Last Saturday I attended the funeral for the mother of my first real friend in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Kristin Gerdy's mother had been a music teacher her entire life and was also a true fan of the Choir. Kristen asked some of her Choir friends to come sing for the funeral.
As another friend Eric Huntsman put it, "This is another part of our calling to serve in the Choir. We are FAMILY and we give support wherever we can." Going to sing for funerals and other occasions special to current (and even former choir members) is how we reach out and help each other."
Kristin chose Ryan Murphy's arrangement of "The Pilgrim's Song" because it is beautiful and her mother loved it, but also because she knew that all of the choir members had it memorized and could sing it without much rehearsal. The message of this song was perfect for the funeral. It speaks of how we endure our journey through life and when the time comes, we are called back home to the glory of our Savior.
When Kristin and I first joined the choir in 2010, Ryan Murphy was newly appointed as Associate Conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Our Chorale Group was his first to train. "The Pilgrim"s Song" was one of the pieces we debuted on his first Chorale concert. Because of this, that song has held deep significance for both me and Kristin. Our group got to introduce and help teach that song to the "big" choir. Now it holds a special place in the repertoire of the Choir.
Since retiring from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 2016, I have been privileged to still be included in some very special events. The funeral was a doubly special opportunity because Kristin asked me to conduct our twenty Choir friends in singing "The Pilgrim's Song." So glad to be part of special moments with my MoTab Family.
As another friend Eric Huntsman put it, "This is another part of our calling to serve in the Choir. We are FAMILY and we give support wherever we can." Going to sing for funerals and other occasions special to current (and even former choir members) is how we reach out and help each other."
Kristin chose Ryan Murphy's arrangement of "The Pilgrim's Song" because it is beautiful and her mother loved it, but also because she knew that all of the choir members had it memorized and could sing it without much rehearsal. The message of this song was perfect for the funeral. It speaks of how we endure our journey through life and when the time comes, we are called back home to the glory of our Savior.
When Kristin and I first joined the choir in 2010, Ryan Murphy was newly appointed as Associate Conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Our Chorale Group was his first to train. "The Pilgrim"s Song" was one of the pieces we debuted on his first Chorale concert. Because of this, that song has held deep significance for both me and Kristin. Our group got to introduce and help teach that song to the "big" choir. Now it holds a special place in the repertoire of the Choir.
Since retiring from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 2016, I have been privileged to still be included in some very special events. The funeral was a doubly special opportunity because Kristin asked me to conduct our twenty Choir friends in singing "The Pilgrim's Song." So glad to be part of special moments with my MoTab Family.
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