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Grasping a New Concept

7/29/2024

Sometimes the population in our ward coordinates when they take vacations. Yesterday was one of those days. The front half of the chapel was basically empty. Aside from the family that usually sits on the second row on the left and the Deacons Quorum that sits on the right and a very few others, the pews down front were empty. More people came during the Opening Hymn, but they slid into the back pews and the chairs in the overflow.

I wondered if I would be singing a solo during the hymns. But I could hear some of the voices ok. The weird thing was that I didn't see many visitors, if any. We have kept up our numbers this summer mostly because of Family Reunions, Missionary reports and farewells, and "just because" visitors. Yesterday was different.

The opening hymn was "Now We'll Sing With One Accord" 25, all about the Restoration. It's got a lively tune and great words about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Joseph Smith, the Gathering, and coming to Christ. Even though we have some talented singers in the ward, even they had their noses in their hymnals struggling to sing. Many people told me that they had never sung that hymn before. Too bad, it's a good one.

Then for the closing hymn we sang "Come Thou Fount" 1001, one of the newly released hymns. I was doing a test to see how many people would use their smart phones for the music. We have been explaining how to use the Gospel Library Music app to access the new hymns for the past few weeks in preparation. Well, I noticed that most people were able to use their phones without any issues. Some shared with others sitting next to them. But it was a very familiar hymn, and many people count it as a favorite, so no problems with hearing the congregational singing.

Many in our ward are older, and I have been concerned whether they could grasp this new concept to utilize an app on their phones. It seems that these people can. In fact, some of the comments were that it was "kind of fun."

Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks...

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Remembering a Milestone

7/24/2024

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While sorting through tubs of old papers and photos yesterday, I found something that I thought was lost forever. A United States Savings Bond that I won in a drawing contest when I was 12. Who knew that the pack rat that I am would have saved that all these years. It needed to be held for a certain number of years in order to mature, anyway. (Do you think I've waited long enough for it to mature? Is it even still redeemable?)

Years ago, we put it away in an envelope along with the original drawing, the picture with the reporter awarding it to me, and the newspaper clipping from 1968.

The photo, drawing, and newspaper section have yellowed with age. In fact, they are so delicate they are falling apart. So I digitized them and now have them saved on the computer.

July 20th, 1969 was a special day for America, and our family, too! That was when the first men landed on the moon. My dad was a NASA scientist who tested the materials that coated the spaceships and lunar landing module as well as the spacesuits. His hypervelocity impact physics research and development helped keep the astronauts safe on their Apollo missions.

Dad always told us that what he really did at work was think and dream. That's why 12-year-old me imagined him at his desk this way.

Here in July, it's nice to remember and celebrate the anniversary of that wonderful milestone in our history.

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At a Crossroads

7/23/2024

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My daughter was telling me about a little survey she took of family members some years ago. She asked the question: "What is the main thing you have learned from your spouse?" Then she told me that she had already known what I learned from their Dad --- ORGANIZATION. Well, I'm not sure I actually learned to put in use the great organizational skills I observed that he had, but it is fair to say that I learned that I needed to.

Now that Ellis has been gone for five years, I'm afraid that the non-organization of stuff around our house has gotten to a crisis level. When we bought our house 15 years ago, I expected to be able to use the art studio the previous owner had built in her basement as my Music Studio. Over the years, that room has been anything but that. It has mostly been our Room of Requirement: a bedroom, storage room, work-out room, junk room, bunk room, etc.

But I still need a Music Studio -- a place to set up my computer, printer, keyboards, book shelves, and filing cabinets, plus a place to store PA system stuff and odd instruments, as well as music teaching materials and visual aids. Besides that, I need a rehearsal space. Right now I have music stuff strewn all over the house. And even though my husband had built a nice big shed in the back yard to house all of my sets, costumes, props, et al, from doing my shows, it is now filled to capacity and overflowing.

So, I am at a crossroads. My husband always had plans to renovate the basement to give me the space I really needed for my music stuff, but he passed before that could happen. My family now is pushing me to go ahead, draw out plans, hire a contractor, and get it done. But, do I do what I always wanted or turn that studio area into an independent apartment unit? (Apparently, the apartment is the wiser idea for possible future needs in my old age and/or for resale value. But what about now?)

