Last week, the Mormon Tabernacle performed for the ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) conference. There were thousands of attendees - from the grade school director to the world renown directors. We performed two separate and distinct concerts and in two separate venues.

The first concert was a sacred event that was held in the Tabernacle. This concert was actually repeated over two days because the number of attendees outnumbered the available seats in the Tabernacle. The second concert was the finale and was more lighthearted. Our friend, Santino Fontana returned to perform with us, and we were joined by Sylvia McNair. The music was pretty much americana with the grand finale to include not only us, but the ACDA honor choirs, consisting of elementary all the way up to high school - all 1200+ of them.

We have been preparing for this concert for several months. It was quite a feat to memorize 30 pieces of music for two separate concerts. And even seasoned veterans in the choir had to re-memorize a piece or two because of changed lyrics and/or music. Our beloved director and assistant directors worked us hard. They knew whom the audience members would be and knew their very discerning ears. It was their peers. In actuality, while we practiced for this in a couple of months, our directors have had this on their minds for 3 years, and after thinking about it, have been really prepping us since then. Everything from vowel placement, pitch and dynamics was stressed to us over and over.

The night of the first sacred performance, Mack Wilberg gave a speech that will long live in the annals of my tenure in the choir. He talked about all the hard work and expressed his deep appreciation for us and what we have done. He told us that he has given us the necessary tools. But even with all of that, we only get to 90%. The other 10%, he continued is heaven's help. That evening, we gave our 90%, but were joined by heavenly angels affording us the 10%.

Thinking about that 10%, it is very true that we need to exert our energy in order to get heaven's help. Thinking about the scripture, "But behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind...." (D&C 9:8). We must do all we can first. We cannot just sit back and do nothing and then ask for heaven's help. The Lord expects us to work it our first - a principle that is eternal. Terms which appear in the scriptures as synonyms of work are: toil, long-suffering, and labor - to name just a few. We all have been given earthly tools to help us traverse mortality; things such as scriptures, prophets, church. We can go through the motions of just going to church, but if we really want heaven's help, we need to do all we can in order to receive the 10%.

That concert was life-changing for me. I had very spiritual experiences that I will not get into, but the 10% were there. The music was sublime, like waves of emotion and dynamics. It was non-stop for over an hour. No applause between. It was designed that way. When Mack was finalizing the program, he actually had a different piece that he had in mind for the program, but as he commented, it just didn't feel right. The one that was put into its place was actually the piece that gave me the most spiritual experiences.  As Ryan Murphy (assistant director) told us a couple of weeks ago, "This piece is the crux of the program". That comment didn't click with me until that evening. The entire sacred concert was songs of testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ and centered in this particular song of praise:

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, oh breathe thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit;
let us find the promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as it's beginning.
set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love and praise.

The comments I heard and the stories related about this concert will live long after every attendee goes home. Not only the music, but the historic venue that it took place in, our fore-bearers built with lots of work, and love. We, like them gave our 90%, and through heaven's help, the 10% carried them forward. I know that in that one hour concert, that there were many that will long remember that concert. And also that there were some lives changed - I am a personal witness to that.


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