Ohmigoodness!! Just when I thought my day, my week and my life couldn’t get any more wild and crazy! Tonight [Thursday July 23, 2015] Choir members were asked to arrive a half hour early to rehearsal for a “special presentation.” I thought it must have something to do with our East Coast Tour we just returned from two weeks ago. I imagined a fun “recap video” they wanted to share with us. Well … I was slightly off.
The meeting DID have something to do with Tour … ANOTHER TOUR!
Happening in just 12 months from now!
Here was the big announcement moment captured on video (OK, we knew something pretty big was up with all the cameras in the room, but I seriously had no idea it would be THIS).
Yes, that’s me in the video at the beginning leaping up REALLY excited [and yes, my family and friends are already laughing at my expense, so feel free to go ahead].
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The Choir goes on tour every other year. So, the next tour we expected was 2017. This 2016 CENTRAL EUROPEAN TOUR will be unique in so many ways. Actually leaving North America – headed to SIX European Countries?! Mind Boggling. The Choir organization has not been outside of North America since 1998!
June-July 2016
20 DAYS, 10 CITIES, 7 CONCERTS, 6 COUNTRIES!
GERMANY * AUSTRIA * SWITZERLAND * BELGIUM * NETHERLANDS * FRANCE
Get all the details here.
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So, remember how stressed I was about stuff a few hours ago, (yeah, I guess that was only a few hours ago…) and how weird and uncertain everything has been with my job situation and life in general? Well, all I can say is I am sure really glad this tour announcement happened right now, on this day, at this time! THAT could not have been timed better. Now that I know what is coming next summer, this changes everything. Mr. Mo and I won’t be going to Spain this year (glad I didn’t book the flights). I have additional information I need that will help me as I consider my job offers and make some big career decisions in the next few days.
The Lord is working in wonderful, mysterious and marvelous ways!
To illustrate my point further, here is a sweet interview with our new Choir President – Ron Jarrett. President Jarrett is the first Tabernacle Choir President who sang as a 20-year member of the choir. He made it very clear from the moment he took leadership that his goal was to take the Choir outside the USA. We didn’t know it would happen so quickly!
“Nothing happens by chance in this church!” – Ron Jarrett
Nothing has been happening by chance in my own life, either.
When you stop and think about it, I bet you could say the same thing about your life, too.
I am starting to see what the Lord’s been up to. All of the pieces are beginning to fall into place. I’m looking forward to even more surprises. There are definitely more big changes coming as the days go on, and somehow I think this is only the beginning of a lot of excitement! – MoSop
Latter-day Soprano 
I wouldn’t dare make fun of you. I’d be jumping up and down too. I’m so excited for you and the choir. So many people will be blessed by this tour. And, I agree, the timing couldn’t have been better. God is so good. He works things out in a way we never planned or thought of. I can’t wait to see all your tweets from Europe. I’ve always wanted to go to Paris too. When I was in my late teens, early 20’s, I wanted to be an artist and live in Paris. However, life got in the way. Take a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower for me.
Love you, Lynne
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Thanks for not making fun of me :). It’s such an historic event and an honor to get to be a part of this. I truly believe the Lord has created this tour for a very important purpose. And , I Will definitely take a pic in front of the Eiffel Tower for you! 🙂
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How could we possibly make fun of you! The joy of being your parents has always been watching and being part of the joy and excitement you have for life, especially in your musical part of your life. We are so thrilled for you!!! We hope that Jeff will be able to go with you this time! With his background from his mission, he would love it so much. We also wonder about the Paris Temple. Will it be on the agenda as well? We don’t know how far along its construction is but it would be great to have you be part of the open house there. Just a thought. It will be good to be able to tell your employers, whoever they are, that you will be gone during these dates. We are thrilled for you and when the announcement came we wanted to jump up just like you. Wonder what it would cost for us to tag along??? Just a thought. Congratulations, and how fun it will be for you to prepare for this momentous tour. Love Mother and Dad
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The Paris temple is currently slated for opening in “late 2016”. The stained glass windows are being installed this week. Even if it is not complete yet, we will be able to generate interest in the upcoming open house.
Yes, we totally hope to have Jeff come. The Choir has not released info yet about policy for guests & cost, etc. Traditionally, spouses get first dibs at any limited guest spots,then other family members and friends. There’s usually a wait list. I’ll let you know.
It’s exciting to see the Lord’s hand using the Choir to soften hearts and build bridges of friendship throughout the world as part of His marvelous hastening of the restored gospel!
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As soon as I got this announcement by e-mail, I just couldn’t believe it. I live in Spain and missed the concert at El Escorial, which I deeply regret. It is sad that the choir is not coming to old Spain, but I’m more than willing to book a flight wherever I can get a ticket. I lived in SLC for 8 months back in 1990s and I just cannot wait to enjoy a live concert under the direction of Dr. Whilberg. I am so happy. I just cannot wait. You guys are the best choir in the world!!! I have some 30 cds and do expect to add some more to my collection when you are over. It is just so difficult to get your new releases at this side of the Atlantic… Go MoTab!!!!
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Great to hear from you Angel! I love your enthusiasm. I hope you will be able to come to one of our concerts in 2016, and you should be sure let me know which one so that we can meet. You will be pleased to know the Choir will release a brand new album in May 2016 – the complete Handel’s Messiah – which we will bring on tour with us. 🙂
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My dearest mormon soprano,
How happy I feel to tell you that I’ve already purchased tickets for your concert in Vien, Austria, on July 3!!! Yesterday was the first day to buy them, but I didn’t notice till this very morning. Can you believe that most of them are already sold out?!!!! However I got nice centered seats in row 22, so I’ll get a wonderful view of all of you. I cannot wait…. I have long hours of work and a dissertation to finish and defend my thesis around the middle of June, so this concert of Angels will be a present I’ll indulge myself in.
