Since before I can remember, I have tried to memorize the hymns. My goal was to have them memorized by the time I was baptized, age 8, but they changed the hymnbook right around then, and I had to re-memorize a few texts that were altered. I am still a little sad that they changed "How Firm a Foundation," just because the Primary kids were singing "yoohoo"instead of "You who". I am quite sure I had them memorized by the age of ten, including the new hymns that were added to the green hymnbook. Then I started in on the primary songs, until I discovered the protestant hymns sometime in Highschool, which I decided had more substance than most of the primary songs. My first calling was to direct the sacrament hymns, at the age of 12. It has been either my calling or simply an expectation of me since that day. Then my mission came and I tried to memorize the hymns in French. Unfortunately, my brain has limited storage space, so I get the two languages mixed up alot. Some days, I just give up and sing them in French. Some days I bust out the hymnbook for help. The page numbers are different too, but I am working on that. There really are some amazing sermons preached in the hymnbook. The Elders in my MTC district used to quiz me on hymns the way the rest of the missionaries would compete in Scripture mastery verses. And I was kind of proud one day when one of my seminary kids asked "do you expect us to know this like Sister Pratt knows the hymns, or just like a normal person?" Yes, I am a freak. And I am ok with that designation.
It's the primary reason I try to watch conference alone. Somewhere, people got it into their heads that the music wasn't as important as the talks, and somewhere they also decided that everyone else feels the same way, and as a result, people start chatting during the hymns. Not about the hymns, or the choir, or the arrangement, but about what's for dinner, or what they are doing after conference, or when the baby needs a nap. It frustrates me beyond all belief, and when I watch conference with people who do this, I end up tense and anxious. I start giving dirty looks to those people, I actually shoosh them, and then they look at me like I am crazy, because after all, it's just the music, it's not that important. I have even sat through conference with friends and family, who I have explained my obsession to, and they not only ignore my request for quiet during the music, they apologize for chatting during the song, and then continue to chat, until I say something sarcastic to them, cause an akward silence, and they never speak to me again. And I do feel bad for being rude to them, but it would all be cured if they would have listened in the first place. But I can't seem to convey to people, friends, family, or stangers, how absolutely essential the music is to this experience. So listen up, people. This is my chance to soapbox a little, and this is your chance to hear it without having to look me in the eye and say "really Nancy, I think you have gone little overboard." I have not gone overboard, the music is that important.
In the spirit of that obsession, I offer to you my conference music review. Here is your chance to see what I get out of the music, why I listen, and why I think everyone else should listen. First of all, you should know that in the conference planning process, the first thing that is prepared and set in motion is the music. If you add up the hours of music preparation and compare it to the hours spent writing talks, you will find that more time, more effort, more resources, and more people are used in the music than in any other aspect of conference. Have you considered that? It takes more time to arrange a hymn than it does for Elder Nelson to write his talk? And it takes a choir of 3-4 hundred a month of rehearsal to present the music. I am not saying to ignore the talk, I am saying that considering the sacrifices made to put the music there, we should have a little more respect.
Too muh soapbox, I will tone it down a little. My apologies. Please don't take offense. I know that everyone learns differently, and that everyone appreciates different things. You can do what you want during the hymns, as long as it doesn't disturb me.
Saturday I watched conference from my house. We don't have any cable and thus far we have never been able to get a single channel on, nor have we tried very hard. But I rigged the Tv and VCR to a wire coat hanger and got chanel 5 to show up. Not in color, and a little snowy, but well enough for me to know what was going on. And the sound was perfect. Here are the hymns that we heard:
High on a Mountain Top- This is frequently a conference opener, if not for saturday then for sunday. And consider the significane of unfurling a banner to the world at the opening of General conference. It is a call and an invitation to listen, and it is an invitation extended to the entire world. Read the text sometime, it's all there in Hymn number 5
Redeemer of Israel- The Wilberg Arrangement. This is great music people, and this arrangememnt is as significant to this hymn as Wilhousky is to the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
My only complaint is that the last two verses are excluded. I understand musically why they had to be, but the 5th verse is my all time favorite verse in the entire hymnbook. Read it, it's hymn number 6.
