Few things release the feelings of the heart like singing does. It brings deep emotions to the surface that we might otherwise struggle to express. When we sing, we reveal what’s in our soul, and this honesty of heart connects us with others despite barriers of time, place, and culture.
But sometimes we need a little help appreciating the power of music. One young man, searching to find his niche in middle school, had no intentions of joining the boys’ choir—at least not until the choral teacher approached him and asked why he was not registered for her class. He couldn’t quickly come up with any good reason or excuse, so she walked him to the school office and made the necessary adjustments to his schedule. She told him that she needed him in the choir, that he would love singing, and that she wanted to be his teacher.
The next thing he knew, he was sitting in the front row of the boys’ choir. Placing him next to one of the strongest singers in the class, the teacher made sure the young man could not fail. And succeed he did. Singing in that choir changed him: he discovered his voice and learned about the powerful influence music could have in his life. Perhaps most important, he knew his choir teacher cared about him. She cared enough to expose him to music that would enrich his life for decades to come. He never became a soloist, and he may not ever sing in a choir again, but he still loves music and remembers with fondness his dedicated teacher. Both he and his parents still praise that wonderful choral director.
Whether we blend our voices with others in a choir or simply sing in the shower or car, singing can lift our spirits, express our feelings, and help us make meaningful connections with others—and with the divine. The song of the heart can be more than a song; it can be a prayer, a confession of heartfelt emotion, an expression of love.
-Lloyd D. Newell
Mar. 1, 2015, Broadcast Number 4,459
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductor
Mack Wilberg
Guest Artists
The King’s Singers
Organist
Andrew Unsworth
Host
Lloyd Newell
How Firm a Foundation
Attributed to J. Ellis; arr. Mack Wilberg
Notre Pere
Maurice Duruflé
Carillon de Westminster
Louis Vierne
Steal Away
African-American Spiritual; arr. Bob Chilcott
This Is My Father’s World
English melody; adapted by Franklin L. Sheppard; arr. Mack Wilberg
Little David, Play on Your Harp
African-American Spiritual; arr. Keith Roberts
Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends
English folk tune; arr. Mack Wilberg