The Tom Lee Family in Houston, TX about 1964 The first time I remember singing this song was when I was an early teenager living with my family in Houston, Texas. My mother had just gotten a book of classic sacred duets and she couldn't wait for us to try them out. I was just getting skilled enough to sing with her balancing her sound in a more grown-up voice. Because she could play and sing at the same time, it looked as if I was going to sing a solo when we performed together, but we did a duet.
We used to go with my father on his visiting trips to various wards in our Stake. He would have a couple of us kids give short talks, then he'd have my mother sing, then he would give his High Council talk. Sometimes the congregations we visited were quite small. Our family would fill out the Primary and Youth populations that day wherever we went. That's why he always had our family do the entire program. We often sang the closing hymn, as well.
We used to go with my father on his visiting trips to various wards in our Stake. He would have a couple of us kids give short talks, then he'd have my mother sing, then he would give his High Council talk. Sometimes the congregations we visited were quite small. Our family would fill out the Primary and Youth populations that day wherever we went. That's why he always had our family do the entire program. We often sang the closing hymn, as well.
"The Lord Is My Shepherd" by Henry Smart entered our family's repertoire then and has been sung ever since --- in every vocal combination imaginable. She must have introduced it to other branches of the family as well. My cousin has asked me to accompany for her while she and her nephew sing it for Church in a couple of weeks. It had not dawned on me that it was sung beyond our immediate family, yet I have since found out that several of my uncles' families have the tradition of singing it, too.
However, when I pulled out my mother's book that she bought in the 1960's that has the original pencil markings from when my mom and I first sang it, my cousin was dumbfounded. She had never seen the original book. She had only ever had Xerox copies. (Well, I am happy to say that our family always used an original legally acquired source for the music.)
However, when I pulled out my mother's book that she bought in the 1960's that has the original pencil markings from when my mom and I first sang it, my cousin was dumbfounded. She had never seen the original book. She had only ever had Xerox copies. (Well, I am happy to say that our family always used an original legally acquired source for the music.)
Extended Thompson Family singing for the inauguration of a scholarship in Janie's name at BYU.
We have other "special family" arrangements, too. One is "Families to Match the Mountains" written by our aunt Janie Thompson. We sing it mostly at funerals of family members anymore. I keep a standing supply of over 50 copies ready at any moment.
Another special family arrangement is "America, the Beautiful" that I arranged for my sisters and I to sing back in about 1987. We have since sung it in many iterations from SSA, to SSAA, to SSATB with all sizes of groups. My oldest daughter has five daughters of her own and they sing it together regularly. In fact, she is teaching it to the women of her community choir to sing it for s Memorial Day service at the end of May.
We take delight in singing together as a family and love having our own special family songs!
Another special family arrangement is "America, the Beautiful" that I arranged for my sisters and I to sing back in about 1987. We have since sung it in many iterations from SSA, to SSAA, to SSATB with all sizes of groups. My oldest daughter has five daughters of her own and they sing it together regularly. In fact, she is teaching it to the women of her community choir to sing it for s Memorial Day service at the end of May.
We take delight in singing together as a family and love having our own special family songs!
P.S. My daughter reported back on how her concerts went on Memorial Day in Gettysburg. The women of her choir sang "America, the Beautiful" to many accolades. The audience members said that Kathryn's conducting brought out something in that performance they had never experienced before. (That often happens when you invite the Holy Spirit to help!)
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