It's Kind of Festive Down Here, Huh?

Last night, Jay and I went to listen to the King Singers perform a Christmas concert with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Orchestra at Temple Square and, not to be forgotten...even though I'm not sure how hard their job actually is, The Bells On Temple Square.

My sister, Sarah, had gone on Thursday night and had warned us of the many hassles accompanying the evening. Parking...impossible. Getting through a line with a purse (it had to be checked)...long. Finding seats together in the conference center...uh-uh.

Heeding her warnings, Jay and I decided to leave two hours prior to curtain call to have ample time to arrive, we left all purses and male handbags (no..he doesn't really use one) at home, and rode Traxx to sidestep the parking issue.

Going downtown, Traxx was no problem. It was crowded and we didn't have a seat, but I am sturdy enough and confident enough in my underarm protection to happily hold onto the pole. Being the savvy urban dwellers we are, we hopped off one stop earlier than the obvious stop and walked through the plaza. At the Conference Center, where the concert was being performed, there were long lines at each entrance, but no line at door 15 which was offered to anyone without a purse or bag. We went right through that, found our seats and sat smugly in our knowledge that we had just accomplished the most smooth arrival known in the greater Rocky Mountain region. And we only had an hour to go wait and stare at each other.

The concert was spectacular. It really is unfathomable that so much detail, effort, preparation, talent and professionalism go into something that is offered at no cost. I know I've heard a lot of mumbling and grumbling about how tickets are distributed, and I'm not sure there isn't a better way, but what a wonderful thing these concerts are to the members of this community. The performance is world class. The opening number had dancers coming down the aisles, dancers on stage and the bell choir filling every possible space. I heard some old favorites with new twists to accommodate the voices and abilities of the featured guests, and even some new arrangements. The King Singers/men of the choir arrangement of O Holy Night was inspiring.

There was an entertaining rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas (my least favorite Christmas song ever) that, while long, finally brought some purpose and clarity to the song. It really is about all those crazy things, and there were lords leaping, and geese a'laying and swans a swimming (all through interpretive dance, of course). Again, so much effort went into performing this song. The arrangement, the costumes, the choreography...and don't forget the bells.

My favorite song of the evening didn't include the choir, the King Singers, the orchestra or even.. bell choir. It was an organ solo of I Saw Three Ships. I've never seen anything like it. It's as if he had ten arms and twenty legs helping him out. It made me want to actually try on the organ shoes I got for my birthday a year and a half ago. Can one brain really be able to delegate so many orders to different parts of the body? Maybe the shoes are magic. I'll let you know.

I've loved the King Singers and their tight harmonies since seeing them in college, and they didn't disappoint. They did a very fun arrangement of Jingle Bells and The Little Drummer Boy as well as many others, and continue the annual tradition of merging elite performers with an elite choir for an elite concert. As I watched them, they seemed to be having fun. I think any performer would love to have that kind of opportunity.

The King Singers

Unbelievably, in that crowd of 20 plus thousand, sitting only five seats away from me was Kelly A's sister, Lori, who I have actually never met, but we both knew who the other person was from pictures. A year ago, she would have been another stranger in the masses, but thanks to blogger and the spirit of friendship, I could reach down a few seats and warmly shake hands without being a freak (although I'm pretty sure everyone around us, including my husband, would beg to differ).

The ride home didn't go quite as smoothly. People were EVERYWHERE. As we were waiting for a crosswalk to change at the edge of the Plaza at Temple Square, a young man behind made the comment as the tenth or so horse drawn carriage passed by, "It's kind of festive down here, huh?" I've never heard such an understatement.

Photo ripped from the internet courtesy of Rich Legg

There was a Jazz game that finished the same time as the concert, and the trains were full to capacity. We missed three of them due to the crowds and I cried aloud, "Traxx! I want to love you! But you make it so hard!" Luckily, it was a beautiful winter night, we had procured free babysitting from my sister and there was no urgency to get home.

I'm so glad we were able to go. They were making a recording that will be aired on PBS next year, so mark your calendars. You won't regret it.

P.S. I don't really have a problem with the Bell choir. Their gloved handed ringing adds a lot to the songs they perform in. It's just kind of a joke with some members of my family.