Oh May My Soul Commune with Thee- This piece set up Elder Perry's talk perfectly. If you listened to both texts, you could hear that Elder Perry probably paid attention to the hymn preceeding his talk when He wrote his talk. From the hymn about prayer and the phrase "Find Thy Holy Peace" Elder Perry went straight into Thoreau's wilderness and asked us to find a quiet place to reflect and heal.
Come Ye Children of the Lord- congregational hymn. Did you notice that we sang all the verses? Yup, we were running a little ahead of schedule. But it's great when you think that 13 million people around the world are singing together "Let us sing with one Accord!"
Do What is Right- Frankly, this has never been one of my favorite hymns. It's a bit of a yawn with its plodding and repetetive rhythm. BOM da da BOM da da BOM da da... But the treatment of it here was perfect. This arrangement really focused on the text, and the Tab Choir was, of course, brilliant at expressing it. Did you notice the brightness in the phrase "the shackles are falling"? Did you hear the joy in the phrase "Blessings await you", and the strength in "with stout hearts look ye forth".
Oh Thou Kind and Gracious Father- This hymn was added because of the whole being ahead of schedule thing. That's why you saw the Tab Choir bust out their hymnbooks. Or at least, that's what you saw if you weren't busy getting a snack. The entire text of this hymn is a prayer. And it is a great one, one that we should probably use more often. It actually fit nicely, and introduced Elder Uchtdorff's talk on Hope.
I Need Thee Every Hour- We all know this one, it's used alot in the church, but consider the one line of the title with Elder Uchtdorff's request that we "make the courageous choice to hope". They fit so nicely, don't they?
Sunday Afternoon- A children's choir from Kaysville and Fruit Heights. I do not judge children's choirs very harshly, but I know when their director could ask more of them. Children will always surprise you, they can pretty consistantly do more than most of us ask of them. This group sounded like a very large primary. Which is appropriate for a primary choir, but I think that the director could have encouraged a more soothing sound from them if she had simply taught them to smooth the "fruit heights" sound out of their vowels. That aside, here is what I thought of their music.
I am a Child of God- Every children's choir does it, as every children's choir should. And to this group, way to go on the descant.
The Light of God- When I was in the MTC, we sang it EVERY SUNDAY in RS. and I was in the MTC for 10 weeks. and it was the same lady who directed it every sunday. I have no doubt that she is the culprit who chose it every sunday. And every sunday, she wore the same dangly earrings that bounced around as she conducted it. And on this occasion, all I could see was the dangly earrings. So I lost focus a little. It's not a hymn that I like all that much, and I can't stand the scoops that naturally occur in some parts of the melody line. It's better that I focus on memories of dangly earrings. (bounce bounce bounce bounce)
Teach Me to Walk in the Light- My dad and my Grandpa sang this together at my baptism. Again with the memories. But it fit perfectly with Elder Causee's talk that came next (have you read the Little Prince? you should) Yes, the nice lady was trying to slow us down, again we were ahead of schedule.
I Love to see the Temple- I cheer whenever the primary sings this one. Wasn't it every little girl's favorite primary song at some point? It's one of the first that I learned to play on the piano too.
We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet- I will admit I had already started to drift into afternoon nap mode for this one. no notes on it at all.
Sunday Morning- At a friend's house for this session, bless his heart, with a real TV and crepes for breakfast, I felt a bit more settled for this session. Yes, I watched Music and the Spoken Word First, and the thing that stuck out to me was actually not the choir music this time, but the organ piece. There is always one, and sometimes they are a little over my head, but today it was the organist's own arrangement of "Lord I would Follow Thee" and I loved it.