I’m going with three dear friends of mine who love classical music but haven’t heard much about MTC -how on earth is that possible at all?!!!!- Well, I’m excited. Train your voices hard and make us cry of joy with the sweetest spirit that only you can invoke, in an unforgettable concert. I’ll be looking forward to meeting you and get a copy of Handel’s Messiah. I am SO happy that you are finally crossing the ocean and visit Old Europe. We long for your presence and perfomance. I am so thankful for having this great blessing of enjoying a live concert. You just cannot imagine how much the Mormon Tabernacle Choir means in my life.
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Angel, your comment made me cry. I’m so touched that you will be coming all the way from Spain to attend our Vienna concert! I’m amazed that it is already almost sold out, too! Very glad you were able to get tickets! I’m excited for you to be there. Let’s keep in contact and be sure to meet each other! – Sending Love from Utah, MoSop
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Dearest mormon soprano,
Dear Holly (I know now what your name is, so I want to address you properly), I would like to share my experience of the concert with you, since I did not have the opportunity to greet you there. As I told you, I was planning on attending the Vienna concert on Sunday, July 3, and I did so. I flew with three friends from the Canary Islands, where we live, to Barcelona last July 1. We were stuck at the airport for more than eght hours due to delays and subsequent loss or our connection to Vienna. We were forced to spend that night in a hotel in Barcelona but happily we were able to take another flight to Vienna on Saturday at noon time. Yes, we flew 2,175 miles to see the best choir in the whole world. I was at the Musikverein on Sunday evening at 19:00, one hour prior to the concert, to retrieve our tickets. And we were there, in row 22, seats 7, 8, 9 and 10 in the stalls, when the choir members came out to the stage, and I just could not believe that you were the very first soprano on the top gallery, next to the organist seat. I am by nature a very shy person and would not have dared to wave you in front of everybody, besides, you did not know how I look like. My friends suggested me to write down in a paper “I am the angel” and displayed it, but I would not have done that for all the money in the world.
The concert was… well, there are not words to describe what we felt. You were indeed a choir of Angels, descended from the royal courts on high to bless us, poor earthly souls, and touch our hearts and lift up our souls with your heavenly accords. Five minutes after the beginning, one of my friends was shedding tears of joy. She told me that she would never attend another choir concert, after enjoying the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She said that the whole sound you create is unique, and no other choir would reach your sound quality and superb performance. I must confess that I did not read the programme before the concert began. If you can recall, there was a brief applause after the first song “How Excellent Thy Name”; I must confess that it was me who started it. Then I read in horror that we were not supposed to applaud until the recess. Oh well, I am sure that Dr Wilberg was not very happy to see his meticulously planned programme disturbed by a careless concert-goer.
After the concert was over, I immediately went to the upper floor to look for you to say hello, but unfortunately I was not allowed to reach that area of the concert hall. I wanted to purchase the new Messiah recording, but there was not a single stand selling them. I asked several people who looked like officials if the choir members were coming out to greet the audience in a one-to-one basis, but nobody seemed to know. I went outside to see if I could locate you when boarding the buses. I counted 5 buses in the main road, and 8 or 10 in the back streets. I was walking back and forward to see if I could locate you. I asked two gentlemen who were involved with the organization and asked them for you, but I did not know your family name and the only thing I could say was that you were Holly. — Well, –one of them said– all of the choir members are holy–. To make a long story short, I was walking on the sidewalk for more than forty minutes, until the last bus departed, where I recognised Dr Wilberg, Mr Newell and Mr Christiansen on board. My friends said: –Why don’t you just board every bus and shout: Is Holly, the Mormon Soprano here?–. Well, I do not think that that would have been proper, to expose you in front of your choir colleagues, and on the other hand, I am not the type of person to draw such attention upon myself.
I write this story because I wanted you to know I did attend the concert, and did my best (within my shyness limits) to find you and say how much your music mean in my mortal life. I know I should have written before and try to arrange a brief encounter, but I was too busy with the end of my university term and my dissertation and was completely unable to do so. My friends are asking me when you are coming back to Europe again, and when I told them that the last time you were over here was in 1998, they wanted to start planning to go to Utah in 2 or 3 years and attend a concert in the Tabernacle. I do not know if we would be able to synchronise our individual agendas, but the excitement is there.
Once again, I want to thank you and each of the choir member, the orchestra members and the rest of the supporting staff who took my friends and me to divine heights to enjoy heavenly music. We are very thankful for your efforts, your sacrifices, your travelling, your tiredness but also for your sweet smiles, your good will, your warm hearts, your voices and your music. God bless you all, today and always!
Eternally and gratefully yours,
Ángel
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Oh my goodness, Angel – you went through so much to attend our concert!!! Your message to me means so much! I am terribly sad that we didn’t connect after the concert. They rushed us to the buses so we could drive straight back all the way to Munich. I DID SEE YOU! I remembered where you told me your seats were and I counted the aisles and seat numbers. I was hoping that you could see me since I was moved last minute from the back corner to the middle. I am going to send you a private message. Thank you so very much for sharing your experience and your thoughts with me. It means the world. – Holly
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