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Setting Up for the Wrong Holiday

10/31/2025

"It's Halloween again. We're all a year older." That is a favorite line spoken by the maid in "Meet Me in Saint Louis." My sister suggested that we watch that movie from the 1940's as we hand out candy to the Trick-or-Treaters tonight for Halloween. That movie shows a family living through all the holidays, even Halloween, during the year 1903. Though their depiction of Halloween is quite different from what we experience nowadays, it's still pretty fun to watch. We don't get a lot of kids coming by my house, so we need to have something else to keep us entertained tonight.

Friends and Family Halloween circa 1988

Listening to my sister and giving in to her ideas has been a hobby of mine, you might say. A few years back, I listened to her and ended up spending my Halloween holiday setting up for Christmas. It was 2020 and we were in the middle of COVID19 restrictions, so we had to keep to our family pods. But an interesting opportunity came up and she encouraged me to jump on it.

My sister found out about how to submit a video for a Virtual Christmas Concert sponsored by Temple Square Performances. She got excited and approached me saying, "They are looking especially for composers to submit their original Christmas songs. Who knows, someone out there might have the next 'Silent Night' or 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas' and just needs a way to get it heard! Let's round up our family and record one of your songs! They also said that groups are given priority over soloists."

Anyway, my sister and I brainstormed about what we could do to learn, rehearse, record and create a video using our family in three short weeks! We decided that we would just use family members living close by who are descendants of our parents, Tom and Carolyn Lee - The Lee Family Singers. We planned to feature our little children in a Nativity Pageant tableau. Just the older kids and adults sang and played instruments.

Family Christmas morning circa 1993

So for Halloween, the locals of my big extended family, packed into my family room and were filmed lip-syncing to our recording of "On a Sacred, Still and Silent Night" SATB with Violin with some of the young kids and grandkids acting out a Nativity Pageant. Seemed a very strange way to celebrate Halloween, but nobody grumbled, after all they got to dress up in costumes.

I don't know if our video was used in the Virtual Christmas Concert on Temple Square. But it was a lot of fun to get together and sing, especially since having so many restrictions about gathering in 2020. What a way to celebrate Halloween.

Here are the two runner-up songs we could have made videos singing, but we went with the one completely original song. "O Tidings of Comfort and Joy" SATB, "A Christmas Carol" SSATBB

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Hymns for Thanksgiving

10/27/2025

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Church choirs throughout America are probably busily learning some songs of praise and thanksgiving to honor this season of the year. I was born on Thanksgiving Day, so it has always been my favorite holiday. (In fact, I always have pumpkin pie instead of birthday cake to celebrate.) There are many beautiful praise hymns and songs about giving thanks, but one year I stumbled on a great hymn text that I felt needed a new setting.

W.W. Phelps 1792-1872

One of the most hopeful, praising, thankful texts I have ever found is "Come All Ye Saints Who Dwell on Earth" by W.W. Phelps. The words are gorgeous and speak of someday meeting in the celestial choirs to sing His praises above. (That's surely where I want to be!)

In the 1985 L.D.S. hymnal, this upbeat, cheerful text is paired with a very plodding hymn tune in duple meter. Now, anyone who reads the text separately from the music will instantly see that the meter needs to be in triple. Besides that, the melodic phrases don't match the imagery in the text. So, I decided to write a 3/4 time melody for this text and make sure it supported the word painting.

A few years ago, my home ward choir sang this piece, in the SSATB version. We have an unusual choir because we have many fine singers in every section, plus several renown music professors, instrumentalists, composers, solo singers, and choir conductors. (Living close to BYU campus does have its perks.) The performance went well, and I was pleased. (What a nice Birthday present to me!)

The program listed not only the song title, but had my name credited as the composer. So after the meeting, many people came up to me and gave such ecstatic comments about our performance. Most of them said things like, "I recognized the text, remembering that it was in our hymnal, but I didn't recognize the melody." One man said, "I had to look in the hymn book just to make sure! Wow! Then I realized that you had put that text to a whole new melody. That hymn really needed a facelift and you did it! The words came alive! Well done."

