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By Kent Larsen
Tab Choir Charms Houston, Ft Worth
FT WORTH, TEXAS -- The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed Friday night
in Houston, Texas, overcoming floods caused by a tropical storm, and
Saturday night in Ft Worth, Texas, reaching an audience that
sometimes traveled hundreds of miles to see them. Performing a
concert featuring a variety of popular songs, the Choir charmed many
and even got the audience in Fort Worth to join in the final number.
The choir was in both cities as part of its tour of the Southern US,
and at least one man attending the Fort Worth concert drove in from
far away. Steven Hudson traveled from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Fort
Worth for the concert, even though he had seen a choir performance
several times in Salt Lake City. But he said the drive was worth it,
"This was one of the best performances I've heard," he said. "They
outdid themselves. They have a good spirit about them, and their
music is good. It's awesome that they all volunteer and give their
time and talent to do this. When people do that, it comes from their
heart."
In Houston, the Choir's performance went almost flawlessly, and those
attending even found the seats in the new arena numbered exactly the
same as the seats in the original venue, Jones Hall, to minimize
confusion. The performance was also nearly flawless. The Choir
performed an extended version of its weekly radio and TV show, Music
and the Spoken Word, complete with narration by Lloyd Newell.
In Forth Worth, the Choir sang many familiar songs, including
Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" from "The Mount of Olives," Woody
Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," and "Amazing Grace." They ended
with "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and conductor Craig Jessop
turned around for the end of the song to invite the audience to join
the Chorus.
Local choral director Maritza Caceres in Forth Worth said the Choir
gave their all, "They sing with their soul and their minds on the
crowd. They embrace the audience."
Sources:
Chorale captivates listeners
Dallas TX Morning News 18Jun01 A1
By Ann Hester: The Dallas Morning News
Choir offers inspirational performance
Houston TX Chronicle 18Jun01 A1
By Charles Ward: Houston Chronicle
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