The high
school where I teach is in close proximity to the LDS Temple in Orlando,
Florida. One of my students, whose ward
meets at the Stake Center next to the Temple, invited me to the Festival of the
Nativity they were celebrating back in December of 2011. Being very warmly welcomed by missionaries
and a bishop of one of the wards that met there, I then proceeded to enjoy a delightful
concert of the stake’s Children’s Choir and then the display of the beautiful nativities
that had been collected from around the world.
About
the time I was finished enjoying the exhibit, I was greeted by a gentleman who
initiated a conversation with me about having the high school orchestra that I direct
give a performance at the festival the following year. I was not only open to the idea but excited by
the prospect of having my students participate in community outreach of this
magnitude.
At this
point, I shared with the gentleman that as a child, I grew up listening to the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir because the Music and the Spoken Word radio show was
played in my home on Sunday mornings. I
went on to explain that I later developed a greater appreciation and love for
the choir and the radio show thanks to the music director of the Baptist church
in which I was raised.
Our
music director was also one who appreciated the choir and the radio show. One of the most important lessons I learned
from her was that that any music well-written and performed to one’s absolute best,
was a form of ministry that could touch the heart with a message of God’s
love. Her zeal for this mission served
as a major inspiration (second only to that of my parents) as the reason I am
now a music educator and a high school orchestra director in particular.
As we
concluded our discussion on the possibility of an orchestra concert the
following December and, after hearing me go on about my love and appreciation
for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra, Music and the Spoken Word, and
the holiday performances that appear on television, the gentleman mentioned
that there was the possibility of my being able to receive tickets to the 2012
Christmas performance in Salt Lake City.
My outward response was to be graciously pleased all the while the
“little boy” inside of me was doing back flips of joy!
Over the
course of the year, we began planning the Festival of the Nativity performance
for December 2012. During that time, I
met more wonderful people with whom we continued to organize and
implement. We planned back-to-back performances
of portions of Handel’s Messiah with the high school orchestra and a stake-wide
chorus with soloists. As it worked out,
we were not only able to perform at the Stake Center, we were able to give an
encore performance at our high school the following week. It turned out to be a valuable educational
experience for the orchestra students and a wonderful encounter for all who
were involved.
The
morning after our final performance, I boarded an airplane for my trip to Salt
Lake City. It was my first ever trip to
Utah. On my walk from the hotel to the
conference center, I decided to take my first walk through Temple Square. Since I decided to heed the advice to arrive
at the Conference Center two hours early, there was time to take in the beautiful
Christmas sights and sounds and to have my first view of the famous building,
the Mormon Tabernacle.
A gentleman walked up. As I noticed him, I saw someone very well dressed in a suit and tie and a dark overcoat. He was carrying a music folio. Taking a wild guess, and now being somewhat star-struck, I interrupted the gentleman’s stroll to ask him if he was a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He smiled and told me he was a former member of the choir who had aged out a few years earlier. I introduced myself to the gentleman and told him why I was there. Even though he was originally on his way to another performance, he was nice enough to walk me over to the will call door of the conference center to wait with me until I was able to go in.
Once inside the conference center and still very excited, I was not prepared for what I was about to experience. Upon entering the performance space, I stood just inside the door in order to admire the scene of the beautiful concert hall. I pulled out my camera to take a picture. One of the Guest Services Missionaries offered to take the next picture for me so that I could actually be in the scene. Before taking my seat, I sent that picture via text message to my family and friends in several states around the country.
With the better part of two hours still to wait, little did I know that I would need that kind of time in order to experience encounters with several wonderful people who were all there for the evening’s performance. As I continued in, other Guest Services Missionaries greeted and assisted me in finding a seat. One missionary in particular took the time to chat with me. She learned that I was a high school orchestra director from Orlando, Florida and was there because of the Handel’s Messiah collaboration performance between our orchestra students and the Stake choir.
After
taking a seat in what I later learned was known as, “The Friends of the Choir”
section, I began to meet and have wonderful conversations with a collection of
very gracious people. I met a very
lovely family from Nebraska. The
daughter was a musician and her father was the choir director for his local
congregation; I met the parents of the Associate Music Director of the choir; I
met yet another Guest Services Missionary who was also a public school
education professional.