Now Let us Rejoice- And let this be a lesson to you, every meeting, especially the big ones like sacrament and stake conference, should begin with an upbeat hymn. If not the opening hymn, then at least the last hymn of the prelude.
I Know that My Redeemer Lives- Love this hymn. I just love it, that's all.
O What Songs of the Heart- I sang this very arrangement (Wilberg, of course) in a Stake choir at BYU, and the Stake President gave a talk on the "Doctrine of Belonging". Everyone has a place, everyone has a role and is a part of something wonderful. There may be times of loneliness in our lives, but we are not ever alone. It's all there in the text of this hymn, and it is all there in Elder Eyring's talk that followed this hymn. Again, the music and the talks came together to preach the lesson.
Rejoice the Lord is King- One verse. see, now we are running short on time. (and notice how the congregational hymns are always upbeat as well. There is a purpose to that!)
I Feel my Savior's Love- I also cheer when the Tab choir does a primary song. Because they do it so well, and because it is a wonderful feeling to return to that childhood testimony. Although I have to admit, during this song, I was just trying to calm myself down in the midst of stuff going on around me. Not irritated. Ok, irritated, but not about people ignoring the music so much as with my own personal issues. I am sure I will get over it.
The Morning Breaks- Again the hymn fits perfectly with the messages given. I love the phrase in this hymn "to bring her ransomed children Home." Home is such a great concept.
Sunday Afternoon- I was with my Grandfather for this session. He sings along with everything, no matter what. And I don't just mean at conference. I mean orchestras, pianos, choirs, everything. And I am pretty sure he knows every word to every hymn or song ever written. He certainly knows all of the hymns that I know, and all of the Gilbert and Sullivan ever written.
Guide us O Thou Great Jehovah- Grandpa couldn't remember which tune we currently use for this one, but he was pleased to hear that it was the tune he prefers. I need to learn the other tune from him sometime.
Faith in Every Footstep- I really like this one. I know a few years back everyone got really sick of it, but I have some positive memories associated with it. And the way it matched Elder Packer's opening lines to his talk was perfect. God prepares a way.
How Firm a Foundation- My favorite verse in this hymn is actually the last verse. That soul that on Jesus hat leaned for repose, I will not, I can not desert to his foes. That soul though all Hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no Never forsake.
We Ever Pray for Thee-I do remember an arrangement of this that I liked better, but this was still nice. It seemed a little slow, but that could be beacuse 13 million people, including the choir and it's conductor, were ready for a nap. Or else they just woke up from one. (who doesn't struggle with the afternoon sessions?) Like I said for the Saturday afternoon, I was already drifting, so my notes are sparse.
And there you have my review. Conference was good, the music was great. And if you endured to the end of this very long, soapbox-y post, I send you virtual brownies. Thanks for listening.
4 comments:
I think I like the music better than a lot, if not most, of the talks!
Certainly... it's more... upbeat... and less likely... to put... you to sleep... with... the cadence.
Voices were raised. Hearts were lifted. Music was sung, even by the Tabernacle Choir. And another conference is past.
I'll take some virtual brownies. Oh, wait, I already have some real ones on the counter right now. I really enjoyed your post. The music is really important to your brother, too, and sometimes he has to remind me of that, but for the most part I try to listen and appreciate it without him reminding me.
My favorite moment of conference was when the children's choir started singing and my oldest ran in and said "Hey, they are singing my song, 'cuz I'm a child of God, too". Gotta love it. He would only sit during the songs. I guess its a sign of his advanced intelligence, right?
Yeah, my husband uses them as a chance to go to the bathroom or get a snack. After living with me for nearly 10 years, you would think he'd know better. ;-)
I thought I was doing well listening to the hymns, but you have put me to shame. I will have to do better next time. I take notes on impressions I have during the talks, so why not the hymns?
Btw, have you read Le Petit Prince en francais??
Post a Comment