An OTS Beginning

 The Orchestra at Temple Square was the brainchild of former Choir director, Craig Jessop. His vision was that we would have a world class orchestra that would provide accompaniment to the Choir. By having an orchestra, the Choir would expand its musical repertoire and could record without the enormous cost of hiring professional musicians. Of course, the Choir had performed and recorded prior with several major orchestras, but to have its own accompanying ensemble would prove essential. 

President Hinckley announced in 1999 there would be a symphonic orchestra created to serve as a companion ensemble to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! A notice was put out to the Church that auditions would take place, and members of the recently dismantled Mormon Youth Symphony were invited to come audition. It was from these auditions that an orchestra would be formed.  The original Orchestra at Temple Square had about 100 members.

The next question was how to use the Orchestra. Barlow Bradford was appointed as the first director of The Orchestra at Temple Square, serving from 1999-2003. President Faust was in attendance at the first rehearsal on October 16, 1999 and addressed the members of the new orchestra on that occasion. “We are making history in this dispensation this morning. We are plowing new ground. Never before in the history of the church has there been an undertaking of this magnitude with respect to orchestral music. The vision of the First Presidency is that over time this orchestra could achieve excellence and prestige in national and even worldwide musical circles. It will require consecration, sacrifice, and dedication.” 

The orchestra began by performing a concert series of orchestral masterworks, and they participated in the production and eventual recording of Savior of the World. By 2000, the Orchestra performed on broadcasts about once every 6 weeks. It was difficult contacting the players and matching the players with the broadcast needs. In the summer of 2001, a group of winds, brass, percussion, and a flute and harp (about 20 players) accompanied the Choir on their Southern States Tour. It wasn’t until 2004 that a full orchestra joined the choir for the ACDA convention in Los Angeles. At that point, Craig Jessop announced they would never tour again without the orchestra, the contributions were so significant.

Interesting to note is Mack Wilberg’s appointment as assistant conductor was coincidentally in 1999.  Mack Wilberg’s composing and arranging talents would be used specifically to the dynamics of the Choir and Orchestra in ways that would change millions of people through music. The evolution of the OTS in the last 23 years has come from many consecrated efforts, an incredible vision turned reality.

If the Shoe Fits: the Backstory of Mint Slippers

Mint Slippers can be one of the favorite parts of Keeping Tab and yet WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? Mint Slippers? I did a little investigating, and after interviewing several previous editors, I was nearly at a loss. No one knew. Apparently, we just kept printing them every edition as one of our most popular columns! I continued my search looking online for the phrase. Perhaps it was a slang term used from a bygone era? Well, my online search simply yielded a lot of mint colored slippers for sale! But, a dead end. The phrase "mint slippers" was turning out to be quite the slippery phrase!

Finally, I struck gold and found a secret stash of Keeping Tab magazines being kept since the early 1970's. One of our previous members and editors, June Allred has an incredible archive! There, as I'd hoped, I was delighted to find the Mint Slippers column, where much like our current conductors, Jerry Ottley, Jay Welch, Spencer Condie and others were on record with all kinds of choice one liners or slips of the tongue.

Wait. Slips... Slippers! Could it be? I wanted to smack my forehead.

Pouring over these vintage editions it was interesting to note that prior to being called Mint Slippers, the column was titled "Did I Say That?" and "A Famous Conductor Sez..." and "Quotable Quotes from Famous Conductors", meaning the conductors of the Tabernacle Choir. The earliest sighting of it's use as Mint Slippers was in 1979 where the column was titled "Ku'tsu or Mint Slippers". The choir had just returned from a tour to Japan! Many of the articles of that edition had Japanese references. So I looked up "Ku'tsu" and in Japanese it means shoes. Haha! Japanese for shoes and Mint Slippers! Clever!! It was starting to come together!

But why Mint? My research found, and you may already know, it is a British phrase that began as a way to describe something new, perfect or of the highest calibre (think of coins in "mint condition" from the Mint). But currently it can also be used as slang in much the same sense as Awesome (US) and Brilliant (UK).  So if you give someone some positive news, they might say "Oh, that's mint, that is!" 