Later in the evening the sweetest thing happened. About 25 of us were gathered for a noisy family birthday celebration dinner in my house, when unexpectedly, the doorbell rang. A bunch of kids ran to answer it, so I went too. A neighbor and two of his sons (ages 13 and 10) were standing there holding out a plate of cookies. One of the boys said, "We really liked your song today in Church, so we made you some cookies. Thank you. That really made our Sunday."

I don't think I have ever had a more tender and sincere compliment from young boys! I was really touched.

Enjoy "Come All Ye Saints Who Dwell on Earth" SSATB or "Come All Ye Saints Who Dwell on Earth" SSAA

Looking forward to a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Special Arrangement for Special Friends

10/19/2025

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For several years I was privileged to teach voice lessons to five sisters, Alyson, Jessica, Nataly, Kelli, and Monica Bullock. They were talented musicians and had good voices. Their mother taught violin in the Suzuki method, and most of the girls were learning to play violin, as well learning to sing. Part of the joy of teaching these girls individually was also having them learn to sing with each other. We practiced duets and trios, but it was hard to find songs for five equal treble parts.

Their mother approached me with an idea. She wanted them to record an album for the grandparents for Christmas. Mary browsed the online music stores and came up with many songs for her girls to sing. Each would have a solo, and then they would sing the other songs in various combinations of voices -- duet, trio, quartet, and other.

She trusted me to play the piano parts and do the recording engineering, too. Some of the songs were upbeat and the octavos had ideas scored for piano, bass, drums and a color instrument or two. So, I knuckled down and created some accompaniments they could use for their album. It was an ambitious project, and I was very pleased with the Bullock girl's efforts, if I do say so myself.

One song that they sang was a version of "On a Sacred Still and Silent Night" that I rewrote for SSAA, piano and violin. I couldn't leave out a violin part for their mother Mary! (The violin part turned out so well that now I have it available for the SSATB version, too.)

It thrills me every year when I receive notice that the SSATB and the SSAA versions of my 3-hour Christmas song are sold. It is still hard for me to believe that a song that was born while I was waiting at a red light on a cold, grey December day in Maryland and was finished a mere 3 hours later. I am pleased that it can be sung now for Christmas all over the place.

In 2020, during the COVID restrictions, my extended family in Utah created this video of "On a Sacred, Still and Silent Night" SSATB, with Piano and Violin, also with Matt Bailey playing guitar.

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Music with a Life of Its Own

10/14/2025

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One of my favorite musical scores is "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Alan Mencken and Steven Sondheim. The story is quite dark, too dark for small children, although the Disney animators tried very hard to put in humorous sequences and characters to lighten the mood. Still, the riddle "who is the monster and who is the man?" and looking forward through the darkness to "the new millennium when things will be brighter someday" are not the normal light, jovial themes for young children's entertainment.

The musical score is chocked full of memorable tunes in a variety of styles, everything from medieval Latin Requiem chant to music hall soft shoe. The vocal talent used for this movie is incredible. Some of the songs are a vocal tour de force and take special singers with extraordinary ranges to pull off a performance. Yet many of the songs are catchy and fun for anyone to sing.

It has become a trend that at the end of every Alan Mencken Disney musical, that one song will be sung as exit music done by pop singers in their particular style. (Quite a departure from the style in the original context of the movie.) And that reminds me of something I was advised about long ago.

Publishing your music means giving it away.

One of my mentors said this to me years ago. I didn't really believe him then. At that point in time, I had not written very many songs and I had not had anything published as yet. I had supposed what he meant was that the music publishing business was not very lucrative. Whereas, that statement is probably true, I think he had a different meaning in mind. He wanted to warn me that sometimes a song will take on a life of its own.

Composers tend to think that what they write down is how a piece of music will be used and performed forevermore. (After all, they take great care to include all the intended notes, AND also performance directions using dynamic, tempo, and expression marks.) That, it turns out, is a very naive notion.

First of all, composers tend to write for a certain occasion and set of performers. They imagine in their minds the end product as they are writing. Well, in reality, the end product will always be subject to the talent and proficiencies of the performers. The performers may execute the notes according to the score, but the they will also add their own interpretations. They may also have a completely different idea about how it should be performed!

