Love to Bonnie...
by Paula Jensen
I wanted to tell about the experience I had being involved in this area Relief Society Choir. I had kind of put it in the back of my mind, but then Colleen brought over the CD of the performance and the memories came flooding back. They announced in church that they were putting together a choir to sing the songs that different women had written, or their version of a song that was already written. The ones we learned were the winners of all the ones submitted. Well I thought this sounded fun so I went to the first practice with Colleen and Nancy. We walked into the chapel and it was packed with women. The conductor was Leah Tarrant, the choir director at Taylorsville High. She had come up to girls camp last summer and had done a fireside for the girls. That was another story...when the girls saw her pull into the camp they totally swarmed her car. She is very much loved by them all. It was easy to see why after being around her just a few minutes, you realize she is one ot those special people that you are just drawn to. Anyway, when we walked in I talked to her for a minute, then she started to work her magic. She is so full of energy that it wears you out just to watch her. She has a most unusual way of getting people to sing for her, but it was so much fun that we were just all laughing the whole time. Even the stuffy old ladies that had kind of rolled their eyes at her at first were laughing and having fun by the time we finished our first practice. She had asked a lady named Bonnie that had played the piano for her at Taylorsville a few years ago to be the pianist. Only problem was that she had moved to Logan. She drove down to Salt Lake EVERY Sunday for 10 weeks. That is where the "love to Bonnie" came from. Every week, Leah would recognize that Bonnie had just driven the 2 hours to be there and accompany us, so she would say "give your love to Bonnie" and I know she could feel the love we were all sending her. She is an amazing pianist. The music was VERY hard and she never messed up! It was like she and Leah could read each other's minds, and you could feel the love they had for each other. Pretty soon, we all loved them too. The next Sunday, there were about half as many people there. The music had been very difficult and she said we couldn't miss any practices because it was going to take every one to learn these songs. I think that might have weeded out some that couldn't make that commitment. Anyway the weeks went on and every time it was like an amazing uplifting experience to sing these beautiful songs. Leah is a total perfectionist and expected nothing less from all of us. We were working toward the big performance on November 14. As we learned the songs, it became more fun 'cause it sounded so beautiful! It was like every practice we came away a little better person for being there. She always left us with a message that one of the songs taught us or something to think about or her testimony.The night of the performance, we all went up to the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. Our families all came up later. It was pretty exciting to sing to this audience of composers and our family and friends. Sally DeFord had written one of the songs and Janice Kapp Perry had, too. The performance went really well. K.C. Candice and Kelley were pretty amused by watching Leah direct the choir. Some of the things she does are pretty funny, but we were used to it by then. Then on the last song, I think we all realized this was going to be the last time we would sing together. Leah started crying and all of the rest of us did too. The spirit was so strong there--it was pretty amazing. I had some serious withdrawls after it was over to not be singing those songs with those ladies every Sunday, but I have wonderful memories of the experience and now a CD I can listen to and sing along with. This is a picture of Leah and her cute family. Love to Leah...Love to Bonnie..Love to all the dear ladies in the choir and the amazing composers.
by Paula Jensen
I wanted to tell about the experience I had being involved in this area Relief Society Choir. I had kind of put it in the back of my mind, but then Colleen brought over the CD of the performance and the memories came flooding back. They announced in church that they were putting together a choir to sing the songs that different women had written, or their version of a song that was already written. The ones we learned were the winners of all the ones submitted. Well I thought this sounded fun so I went to the first practice with Colleen and Nancy. We walked into the chapel and it was packed with women. The conductor was Leah Tarrant, the choir director at Taylorsville High. She had come up to girls camp last summer and had done a fireside for the girls. That was another story...when the girls saw her pull into the camp they totally swarmed her car. She is very much loved by them all. It was easy to see why after being around her just a few minutes, you realize she is one ot those special people that you are just drawn to. Anyway, when we walked in I talked to her for a minute, then she started to work her magic. She is so full of energy that it wears you out just to watch her. She has a most unusual way of getting people to sing for her, but it was so much fun that we were just all laughing the whole time. Even the stuffy old ladies that had kind of rolled their eyes at her at first were laughing and having fun by the time we finished our first practice. She had asked a lady named Bonnie that had played the piano for her at Taylorsville a few years ago to be the pianist. Only problem was that she had moved to Logan. She drove down to Salt Lake EVERY Sunday for 10 weeks. That is where the "love to Bonnie" came from. Every week, Leah