To top
off the waiting period, a very tall gentleman came up to me who happily greeted
me. With a big smile, he patted me on
the shoulder and, as he shook my hand, told everyone around me to “watch out
for this guy!” We all laughed. As he walked away, one of my new friends
informed me that he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Just as
the concert was beginning, I grew in excitement and anticipation. Soon after that, I began reflecting back to the
inspiration of my parents and my church choir director as well as the memories
of the Christmas concerts I had watched on television. One of the first things to impress me was the
realization of the exceptional level of preparation I was witnessing from all
of the performers. I was reminded of one
of my classroom expressions I use with students; “This is how the professionals
do it!” Little did I realize that the
larger impact of this experience was still yet to come.
In the
middle of enjoying this amazing performance, it became very clear to me that
what I was experiencing was far more than just a professional-quality performance. I could see, hear and sense that all of the
performers were doing their level best out of a sense of mission. I was witnessing their proclamation faith. While watching and hearing an absolutely
stunning performance, I came to realize that what I was really experiencing was
a collective testimony of the wonderful and amazing love of God.
That
Saturday evening’s performance was not the end of it all. I was fortunate enough to have also been
given a ticket to see the broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word along with the
extra performance that followed the next day.
Once more, I heeded the advice to arrive two hours early and, like the
night before, had no idea what was about to happen during that time.
I
arrived at the conference center and was again warmly greeted by several Guest
Services Missionaries. With the one
particular missionary with whom I had the discussion on education the night
before, we this time engaged in a very meaningful conversation in reflection of
it being the same weekend of the devastating attack at the Sandy Hook
Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
I found my
same seat from the night before, and was again greeting most of the same seat
mates. I also was very pleased to see
that the choir and orchestra were in place and preparing to begin a pre-broadcast
rehearsal. I took pictures and video of
that rehearsal that I still show to family, friends and students who tolerate
my showing them again and again.
A little
later the gracious woman with whom I had had the conversation about education approached
me at my seat and introduced me to a gentleman who happened to be the physician
for the choir. While happy to meet the
doctor, I had no idea why I had been given the honor. I stood and we shook hands. The doctor’s then said, “Come with me.” He
took me to the front near the stage and from there, to a back stage entrance
just off of stage right. As we walked,
the doctor’s statement, “He’s with me.” had more staff and security people step
aside with a greeting and a smile than I could have imagined.
Once we
were back stage, he took the time to give me a tour of the behind-the-scenes
area and more of the complex than I ever realized existed. I saw the back of the organ pipes and the
smaller meeting hall which was being used as overflow seating. We proceeded
through underground tunnels to see the entrance to the choir’s offices,
rehearsal and training space, library and dressing facilities.
Outside
of the choir’s library, the fabric covering a cabinet was lifted and the doctor
asked me, “What music do you like?” As I turned around and viewed the cabinet
full of compact disk recordings of the choir, I was invited to take one as a
gift. I was next taken down another
passage and lead up a set of steps. As
the door was opened, I found myself inside the Tabernacle. I was amazed to be in this place where I had
heard so many broadcasts of the choir’s performances.
With the
tour mostly over, we retraced our steps back to the Conference Center and then to
my seat. On the way back I had a chance
to meet members of the orchestra. I was
so happy to greet them and especially to meet the principal violist because I,
also a viola player, really wanted to compliment her for the beautiful solo she
played at the previous night’s performance.
After
the radio broadcast, the extra performance, the concluding speeches, and a
surprise performance of the Hallelujah Chorus, the choir gave the final
blessing with the song, “God Be with You Till We Meet Again.” I stood there listening to this song from my
youth and I became overwhelmed with the sense of the blessing of God’s love and
I began to cry.
From an
experience that began just over a year before, I had received the blessing of
experiencing God’s love through meeting a collection of wonderful people and
witnessing these amazing performances. This
all comes together for me in the realization that giving of one’s own personal
best and practicing excellence is not only a gift but an expectation from the
One who gives all good and perfect gifts.
What
makes me the most thankful is (just like the inspiration I received from both my
parents and from my first church music director) not only am I now compelled to
raise my own standard of excellence, I must continue to motivate my students to
do so as well. My life, my heart and my
mission in life have all been permanently changed!
Thanks
be to God!
Michael A. Simpson
Orlando, Florida