For example, TEMPO makes a big difference! A song the composer intended to be performed upbeat, will have a completely different flavor if performed at a slower tempo. The mood may go from "charged with excitement" to "peaceful and quiet" like a lullaby.

Then, there are experiments with RHYTHM and BEAT. A song can become something completely different when the melody and chord progression is played against a Latin or Rock beat, or changed to Waltz time.

INSTRUMENTATION can also change the entire song. The composer who wrote for a large choir with orchestra may be shocked to hear his song performed by just a soloist and guitar. He may also be delighted.

As a COMPOSER, I have been surprised and mostly delighted when I hear how my songs are being used. Surprised at how widespread across the world they have been performed. Delighted to hear of and sometimes get to visit a school or Church when my music is being performed or watch a cover on a YouTube video..

There have been times, though, when I scratch my head and wonder how the performers came up with their unique interpretations. That's when I remember what my mentor told me that "publishing your music means giving it away."

It is TRUE! Sometimes a song will take on a life of its own.

"King of Kings" SATB with Soloists is an original Christmas song that has been sung by soloists and choirs around the globe. It definitely has taken on a life of it's own!

"King of Kings" Duet for Soprano and Baritone

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My Baptism Covenant Song

10/12/2025

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A couple of weeks ago my 23rd grandchild was baptized. Because there are so many child baptisms monthly in her Stake, the leaders organized a way to use the one baptismal font equally for any and all of these families. Each Family or Ward would meet at a specified time in a particular room at the Stake Center to have a little program, then move to the baptismal font briefly for the baptism(s), then return to their room for the confirmation(s). They were given exact time slots that gave no leeway for extra time or fancy programs. So, Avery's program was simple, but beautiful.

For the baptisms of many of our children and grandchildren, time has not been an issue. Each child was the only child baptism that month, possibly for that entire year. (I guess it depends on where you live.) We could have all the special music and talks we wanted. In fact, one our baptisms was in the Susquehanna River. Son Mitchell (the tallest man pictured here) was baptized and confirmed at water's edge similar to how the earliest Saints were long ago.

Some years ago now, my sister Barbara had been after me to write a new baptism song. She had been in charge of the child baptisms in her Stake for years. She had often thought that we needed a song about keeping the baptism covenant. Since she obviously had particular ideas, I asked for her concepts for the song. Here are the phrases she texted to get me started.

I made my first covenant today
I chose to live the Savior's way
My heavenly brother I will serve
His blessings I will try to deserve
The Holy Ghost is my constant guide
I will feel his warmth daily by my side
I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ
I love my Savior Jesus Christ

So, using these concepts as a starting point, I went home and wrote her a new song. Although her phrases were already in couplets, the melody that came to my mind didn't fit that outline. I am very grateful for her thoughts, but here's what I came up with instead.

My baptism is the first covenant I make.
I choose to live and love and serve in the Savior’s ways.
I want to follow Christ, His blessings to receive.
I promise to obey His words and show that I believe.

The Holy Ghost will be companion at my side.
And if I listen obediently, he’ll always be my guide.
He’ll whisper quietly, the truth he’ll testify.
I’ll feel his warmth and comfort, too, as I do all I’ve promised to.
I’ll learn to choose the right and my covenant I’ll keep.

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ and His promises are sweet.
I’ll repent and endure through all my life and my covenant I’ll keep.
My baptism covenant I’ll keep.

"My Baptism Covenant" for Unison Children's Voices (to download sheet music, click on the blue highlighted title) Here is a video of granddaughter Megan Rock (age 10) singing this as a special musical number filmed during the 2020 pandemic.

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Taste, Mood, or Whim

10/7/2025

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We as humans tend to like what is familiar. We all know the people who have particular tastes in fashion, entertainment, sports, topics of discussion, books, and of course, music. People like what they like and depending on their moods, hardly even entertain the notion of something completely new.

What a musician has put the effort into learning might be new and uncomfortable to listen to by someone else. But to that musician, who knows all of the intricacies of the motives and harmonies and perhaps words, and who has spent hours and even years perfecting his performance, that music is wonderful, powerful, and fulfilling. And still, perhaps that music doesn't suit his audience.

TASTE or MOOD or WHIM --- who can account for those?