I guess it will really depend on where the bids come in at financially to decide whether I can afford which or any of the upgrades we have on the list. The trouble is the DOMINO EFFECT. If we tear up one area, it affects something else, and that affects something else, and so on.

So, whether I am ready or not, the wheels are in motion. I meet to get bids from three contractors today. Then I have to make a decision. Then I have to ORGANIZE and EDIT years and years of stuff to get it out of the way so renovations can begin.

The road to ORGANIZATION is SCARY!

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A Family Affair

7/20/2024

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Avery the unexpected dancer

When we moved from Maryland to Utah 15 years ago in 2009, we still had children living at home. We wanted to find a house close to other family members to be able to join in family events and just enjoy their company. Suddenly I could walk the few blocks to my sister's house any time, and also be close enough to help take care of my ailing mother.

My husband immediately tore apart the house to start renovations. Three years later we were able to move into the newer sections. But even through the renovations, we used our back patio as a stage. The first show, "Never Cry Wolf," was actually mounted by our daughter Cami and her friend Miriam along with other youth in the ward and a few cousins. They did a second show the next summer, "A Successor to the Throne." Then the girls graduated from High School and went off to college.

I was quite busy with getting the house finished and singing in the Tabernacle Choir, but eventually I decided that I should continue doing Summer Theater Camps in the back yard. In 2012, I produced "Stone Soup" as a neighborhood summer camp show. (I needed a way to meet people in the neighborhood and my home ward.) From that show, I learned never to subject the poor kids to performing in the evening in the summer. It is much too HOT! Even then, I had help from my husband and sons, nieces, brothers, sisters, sisters-in-law, and their kids. So nice to have help from family.

Mice from "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse" 2020

In 2013, a friend of mine recommended that I direct shows at an Elementary School nearby. For five more years I wrote and directed shows for Provost Elementary during the school year, then did them again for the neighborhood Summer Camp. (Five new shows) And through all those years, I got plenty of help from my family. In fact, by then some of my grandchildren were getting old enough to be in the shows. And my daughters and daughters-in-law took turns helping me in big ways! I even produced "Momotaro" at one of their schools and my niece Rachel directed one of my shows at her children's school, "Never Cry Wolf."

My daughter Cami, who grew up doing theater from a very early age, started her teaching career, and even produced some of my shows where she was teaching. The costumes and props that I have used and reused over the years have really seen some adventures.

2020 Cousins Camp Cast Photo

During the 2020 COVID year, I had to cancel my neighborhood summer camp. So instead, my 20+ grandchildren indulged me by doing one of my shows for our Family Reunion. I was so happy to have so many of my own grandchildren in a show together, even though it was put together so quickly ---- in only 3 hours! "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse." Talk about everybody helping...

Everybody circle to the left...

Now, this summer, a younger generation of my grandchildren were in the summer camp show who were too young four years ago. In the 2024 camp "The Frog Prince," seven of my 26 grandchildren were involved, plus three teenagers who recorded the vocal tracks, and an adult granddaughter who taught the music. Two daughters helped direct, and a son-in-law agreed to be our Dragon. My sisters also helped, plus my sister's two granddaughters were in it and her daughter-in-law helped backstage. It was truly a family affair. Not to even mention how my brother-in-law and nephew took charge of striking the set and putting the big stuff away.

I started writing shows when my two youngest children were starting in theater. I couldn't find material that suited the goals of the children's theater company I was working for. So I just wrote one. You might say that I started writing the shows because of my family. Now, seventeen Children's Musicals later, I'm just happy that so many of my own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and so forth, have been able to be involved over the years.

I have loved this Family Affair!

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Love for the Hymns of the Restoration

7/15/2024

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Yesterday I gave a talk about how to access the newly released hymns from the upcoming LDS hymnal, basically from our smartphones. I had worked hard on preparing the talk, wrote it on Thursday and refined and practiced it for the next few days. It's a good thing I planned ahead, so when I left my carefully printed out remarks at home on the kitchen table, all was not lost.

