my mom had great "musical memory" and just needed chord charts with the lyrics to play entire shows.

The bare minimum of what you need is there: the lyrics, the chords, and the name of the tune. For example, the first song of the parody medley is "I'm an old Cowhand from the Rio Grand." If you know that tune and the chord changes, it's simple to fit the new lyrics into the melody. It's up to the pianist to use the chords to make up an accompaniment.

Fortunately, I think I remember enough of the arrangement to figure out the words and the tunes. The transitions between songs is a bigger challenge, but I think I can remember pretty much how Janie played them. So, this is good. I have coerced my sister Barbara to come sing them with me. It'll be fun! Maybe we'll be a hit!

'Til we Meet Again

5/11/2026

"God be with you 'til we meet again..."

Last Saturday, many of the former women members of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square met for a luncheon, a hugging fest, and singing time. My sister Bonnie Lee has only been retired a couple of years after serving in the choir for 22 years. After we we got our name badges, I walked on into the other room, but Bonnie found friends immediately. For at least a half an hour she didn't move from her spot in the first hallway. It seemed that everybody coming in knew and had to hug Bonnie.

Here's a favorite picture of me and Bonnie at the 2015 Christmas with the Muppets concert. We were younger then.

My service in the choir was from 2010-2016. So it has been many years now since I was an active choir singer. I knew the First Sopranos I sang with in the loft and dressed next to in the dressing room during those years. But, I knew the people of our carpool the best. Those have been such special friends. But Bonnie had many more years of sitting by different people in the loft (including some First Tenors), plus riding in several different car pools. No wonder that she knows a lot of people!!

I was surprised when some ladies that I didn't know very well (mostly altos) found me and had to tell me how much they have enjoyed using some of my music. They said how they had found my posts on Facebook, or went to my websites, or found some of my music on the Church Music website. It certainly is nice to be recognized for something good.

After laughing and hugging and trying to catch up with good old friends, the best part was hearing about the future of the Tabernacle Choir. The international reach of the choir is expanding as we always hoped it would. Our speaker, former conductor Craig Jessop, made us feel good that we stood at the foothills of the mountains the choir would yet climb. We played an important part in this progression.

It was lovely to sing together again... until next year!

Which Comes First - Melody or Words?

4/18/2026

How do you approach writing a song? Does the melody come first or do the words?" These seem like simple enough questions. BUT... are they?

Whenever I am asked how I go about writing music, I hardly know how to answer. Sometimes I get a little sliver of a melody in my head that becomes the starting place. Sometimes, I am struck by a text or a quote or just a random idea I hear spoken somewhere. Sometimes (usually when I am writing a show), I just feel like a certain character needs a song. So I ponder about what that character needs (usually on a long walk), and eventually a song is born. Sometimes, a rhythm gets stuck in my brain and I have to write a song featuring that rhythm.

In short, there are 'way too many possible starting points to say that I have a method for writing a song,

However, the harder part is what to do with that little nugget of inspiration AFTER it comes. How does it go from a nugget to a masterpiece?

A friend of mine sent me a link to hear a song she had "written" using AI. That was eye-opening. Her ideas for a melody and words were rendered beautifully into a country Christian pop ballad. I admit to know nothing about the process of allowing an AI program to bring a song to life. It sounded so well produced, complete with a singer belting out the lyrics

Little men all in a row

The problem for me was that it sounded exactly like so many other songs in that style. It was so "cookie cutter" that I couldn't really enjoy it. Artificial Intelligence is helpful to some extent, but does it really represent what the songwriter intended? My friend had the ideas, but she didn't have the knowledge to write out and produce the work on her own.
(However, she did tell me that for her the words always come first.)

A composer usually doesn't have the luxury of just writing original songs. So much of what a composer may be asked to do is ARRANGE a piece of music that already exists. In this case, the melody and probably the words are already in place. It is up to the arranger to come up with the setting to fit the occasion. Will the new piece need to fit a choir? A soloist? A band? Will it need a totally new style? Will it need orchestration or will it need to be simplified for beginner piano students? So many parameters to consider.

That sounds like what the AI program my friend used was doing. It took her ideas and put them into an existing style. From there, her originality was swallowed up in the parameters of the software program. The fancy orchestration, the wailing singer, the placement of verses, choruses, and bridges, and of course, the ending were very predictable.

By now everybody knows there are aspects of artificial intelligence that we all use everyday whether we are aware or not. Even a music notation software program uses AI. But that doesn't mean that I like AI taking over my creativity. I like to be in control. Currently I am trying to learn yet another notation software program. (One I might actually like and not fight with so much...) I know just enough about music to do what I want to do, but I don't appreciate AI trying to out think me. AAAAARGH!

There was a time when I decided to write a collection of sacred songs, some original and some hymn arrangements done as art songs. They each needed a contrasting style. My goal was to perform them myself (live piano and voice). Here is an original song from that collection that is very different from what I would normally write or perform.

"To Feel His Presence There" from The Praiseworthy Singer Vol. 14

The Music of Betsy Lee Bailey copyright 2020