![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/3/13836205/img-2471_orig.jpg)
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/8/3/13836205/published/img-2468.jpg?250)
I enjoyed hearing about the Pioneers of the Church in Mexico and Central and South America. That was very inspiring and interesting.
It was a beautiful concert! My sister Bonnie's last summer concert with the choir. (Tender feelings!)
![]() The Tabernacle Choir Summer Concert last night was beautiful and so joyful. My daughter's family from Pennsylvania came to see it with me. We were so happy to attend the concert. ![]() The concert was all about HOPE or ESPERANZA in Spanish. They sang a few old favorites, or favorites repackaged to be performed in both Spanish and English. They sang some new pieces, also in Spanish or Spanish and English. Most of the music was about having HOPE in Jesus Christ. The spirit was strong. I enjoyed hearing about the Pioneers of the Church in Mexico and Central and South America. That was very inspiring and interesting. I especially loved the beautiful visuals that were put up on the walls behind the choir. So colorful and bright!
It was a beautiful concert! My sister Bonnie's last summer concert with the choir. (Tender feelings!)
0 Comments
![]() Last night my sisters and I performed at the Backyard Garden Party of some friends. The backyard was a grandchild's dream. Although the yard wasn't very large, it had huge trees, a large treehouse, a castle fort, swings, patches of grass, water and fire features, and a sand box. The adults had plenty of comfy places to sit while they chatted, ate their treats and listened to us sing. However, we were concerned about losing the light. So we pushed the hostess to let us sing right away while there was still a bit of light to read our music by. The only real problem was our competition. The neighbors next door were having a pool party with a lot of laughing, yelling, boisterous kids. They climbed up on the roof of their garage and slid down a slide into the pool. We could hear the splashing above all the other ruckus. We did not have amplification, so we could only project and hope we were heard above their noise. Having noisy competition like that is a performer's worst nightmare. I worry about neighbors doing Saturday chores and yard work or having construction noise in our neighborhood whenever I do a Summer Theater Camp Show in our backyard. Fortunately, I have lovely neighbors who have been sensitive and accommodating for us. Would have been nice if those neighbors last night had been accommodating. ![]() My sisters and I have been asked to sing for a Garden Party in one of our friend's backyards. This performance is actually trying to recreate a similar performance from many years ago. In fact one song was expressly requested. They want my sister Barbara to sing "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from The Little Mermaid. That song and the way Barbara sang it was the hit on that last program, so they didn't care what else we sang, as long as Barbara sang that. So we decided to do a couple of songs that our Aunt Janie taught us when we were just kids. Aunt Janie arranged "It's a Grand Night for Singing" and "When You're Smilin'" from when she and her sisters sang trio way back when. Then we each will to sing a solo. I decided to sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" hearkening back to the way our mother sang it years ago. Bonnie is singing "Straighten Up and Fly Right" by Nat King Cole. We also invited our niece-in-law Sarah to sing with us and also share piano accompanying duties. She will sing "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid possibly with some help from her two little daughters. Then Barbara will sing "Poor Unfortunate Souls." We plan to finish up with "America, the Beautiful" SSAA a cappella. These friends are from the ward where my Aunt Janie lived as well as my parents. They were absolutely devoted to our Aunt Janie, and they truly loved my mother. I will assume that most of our audience will be on the "older" side. They will probably love our offerings no matter what we present, but I think doing some of the oldies but goodies is the way to go. We are having fun preparing this music. It's not often we get to do show biz stuff. Now, we are just hoping Bonnie recovers from a bout of COVID she acquired on her tour to Mexico City with the Tabernacle Choir last week. Well, she's got 1 week to get over it! Then it's showtime! #MakeMusicDay ![]() Watching a 2-year-old develop language is so astonishing. I was gone on vacation for 2 weeks, and just in that short time my little grandson had started putting together little 3 word sentences! Peter has been experimenting with words for some time now. But the new development is that he is beginning to SING. On pitch, no less. Pretty amazing for a 24 month old. His mother will sing a song and leave out some of the words. He will fill in those words pretty much on pitch when she points to him. Currently, he likes singing "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Disney's Mulan. When left on his own, he likes taking some kind of stick out in the back yard and doing Martial Arts moves while he sings this song to himself. And speaking of sticks, after his mother's Middle School Band Concert, she let him try out a clarinet. He was so delighted with himself that he could blow and get some musical sounds out of that curious black stick. Usually he just fights imaginary battles with sticks like that! "Frogs and snails and puppy dogs' tails, that's what little boys are made of."