The talks previous to mine were about relating to our ancestors and doing work for them in the Temples. It felt good that I began with a story about one of my ancestors that then led into my topic. (I just felt bad that I had to tell it from memory.) Here is that story:

"My great-great-grandfather was 9 years old in the mid 1800's when the Mormon missionaries came through his village in northern England. They had set up a street display to try to attract people to hear their message. They also sang the hymns of the Restoration that were unique to the new religion. My great-great-grandfather loved to sing, and he loved what the missionaries were saying. He was taught by the missionaries, believed their message, and soon was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Before long, though, the missionaries invited the members in his village to emigrate to Salt Lake City along with other new converts from England, which they all did. Except William Bosomworth, at nine years old and the only member in his family, was too young to join them. For many years, William had only the Book of Mormon and the LDS Hymnal to help him keep his faith alive. He loved singing the hymns of the Restoration. Eventually William grew up, got married, and started raising his family. As the children came along, he loved rocking them to sleep by singing.

Many years later, his 16-year-old daughter Jane, my great-grandmother, passed another street display by Mormon missionaries. They too were singing hymns to try to attract people to listen to their message. Jane stopped to listen to the singing. She was so surprised that she recognized their songs, but these were not hymns she sang in their parish Church. She wondered why she knew them.

Jane was a good singer, too. She was excited to go home to sing a bit of the music to her father. He told her those were Hymns of the Restoration that he sang to her as lullabies when she was little. He said, "That's probably why you recognized them."

Jane decided then and there to be taught by the missionaries. She also joined the Church. Later, she and her husband emigrated to Utah, well Idaho really. Because of this conversion story and many others, we in our family have great cause to love the Hymns of the Restoration."

I explained how the first LDS Hymnal was so small it could easily fit in a pocket and only contained words. Then I went on to talking about the new 2026 LDS Hymnal and how to access the new Hymns just released.

To close I related my thoughts back to my Family History story:

"I know that the Hymns and Children's songs have been given to us to bless our lives, to teach us the great truths of the Gospel and help us write those truths deep in our souls. My love for my Heavenly Father and my Savior has deepened as I have sung sacred songs and hymns. Like my great-great-grandfather William Bosomworth, the hymns of the Restoration have helped keep my faith alive.

May they help keep your faith alive, too."

"I Know That My Redeemer Lives" was included in the first LDS Hymnal compiled by Emma Smith. This is my arrangement for solo voice, sung in this recording by my sister Bonnie Lee.

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Called to Serve

7/12/2024

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"Stop the presses!"

After hearing, and watching, the missionary choir come in singing "Called to Serve" at the new Mission President's Training Seminar in April of 1985, Elder Boyd K. Packer instructed that children's song be included in the new LDS Hymnal of 1985.

Early in the morning several months earlier, my little sister Bonnie Lee answered the phone. At the time she was attending BYU and living in the house of our Aunt Janie Thompson. The voice at the other end of the line said, "Hello. This is Elder Packer. I have something that needs the Janie Thompson touch. Is she available to come to the phone?"

It's not every day you take a phone call from an Apostle. A little star-struck, Bonnie swallowed, found her voice, and said, "I'll go find her."

When Janie picked up the phone, Bonnie stayed nearby to listen. Elder Packer asked Janie to prepare a special number as a Finale to the upcoming Mission Presidents' Training Seminar in April of 1985. He expected a rousing choral number arranged and directed by Janie. But, being Janie, she said she had different idea. She had the idea of many missionaries marching into the Assembly Hall on Temple Square carrying flags of many nations and singing a great, inspiring, missionary anthem. Elder Packer invited her to come give his committee a preview of her idea in a week or so.

Madly writing for the next few days, Janie whipped up one of her most moving arrangements. At first, after pouring through all of the hymnals she couldn't find anything suitable. Then, she looked in the Children's Songbook. "Called to Serve" literally jumped off the page. She knew instantly that this was the song she was to use.

"Called to Serve" was not of LDS origin. It was copyrighted in 1914 by the Adam Geibel Music Company, and initially published in The Song of Praise: A Sunday-School Service for Children’s Day. It was borrowed and included in the 1920 Primary Songbook, with a few modifications to the text. It has been in every LDS Children's Songbook since. The altered words definitely have a missionary meaning for Latter-Day Saints.