The music that speaks to someone who is sad or mournful is not the same as the music someone might want to pep them up to exercise or do chores around the house.

I have heard Mack Wilberg say many times, when talking about the music performed by the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, that they perform for everyone. That means they perform a wide VARIETY of songs in a host of styles to try to please as many people as possible.

On tours, the Tabernacle Choir would even allow the audiences to choose the encore numbers from a short list (voting by text). I was always surprised that songs like "Climb Every Mountain" from the Sound of Music or "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel were the most often chosen. These songs have powerful messages of comfort and hope. I suppose, that is a good reason they were chosen. But they were not the showstoppers that could have been chosen from the list.

Composers and song writers have an unenviable task when trying to get their original music heard. Unless they catch the ear of some sympathetic person or group who can influence others, their music or songs may just languish forever in a file somewhere. Until a composer's works are known and established, they may not get noticed, let alone, performed. It's a "catch 22" for sure.

It's always nice for a composer to have a promoter to help market their work. Yet still, who can predict when a new work will come onto the scene at the exact right time to be accepted and hailed by an audience? Alas, some works become popular long after the composer is dead. A sobering thought.

Here's another thought --- remember that ALL MUSIC WAS ONCE NEW MUSIC.

Here's an upbeat tune in SATB, SAB, and Flute Choir versions looking forward to the Christmas season. Ring Glad Christmas Bells

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Improvisation Master

10/1/2025

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Watching genius at work (or play) is mind blowing.

The past couple of nights we were treated to something fantastic. Many of our family members were invited to our nephew's Trumpet recital. We had no idea the treat we had in store. We are used to hearing concerts by Dr. Randy Lee, trumpeter extraordinaire. He has been talking about his genius friend Dr. Mauricio Arias-Guerra (piano) from Bogota, Columbia, but until we attended the recitals on Monday and Tuesday nights we didn't really understand exactly what he was talking about.

Randy often goes on musical tours to perform all over the world. These two recitals were the first part of a tour for Randy, Mauricio, and their other Columbian friend Dr. Juan Carlos Lopez (piano). Mauricio is a fabulous pianist and composer. Monday night's concert was mostly music by Mauricio. Tuesday night's concert included piano duo music from other Latin American composers plus a Piano/Trumpet Concerto by Mauricio.

I sat in the middle of the audience so I could focus on Randy and all of his trumpets, but now I wish I had sat to the side so I could have watched all of the fireworks happening at the piano! Don't get me wrong. I love to watch Randy play his five different trumpets. (It is amusing to try to guess which one he'll pick up next or which of his six mutes he will use.) However, Mauricio put on a quite different spectacle during each night. (He played on three different pianos. I guess the one 9-ft. Steinway just didn't fit every piece!)

The music was fantastic. I expected Latin American rhythms -- and got them -- yet I didn't expect bits of Bach, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Shostakovich, and many other Classical composer influences. These pianists weren't Doctors of Music for nothing! They really knew their stuff!

For me, though, the most enjoyable part of each evening was hearing Dr. Mauricio take a short theme and freely improvise a showstopper. The first night he asked for an idea from the audience. Someone called out, "Do the theme from the Flintstones." Then we experienced magic.

He took the first few notes and rhythms from that little tune and played it in so many different styles. He started out in a bombastic minor tonality with the melody in the bass. He gravitated through Bach two-part invention, Latin rhumba, pyrotechnics all over the keyboard a la Franz Liszt, some 20th Century tone row, some flourishes that were purely Dr. Mauricio, and ended finally in Major. It was humorous and delightful!

Then, on Tuesday night he improvised again. This time someone in the audience suggested he use the Shaker tune, "Simple Gifts." Again, Dr. Mauricio took that tune and turned it over and inside out to delight us with his unique style of invention and improvisation. Amazing!!!!!

Who knew a guy from South America would even know an American folk hymn and a theme from a 1960s American Cartoon show? My mind was blown!

(Oh, yeah, Randy wasn't so bad, either!)

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Setting Up for the Wrong Holiday

Hymns for Thanksgiving

Special Arrangement for Special Friends

Music with a Life of Its Own

My Baptism Covenant Song

Taste, Mood, or Whim

Improvisation Master

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