I can't help but think of the old nursery rhyme when I watch Peter. Only I'd have to modify the rhyme a bit for him. "Sticks and bugs and all kinds of balls, that's what Peter is made of." We catch him eating worms and bugs all the time. And don't let's get started about this kid and balls. Suffice it to say that he LOVES playing with balls --- basketballs, footballs, baseballs, soccer balls, little or big, soft or hard, Peter LOVES playing with balls! I am always so amazed that these little people start developing their own personalities and likes right from the get-go. And don't let anyone tell you that little kids can't start learning to sing when they are babies! They can! And they SHOULD! It just takes dedicated parents who will model the joy of singing with them. ![]() Yesterday I read a question from an Elementary Music Teacher who was asking for the top 10 essential songs to teach her students before they moved onto Middle School. "America" (My country ‘tis of thee); "Grand Old Flag," "This Land is Your Land," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," "Yankee Doodle," "Red River Valley," "Fifty Nifty United States," and "Home on the Range" are some that were suggested. The teacher was specifically looking for songs in the same vein as "The Star-Spangled Banner." Those songs are all important American songs, all recognizable, and all fun to sing. I was curious that they mentioned "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" though. The others are more patriotic. I guess "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was included because BASEBALL has sometimes been called our national pastime or sport. (Though some people definitely do NOT think of it as such.) In my household, FOOTBALL was the number 1 national sport.
Years ago, my aunt Janie Thompson wrote an alternate chorus to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for Football Fans. It goes: Take me out to the Ballgame Take me out with the crowd. There on the green is the football team. There's the kick-off, the crowd gives a scream. Let me root, root, root for the home team. If they don't win it's a shame. For it's 1,2,3,4 downs and 10 yards to go At the Football game! Then for a specialty number, once, I wrote two alternate verses. The song became a "Baseball vs. Football friendly Fan Rivalry" song. It was a hit with the boys in our show. They said that they could sing it now practically year-round! Maybe I need to come up with verses about BASKETBALL and SOCCER now! ![]() Several years ago I was asked to write a song to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Baltimore Maryland Stake. The Stake President requested a song that would recognize the faith of the early pioneers of the Church as well as capture the strength and spirit of the new pioneers who are currently building the kingdom of God in the Baltimore area. There are many converts in the Baltimore area who are first generation members and truly new pioneers. The inspiration came in an instant. Of course, they were "Building on a Legacy of Faith" (SATB, Piano, 2 Flutes) of those who went before, but they were also forging onward in new territory with new challenges and new triumphs. The song needed to link the past with the future. It needed to be painted with broad strokes on a large canvas. It needed a heroic scope and concept. This song came about as if I was writing a screenplay and score for a movie. I knew what needed to be written because I could see and hear it unfolding in my mind like a movie in Cinemascope. The scene opens with the purple mountains in the distance and as the camera sweeps in closer, the wagon trains appear with many pioneers struggling, but ever pressing forward with faith, determined to reach their goal, ever seeking Zion. Then the scenes continue to unfold to see the growth of the Church due to missionary efforts in many lands around the world. Yet it is only through the faith, diligence and obedience of these new pioneers, those exceptionally courageous individuals, that the work rolls on.
Oh, how I wanted this song to be premiered by a large choir accompanied by a large orchestra, but I knew I was limited in scope to a 50 voice choir, piano, string quartet and two flutes. What we lacked in orchestration, we more than made up for in spirit and enthusiasm. The song was received well and the 30th Anniversary Celebration was a success. The song went on to win an Award of Distinction in the annual Church Submission contest and was performed on Temple Square in Salt lake City. "Building on a Legacy of Faith" may be sung to commemorate the efforts of the early Pioneers of the church as well as to celebrate the many new pioneers throughout the world in our day who are bravely pressing on, ever seeking Zion. It is a stirring Pioneer Anthem as well as a wonderful Missionary Anthem. These words exhort us to continue onward: "Serve the Lord. Trust His word. Make known His wondrous works in all the earth. Learn of Him. Call upon His name. Prepare for the day when Christ will come again." And then these words of President Gordon B. Hinckley provide the reason we do what we do: "The time has come to stand a little taller, To demonstrate our faith in the living God. To do the work of His Beloved Son, our Master, To follow in the ways that our Savior trod." "Building on a Legacy of Faith_____ Ever moving forward; ever seeking Zion. Servants of our God, working hand in hand, Ever building on a legacy of faith." A simplified version of this song is also available. "Building on a Legacy of Faith"- Unison or 2-Part ![]() Sometimes preparing choral selections for Stake Conference is just plain difficult. First off, some seasons are just more difficult to recruit singers than at other times during the year. For example, I live in a Stake surrounding a big university. We have many families of University professors. That can be good or bad, depending on several factors. Good because we have a lot of talented people. Bad because those talented people are in great demand elsewhere. This is also an area where the residents are getting older. They just cannot participate in choral singing like they used to. Our Stake Conferences are generally in January and