Janie took my brother Ben and sister Bonnie with her to the meeting with Elder Packer's committee. Our mother Carolyn Lee went along to accompany them. (Janie tended to write her arrangements in a kind of short-hand, especially when rushed. She didn't have to write out the full accompaniment because she knew my mother could just make up the piano part as they went along.) Janie, Ben, and Bonnie sang the brand new arrangement and impressed the committee. Janie got the go-ahead to work with missionaries from the Mission Training Center to get them ready for this extravaganza.

As the day approached, Janie became aware of a logistics problem. She wanted to direct the missionary singers from the back of the auditorium by the door where they would enter carrying the flags. The problem was that the organ console where my mom would play faced the wall of pipes up by the choir loft. She had no hope of seeing Janie as she directed. Also, because Janie's arrangement included changes in tempo and grand fermatas, it became clear that they needed a relay-conductor. So, since I happened to be in town during Easter Break, I was elected to stand by the organ console and watch Janie to give my mother her cues during the song.

At the end of the service, my mother slipped onto the organ bench and I took my place beside her at the console, trying not to look too conspicuous. (However, I was in full view to everyone!) Janie walked out from the back of the auditorium under the balcony and gave the preparatory beat. I relayed that to my Mom. I know I must have looked to the audience like I was conducting. Then, they became aware of the missionaries marching down the aisles with their flags. All heads turned! Then the missionaries started singing! I could barely see Janie through the flags and commotion, but I had practiced, so I knew what she was doing.

The singers marched up in front of the podium and stood in a choir formation. The flag holders stood on the back row and waved their flags in a carefully choreographed routine. By the first climax, I started to feel a prompting from the Spirit. "Direct the audience!" it encouraged me. "But that's not my job" I told myself. So, I kept relay-directing to my mother through the final reprise and last high notes. The powerful message was being felt by the audience like electricity. The Spirit filled the room so thick it couldn't even be cut with a knife!

After the closing prayer, there was a mad rush to congratulate the missionary-singers, and Janie (who had made her way up front). Mom and I wove our way down to stand by Janie. As people waited in line to talk to Janie, they passed me. All they had to say to me was, "Why didn't you conduct us? We wanted to sing, too!" (That was an emotional learning experience. Always obey the Spirit!)

Elder Packer told Janie that because of this incredible experience, he would make sure that "Called to Serve" was included in the new hymnal. And that's how this Primary song became the last hymn to be entered in the 1985 LDS Hymnal. I wonder if it will be selected for the 2026 Hymnal.

A simplified version has been published through Jackman Music.
https://jackmanmusic.com/products/called-to-serve-satb-thompson

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The Prophet Alma's Desires

7/9/2024

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We are studying Alma 23-29 in our Come Follow Me lessons this week. This made me think of setting the Prophet Alma's words to music. This is from a previous blog post:

If I ever need a text to use for composing a sacred song, I usually look through Alma's writings in the Book of Mormon. He has so many beautiful and powerful sermons and uses such poetic language -- surviving even when translated into English. One of my favorite texts comes from Alma 29:29.

The prophet Alma is recounting how he wishes he had the voice of an angel to cry repentance to all people. He would shout repentance with a powerful voice so loud that it would shake the whole earth. That way, people would surely get the message and indeed repent. But no, that cannot be. Each person has agency to choose to repent and follow Christ, or not. Still, he thinks that being an instrument in bringing even one soul unto God is the greatest blessing ever.

I was privileged to write the solo version of this text for a vocal student of mine who was leaving soon to fill his mission in Thailand. He had a powerful, heroic tenor voice that really suited the music. He sang it beautifully for his farewell.

The format of the song is a rondo -- the refrain repeats after each contrasting section. Each adventure away from the refrain is unique and carries its own special message and music. Each return to the refrain connects the parts together and unifies the whole.

Not long after I wrote this solo piece, a baritone friend of mine wanted me to adapt it as a duet for us to sing together -- Soprano and Baritone. I did and we premiered it at a Stake Conference meeting. I am just sorry that we never recorded it.

The solo "O That I Were an Angel" is in a collection of Sacred Songs and Hymn Arrangements "The Praiseworthy Singer" Volume 14.

"O That I Were and Angel" Sacred Duet for Soprano and Baritone is available for digital download.

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Grasping a New Concept

Remembering a Milestone

At a Crossroads

A Family Affair

Love for the Hymns of the Restoration

Called to Serve

The Prophet Alma's Desires

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