would recognize that Bonnie had just driven the 2 hours to be there and accompany us, so she would say "give your love to Bonnie" and I know she could feel the love we were all sending her. She is an amazing pianist. The music was VERY hard and she never messed up! It was like she and Leah could read each other's minds, and you could feel the love they had for each other. Pretty soon, we all loved them too. The next Sunday, there were about half as many people there. The music had been very difficult and she said we couldn't miss any practices because it was going to take every one to learn these songs. I think that might have weeded out some that couldn't make that commitment. Anyway the weeks went on and every time it was like an amazing uplifting experience to sing these beautiful songs. Leah is a total perfectionist and expected nothing less from all of us. We were working toward the big performance on November 14. As we learned the songs, it became more fun 'cause it sounded so beautiful! It was like every practice we came away a little better person for being there. She always left us with a message that one of the songs taught us or something to think about or her testimony.The night of the performance, we all went up to the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. Our families all came up later. It was pretty exciting to sing to this audience of composers and our family and friends. Sally DeFord had written one of the songs and Janice Kapp Perry had, too. The performance went really well. K.C. Candice and Kelley were pretty amused by watching Leah direct the choir. Some of the things she does are pretty funny, but we were used to it by then. Then on the last song, I think we all realized this was going to be the last time we would sing together. Leah started crying and all of the rest of us did too. The spirit was so strong there--it was pretty amazing. I had some serious withdrawls after it was over to not be singing those songs with those ladies every Sunday, but I have wonderful memories of the experience and now a CD I can listen to and sing along with. This is a picture of Leah and her cute family. Love to Leah...Love to Bonnie..Love to all the dear ladies in the choir and the amazing composers.
An Email I got from Colleen...guess what?
From:C Poole (fraz52@comcast.net)Sent:Mon 11/17/08 5:49 PMTo:Paula Jensen (pj1459@hotmail.com); Nancy Mendenhall (nlmrm@hotmail.com); June Pope (homehere@comcast.net). I talked with Sally Thomson at Marcie's dance class today, and she asked me if I heard the feedback that our choir got on Friday night. Of course, I hadn't. She said the people in the light and sound booth told them that they had never heard a R.S. choir sound so good in all their years of doing those performances. Then Janice Kapp Perry told them that she had been attending these concerts for 20 years and she had never heard a R.S. choir that sounded so good. Cool, huh? It was a delightful experience!
Final comment by Colleen:
We were invited to meet the composers at a reception after our performance. They were delightful women. One was a 21-year old who just entered her song in the RS Music Contest for fun--she said she knew she wasn't very good. Our finale song was super powerful (and remember that we were rehearsing and performing this song during all of the Prop 8 ballyhoo in California). The composer of that song told me she had never written a piece of music before--and I was astounded. Hers was Phenomenal! I came home and encouraged all of my musical friends to submit some of their music to this contest. In case I don't figure out how to get music going on this blog, I am going to type up the words for that song as my finale. Here you go:
Immovable and Strong
by Katherine A. Wright (text inspire by Sis. Julie B. Beck and Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley)
We believe in Jesus Christ our Savior;
We know He lives, that His teachings are true.
We gladly share and defend His gospel.
We strive to do what He would have us do.
We are daughters of our Heav'nly Father.
We are sisters with a mission to fulfill.
Our prophet calls us to stand united
We boldly voice our answer: "Yes, we will!"
We will stand strong and immovable in family,
We will stand strong and immovable in faith.
As we reach out with love to those around us,
We will stand strong and immovable in relief.
With one united voice, we sing our song.
The Lord needs each of us; we all belong.
We kneel and humbly pray for help, then we get up and go to work,
As we move forward, Sisters immovable and strong!
We believe that fam'lies are eternal;
We will uphold them as mothers and wives.
We know the rising generation needs us
To nourish and direct them in their lives.
We embrace our sacred roles as women;
We are happy; our efforts are blessed.
And with the Spirit to guide us daily,
We diligently do our very best.
We will stand strong and immovable in family,
We will stand strong and immovable in faith.
As we reach out with love to those around us,
We will stand strong and immovable in relief.
With one united voice, we sing our song.
The Lord needs each of us; we all belong.
We kneel and humbly pray for help, then we get up and go to work,
As we move forward, Sisters immovable; We are immovable!
We will stand strong and immovable in faith.
As we reach out with love to those around us,
We will stand strong and immovable in relief.
With one united voice, we sing our song.
The Lord needs each of us; we all belong.
We kneel and humbly pray for help, then we get up and go to work,
As we move forward, Sisters immovable; We are immovable!
With one united voice, we sing our song.
The Lord needs each of us; we all belong.
We kneel and humbly pray for help, then we get up and go to work,
As we move forward, Sisters immovable and strong!