June. January is difficult because it's the beginning of a new semester and just after Christmas break, and families seem to contract sicknesses after vacations. Scheduling rehearsals is just a bear because there is just not enough time prior to the Conference! The June Stake Conference falls just after School gets out for the summer as well as High School and college graduations. Many families high-tail it out of town on vacations. Some professors even take their families to far away places for months on end to do their summer research projects. So what's a Stake Music Coordinator to do? At our Stake Conference Choir rehearsal last night we had a very small contingent of singers --- 8-10 men, and about 20-ish women. The director had planned on 50+ singers and had bought extra music just in case. The song was a well-known Tabernacle Choir piece for SSAATTBB and Organ. Perhaps she was just being too optimistic. The building where we meet for Conference is enormous and has 50+ seats in the choir loft. So a measly 25 singers hardly make a dent in the space available, let alone deliver the sound required for 8 part singing. It may have been a better plan for her to choose more flexible music --- something that would sound good with however many voices showed up. SATB or even SAB would have suited this particular group of singers better. But who knows how many singers will show up out of the blue next week for Conference? Here is an arrangement for SATB and Organ that also includes the Congregation on the last verse. It delivers a big sound whether it be a few or many! "How Firm a Foundation" When is a song -- solo, small ensemble, or choral piece -- deemed too dramatic or long for Sacrament Meeting? I noticed a thread going around about this question. They were talking about having a professional singer sing "O Divine Redeemer" by Charles Gounod for Stake Conference. There was an opinion that it was too long and too dramatic for use in that service even though it was expressly requested by the Stake President. Years ago, I sang that piece at least once a year for some worship service or another. Always by request. I think nowadays that the "public" is used to very simple Christian "pop" songs that don't take too much preparation or ability to perform. On the other hand, "O Divine Redeemer" takes a lot of skill and musicianship not to mention a voice with an expanded range to be able to sing it well. If done well, it is beautiful and powerful. If done poorly, it is very painful to listen to. Yes, that piece is dramatic and yes it is over 3:00 minutes long. Yet, if it is sung well, it is a masterful sermon and testimony served with gorgeous music! Too bad that we have fewer and fewer trained singers and accompanists who could pull off a good performance of such a magnificent piece. As far as it being too dramatic for Conference goes, it doesn't seem any more dramatic than singing "Master the Tempest is Raging," "I Stand All Amazed," or "I Know that My Redeemer Lives." As far as it being too long? It isn't longer than singing "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" -- all 7 verses, or even shortened to only 4 verses. I for one, would rather hear a beautiful rendition of "O Divine Redeemer" than any number of the Christian "pop" songs we hear so often, usually done poorly. Another dramatic hymn we sing regularly is "The Lord Is My Light." This has been a favorite hymn of mine since the day I heard my uncle John Thompson give a testimony about it, then sing it. He was visiting our ward one Sunday while I was in high school. He had the most marvelous heroic tenor voice. This arrangement is a salute to my wonderful uncle John who always said that some of the most powerful sermons are taught through sacred songs and hymns. ![]() "A picture is worth a thousand words." That saying is true -- and it is also true that any picture can have many meanings. That is the trouble with ONLY using picture clues to teach a song in Primary. The song leader introduced the new song using just "picture clues" that she put up on the board. The children were supposed to master the song by simply following the "picture clues" while they sang through the song - both verses -many times. And they only had the piano for support because the song leader's small voice couldn't model good singing. There was actually no effort made to help the children learn the melody, rhythms, rhyme schemes, singing techniques, or how to sing on pitch, let alone help them have lasting experiences with the song. No wonder the children never actually sang that one song while acting bored and fidgeting for the entire Singing Time - for the last two weeks. There is more to being a Song Leader in Primary than just showing pictures you copied off the internet and waving your arm in front of the children! A good song leader will use teaching strategies in at least 4 of these 7 Learning Styles each time they teach a song BECAUSE the children have many different learning styles.
Auditory/Musical – Listening, singing, playing musical instruments, rhythm games Visual/Spatial – Pictures, word strips, keywords, object lessons, pitch conducting Kinesthetic – Hand motions, tapping rhythm, large muscle movements (marching, hopping, twirling, waving arms, bending, etc.), manipulating objects such as scarves, shakers, drums, rearranging word strips, conducting the music, bouncing balls, rolling dice, throwing bean bags, building a puzzle or stacking blocks Linguistic – Telling stories, explaining the meaning of the lyrics, looking up scripture references, asking and responding to questions Intrapersonal – Working in groups, playing in teams, judging the group’s performance, boys sing/girls sing, taking surveys Interpersonal – Individual study, individual opinion, individual report on topic, Playing a solo or showing one’s individual talent in some personal way Mathematical – Games of strategy, keeping score, solving puzzles and riddles, ordering things |
AuthorMy name is Betsy Lee Bailey. I enjoy singing and writing all kinds of music. I have performed and directed or taught music all of my life. This blog is dedicated to all of the people who have been encouraging me to write about my experiences. |