A friend who I have not seen on over 20 years just sent me a condolences note about my upcoming retirement from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Yes, I have hit that magical age when I must leave the choir. There used to be no fixed,
mandatory date of retirement and some people stayed in the choir into their 90's. Well, times have certainly changed. I have heard that due to the rigors of the choir schedule and the amount of people auditioning each year to become members, the "powers that be" created the current policy of serving in the choir for no fewer than 5 years and no longer than 20 years or until the age of 60, whichever comes first.
Another friend in the choir said that he and his buddies in the Baritone Section would prefer the "Voting Off the Island" method of determining who should leave and who should stay in the choir. He said that he would give me the "Vote to Stay" because I can still sing in tune and have an ability to blend my voice with others. He said that he could think of a few people he would vote off the island before he'd vote me off the island.
Well...... I don't know if the "Mormon Tabernacle Choir --- the Reality Show" is actually ready for Prime Time. It isn't what the Choir is all about.
I have truly enjoyed my six years singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We never lived even remotely within the commute distance to consider auditioning for the Choir until 2009. A surprising change of circumstances found us suddenly and practically forced to move to Utah. We were really not done living in beautiful Maryland. But since we were located now within the 100 miles of Salt Lake City, my sister made me send in an application and an audition recording. I am so grateful she did! Being in the choir has been a glorious adventure!
mandatory date of retirement and some people stayed in the choir into their 90's. Well, times have certainly changed. I have heard that due to the rigors of the choir schedule and the amount of people auditioning each year to become members, the "powers that be" created the current policy of serving in the choir for no fewer than 5 years and no longer than 20 years or until the age of 60, whichever comes first.
Another friend in the choir said that he and his buddies in the Baritone Section would prefer the "Voting Off the Island" method of determining who should leave and who should stay in the choir. He said that he would give me the "Vote to Stay" because I can still sing in tune and have an ability to blend my voice with others. He said that he could think of a few people he would vote off the island before he'd vote me off the island.
Well...... I don't know if the "Mormon Tabernacle Choir --- the Reality Show" is actually ready for Prime Time. It isn't what the Choir is all about.
I have truly enjoyed my six years singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We never lived even remotely within the commute distance to consider auditioning for the Choir until 2009. A surprising change of circumstances found us suddenly and practically forced to move to Utah. We were really not done living in beautiful Maryland. But since we were located now within the 100 miles of Salt Lake City, my sister made me send in an application and an audition recording. I am so grateful she did! Being in the choir has been a glorious adventure!
So, now I will add my name to the roster of family members who have sung with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir --- our Welch pioneer ancestors who joined the Church in Wales and later were part of the first choirs in the Salt Lake Valley (the nucleus that later became the Tabernacle Choir), my teenaged grandmother Lora with the huge 5 octave vocal range who was invited to sing with the choir prior to WWI, my three uncles John, Sam and Bob, my mother Carolyn, my sister Bonnie, and my nephew Randy (trumpet) and niece Amy (clarinet) who played in the Orchestra at Temple Square. It has been my great privilege to be a part of a Family Legacy with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!
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