Going Solo

For the past 17 years of our nearly 40-year marriage, my husband, David, has served as a baritone in the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square, previously known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Choir members retire at age 60, or after 20 years of service, and David is almost 61, so somehow it is already time for him to go. I have only briefly mentioned little snippets of this era of our lives because I am in no way a spokesperson for or reporter on Choir happenings, and also because David feels comfortable being one of the baritone section and prefers not to be singled out. But now that this era is coming to a close, I'm going to gush about it, and he will simply have to deal with it. Love you, Honey!

Singing in such a highly regarded choir takes great talent and even greater dedication. David grew up in a musical family, was the student director of our high school's select choir, was in a rock band through high school, and to this day, has the largest and most eclectic music collection I have ever seen. The man loves music. From the beginning, I knew that music would play a huge role in our lives together.

David had mentioned to me in our early years that he would love to be in the TabChoir one day, so for our 10th anniversary, I found a voice teacher at BYU and arranged for lessons. A few weeks in, he sheepishly told me how thoughtful I was, but that the teacher was really all about musical theater, and David preferred not to dance about during performances. So, another ten years had passed when a funny thing happened.

We took our kids to the movie theater to see Hairspray. Right behind us sat the two choir teachers from our junior and high school music programs, Leslie Walker and Leanna Crockett. I knew Leslie was in the Choir. So after the movie, I turned around and introduced myself. I told her about David's dream of singing in the Choir and asked if she would ever teach some audition preparation lessons. She said yes! And that began David's Choir adventure. (It also earned us the finest friends in the Walkers and Crocketts, as Leanna joined the Choir the same year David did, and they all rode in the same carpool. No one is allowed to be quiet in the carpool. You have to keep the conversation going. That rule added up to years of carpool commiserations and life advice and room to rant to people who understood the complexities of participating in a LARGE group situation.)

For these 17 years, there has been a rhythm to the Thursday night/Sunday morning routines that kept pace in our family, much like the steady-as-a-metronome upbeats of Mac Wilberg's baton. The constant thrum of music that leads hearts and thoughts and actions toward Christ has served as the perfect soundtrack to this life we've led.

David joined the choir when our kids were ages 11 to 21. It soon became the norm to hear him leave in the wee hours of Sunday morning, to then appear on TV while we ate breakfast before church. Our eldest son had just married, our second son left for his mission to Rome not long after, and suddenly here we are, 17 years later, with our four kids grown and married, and 13 grandchildren added to the family tree. It took no time at all.

Listening to David regale us with stories from behind the scenes of rehearsals and performances, and express how it feels to sit amidst the sounds of such testimony, has been the greatest of blessings for us. In the early years, when the choir went on tour, spouses could sign up to go with them. That's not the case these days, but I'm so glad I had the opportunity to experience some of the adventures with him.

Thurl Bailey interviewing David Longhurst in the Music and the Spoken Word Pre-Show

I remember one such concert at the Ravinia amphitheater on the outskirts of Chicago. My seat was in the midst of a group of church-choir ladies from Georgia who had come all the way to Illinois just to see the show. When they saw my choir lanyard, they peppered me with questions. It was incredible to hear of the joy they felt as they listened to the music. I have reminded David of the Choir's impact on those church-choir ladies when time commitments became heavy, and work responsibilities conflicted. Sacred music truly brings people together and lightens the load of the world-weary.

This afternoon, he will make his last frenzied run out of work to get to Thursday night rehearsal on time. He will do the warm-ups, sing through troublesome spots, and rehearse songs he knows by heart, for the last time. After rehearsal, he will be released from a 17-year musical mission - service that has changed him and defined him and provided him opportunities to testify of Christ on a constant basis. And then he will make his last late-night Thursday drive home from Temple Square. I imagine it will be a little somber.

Our grandkids only know the choir with Grandpa in it. They have grown up knowing which section he sits in and when to look for him. This Sunday, May 17th, is the last time any of us can hope to catch a glance of him when the camera sweeps over the back-row baritones.

I will be in the audience for Sunday's broadcast. It will be the last time I sit on one of those hardwood benches in the Tabernacle as a Choir Wife, watching the love of my life live out his dream. I've become quite comfortable being his audience, waiting for the lights to dim and the first few strains of music to fill the air. I am married to the most talented person I have ever met. I am so grateful for him. I hope he knows I am looking forward to being his audience for EVERYTHING he accomplishes in his next big act!