Sacred Music Project

This last week was crazy. CRAZY.


I'm in the symphony orchestra, and every two years the orchestra participates in the Sacred Music Project. The leaders of the church have asked for new LDS music to be written, and so when a work is commissioned we are asked to play it.


This is a HUGE deal! It's so cool to be part of the Sacred Music Project. This year it was a brand new oratorio by K. Newell Dayley, "Bring Forth My Zion". The story starts out with the Nephite people right after Christ's resurrection, how after He visited them in the America's they were all one people, undivided, living in a Zion community. Then it goes on to tell how pride divided them again and the Nephites were destroyed. Then the story jumps ahead to our day, with the First Vision of Joseph Smith and how the Gospel is restored to the earth again today, and how we can achieve a Zion community now.


The text was plain and simple to understand. The music itself wasn't too extravagant- it called for two soloists, symphony orchestra, and choir. It made me think about how the Gospel is plain and simple to understand. It was so wonderful to play a brand-new LDS work, and to be part of it's very first performances. The last performance was in Salt Lake City, in the tabernacle at temple square.

(Picture via the internet)

It has a GORGEOUS organ inside. I wanted to play it but no one ever said I could... <sigh> Admittedly, no one ever said I couldn't... but I was good and just sat in my chair... The accoustics in that hall are so wonderful. I feel so blessed to be part of this work, spreading the message of the Gospel through music.


The only bad thing about the whole experience is that it took A LOT of time, and I've been sick since last Wednesday after our 7-10PM rehearsal the night before... But as long as I make it through to the end of the semester then I'll be fine... Only a month left! Husband Man and I have been planning on going back to SLC to walk around and visit temple square again. Right before concert call at the tabernacle I met him outside and I dragged him over to the visitor's center because they have a new display where they made a model of the temple and shaved off one side so you can see the rooms inside. It's so awesome! I can't wait to go back and have a weekend just for us! (Before we go right back to school...)