We may never know who actually coined the phrase "Mint Slippers" but it does seem unique to our organization, and likely one of our own clever choir members on staff. But if the shoe fits, and it's a catchy phrase, it lasts for over 40 years! Mack, Ryan, and Leanna ought to find consolation in knowing they are in a long line of conductors keeping us on our toes and entertained with their funny quotes, analogies, and slip-ups.

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Some favorite Mint Slippers I came across from the 70's and 80's:

"I gave you all that rhythmic introduction-- and you came in like a pie on a wall!"

"Basses! You sound like you need your furnace filters changed!"

About staying late: "I'm as glad to get rid of you as you are to be gone."

About the sole soprano who always holds on-- "I'm going to put on a dress and disguise myself and see if I can find her!"

"I won't grind my teeth any more, because they are getting smaller."

To a certain organist: "You see, you can be wrong even though you're a genius. I can't be wrong because I'm not a genius!"

On quality--"I want the cream! This is not a diet!"

"I'd sooner you sing with more thought and less voice!"

"Tenors, we just have two problems: one is finding the pitch, and the other is when to sing."

"Lets record 'Bring the Torches' while it's hot."

(After a flourish on the organ by John Longhurst) "You've been spending too much time at Pipes and Pizza, John."

"Longhurst, that's a forte piano, not a forte organ!"

"When you have a good bright vowel, proceeded by an 'L', get the "L" out of the way!"

"Men take the sweet potatoes out of it. It's not I YAM, it's I.... AM."

"Sing it down where it belongs. Put a little hair on your chest."

"All Bob has to do is play the organ. I work!"

"You often sound like 'Utah High Mountainese' instead of Latin."

(During "He's got the Whole World in His Hands)... "No, altos! Not so boisterous! It's just a little bitty baby!"

"Don is one of these guys who is so skinny he has to run around just to get wet in the shower!"

Editing some music: "And remember, no breath after death. That's obvious, isnt' it?"

Writer... Write Her... Right Her

I am a writer. Well I don't actually believe that because we all are. Writing is just harnessing words which we all do every day. I'm not a particularly commanding speaker, nor do I seem to hold people's attention for long... whether that's my annoying voice or my delayed brain function I'm not really clear about why. But if someone says, hey can you help me word something? Oh, I'm your girl. I want in. I can craft well with a slowed down process and if I can weigh out the effects of different attempts. Yes, I love words so much. I love their power and effect. I love that when used properly they can change the course of someone's life. But you must be aware of the nuances, the backstories. That's where Emily has "entered the chat".

I've had a few people strongly encourage me to write. I have a couple of ideas. But what is my style, genre, or niche? Maybe uncovering insights from under rocks unturned? Maybe in writing personal notes to people about what they mean to me. I don't know if people want to read whole books about that. I barely know if they want to read their notes I write.

Recently I was called to be a RS Society teacher. Really, I am a facilitator. Maybe a commentator on comments shared. Maybe I'm supposed to lead a conversation through certain hoops to a grand finale. Eh, can I just be the main person in a conversation? If I think about it like that, like I'm having a personal conversation with the entire RS, then maybe I'm going the right way. I need to become a good interviewer of others. Ask good questions. Questions that are not loaded with assumptions or opinions. Be curious and teachable and interested in knowing more. Being a student of the students, aaahhhh. But it's live and I can't backspace or tailor the conversation to the individual because there are 40 different women with 40 different experiences and takes on life that likely even contradict each other. So it's an exercise in applying thought generally enough that they can pick up individualized insight. I need to pray for me.

One thing I've noticed is that I could work on sifting through details that matter or not. Sometimes I think the reader needs all the details for a full picture. I'm learning that I can do more succinct writing using careful vocabulary laced with all kinds of information. I'm also learning that not all details are actually important. But have you ever read a news article and scanned every word for more details only to be left wondering? I hate that. Am I nosy? Perhaps. Am I trying to be judge and jury? Definitely. But am I wrong? No.