Flashback Friday: Tabernacle Choir Concert
In February, I had the opportunity to travel to Phoenix to go to a Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert. They were invited by our governor, Jan Brewer, to help celebrate the centennial of Arizona becoming a state. This was not a normal tour year for the choir, so they made a special trip just for us. It was pretty spectacular!
My mom and I made the three hour trip to Phoenix. We went a little earlier than we needed to because we wanted to try the Cornish Pasty Co. Kelli and I fell in love with Cornish Pasties when we went to the UK a couple of years ago, and we were excited to see they were in the Phoenix area. So my mom and I went. What an experience. The food was incredible, but the ambiance and the heavy (and loud) music really made us uncomfortable. If we go here again, I probably will do take-out and go eat at a park or somewhere less uncomfortable.
We knew after leaving that restaurant that we would have the complete opposite experience at the concert. And we definitely did!
We got to the U.S. Airways Center, the home of the Phoenix Suns, early. We parked at the back of the building, where we found a cheaper parking area. Then we went to the closest entrance. They were not letting anyone into the building yet, so we waited and I went to take pictures of the building across the street.
We were finally able to enter the arena. We entered by the door closest to where we parked. And it turned out that was exactly where our gate entrance was to our seats. It was perfect! We couldn't planned it better if we tried. We were straight back from the choir, which I thought was pretty good seats.
We watched as the 310 member choir took their places in their seats.
Then all of the sudden the house lights turned off and the spot lights turned on and the concert started without any fanfare before.
The blurb from the choir's official web site reads: "The Choir regaled the audience with everything from Rossini to Rodgers & Hammerstein with a mix of hymns, classical music, and show tunes including a Nigerian carol. That particular number, entitled “Betelehemu,” suggests to everyone in the hall that this is “not your father’s Mormon Tabernacle Choir.” Organist Richard Elliott played a version of “I Got Rhythm” that brought down the house."
I couldn't have said it more succinctly myself, so I included their remarks.
I took a picture during intermission of the arena with no zoom to remember where we were sitting. See it was straight back from the choir.
Of course the choir sang Battle Hymn of the Republic (the song they won an Grammy Award for). During the last verse, Mack Wilberg turned around and lead the audience to sing with the choir. Now I can say I sang with the Tabernacle Choir! It was so awesome!
Sandra Day O’Connor, former U. S. Supreme Court Justice conducted the Choir and Orchestra in an encore performance of “This Land Is Your Land”. She really got into it and was on the beat through out the song. It was fun to watch. The choir sang two other encores, one they learned special for Arizona. I guess it was the Arizona song, but I had never heard it before. It was fun they had learned it just for us.
Then they sang God Be With You Til We Meet Again. So beautiful!
What a great experience! I am so glad I was able to come see the Tabernacle Choir in person. I've seen them before at General Conference, but never with them letting their hair down and having fun with the audience.
If I ever have the opportunity to see the Tabernacle Choir in concert again, I will jump at the chance. Wow! It was such an uplifting experience.
