The British Pageant: Choir View

It was the second performance tonight that Ben and I managed to join in with as part of the choir, and the fourth (including the dress rehearsal) for the whole cast and crew of The British Pageant. Watching the show from behind gives you a unique perspective on things because you see the audience reaction – and tonight was the best reaction yet.

I suppose the spirit of joy and missionary work was wonderfully set by the announcement at the beginning of the meeting that one of the members of the core cast will be leaving in September on his mission to… Korea. Despite not knowing the particular member of the cast other than as “that guy up there playing one of the Benbows”, seeing his reaction to the finale of the show this evening as we sang “Called to Serve Him” was absolutely priceless. What a beautiful moment.

The audience tonight seemed to be 75% Scottish – maybe that’s why they were so enthusiastic! They were, of course, particularly appreciative of the story of Alexander Baird (sp?) and all of the contributions of the cast member playing that role as many of them probably know him well and, if not, there’s still the tremendous sense of national pride that I admire so much about our northern neighbours (even if it does lead to them wanting to give us the boot!).

The music of the pageant really does play on a sense of our national identities. There is a wonderful moving instrumental melody running throughout the pageant that is actually the tune of “If you could hie to kolob” inverted. The Welsh song “Suo Guan” has received new words and all of us in the cast and choir (around 400 people) have learned our first lines of welsh. We only hope that we are pronouncing it right: we think it sounds beautiful. The Scottish and Irish melodies that come in particularly in the Apostles Arrival dance are so defining and stirring. And – of course – it wouldn’t be truly English without the wonderful people involved in the music managing to get a little bit of ‘Jerusalem’ in.

 The choir are placed across a bridge that makes up the back of the stage. I’ve heard that opinions vary greatly on how this looks. Personally, I liked it as an audience member and it made me think of the prayers that our ancestors say in our behalf. In the choir, we’ve been told to react to the events on stage and that just feels so natural to me that our ancestors would be in the heavens looking down on all we do. It’s a doctrine taught merely by staging! I love being up there – the music is so powerful and we have a real sociality. Which reminds me of this scripture: "And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy." (D&C 130:2)

I love the harmonies in the finale, but the bit that hits me hardest musically is the “All is Well” that the men echo as the women sing the words “my native land, farewell.” It’s always so moving to me. There’s a deep sorrow in it, attached to a commitment and sacrifice in order to obtain much more. We are saying goodbye to all we know and still there is this peace attached to it with the promise that all will be well. The heartbreaking moment that follows doesn’t make that any less true. “All is Well” means most when put in context of eternity. It’s a moment that, I feel, reminds the audience that people of the LDS church aren’t cheerful because we’ve never faced challenges including some of the worst sorrows of the world. We’re cheerful because we know the key- we know the secret to overcoming those challenges and we know the peace that comes from being sure of a loving Heavenly Father and the promise that we can be reunited with our loved ones. That is why we love the temple because it is a symbol for us of the link we have with all of the people we have loved and will yet love.

Ben, myself, with cousins from Ben's side of the family: Tanya, Eleanor and her husband Michael.
All members of the British Pageant choir.
All slightly odd.