He Comes Again!

Easter was last week and it was probably the best Easter I have ever had in my entire life. The Kaysville Stake performed the cantata, He Comes Again. It was truly amazing. It has definitely been a while since I have felt the spirit this strong. Everything went so perfect. All of the instrumentalists and soloists were incredible. After we finished performing, there was not a dry eye in the choir or the congregation. I could not believe the impact it had on so many peoples lives.
 I have really enjoyed receiving phone calls and emails from people telling me of their experiences and how the cantata effected them. I had hoped and prayed, when I started writing this over a year ago, that it would be something inspired and something that could uplift many and help increase testimonies for all that would hear it. I had no idea the impact it would have on my life. It was amazing to study the Savior's life almost on a daily basis as I would write each of the songs. I know that my testimony has increased exponentially and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me this talent and allowing me to have this opportunity to share it with so many people.
This was such an amazing way to celebrate Easter. I can think of no better way to celebrate the life, death and Resurrection of our Savior than by coming together as a stake family and singing praises unto Him. We truly celebrated the greatest gift that has ever been and ever will be given to us that night. I am just so incredibly grateful to have been a part of it. I feel like I have been floating these last few days, being carried by the spirit that so richly filled my soul.
Thank you to the Kaysville Stake choir for being so wonderful and giving so much of your time. Thank you to all that helped make this night so wonderful. I know I don't even know how many hours went into making this so wonderful and how many people were involved, but I so appreciate everything that was done. And I especially want to thank Ben Dee, our Stake choir director. I have said this before, but it is true... He is the best choir director I have ever had the privilege of playing the piano for. He is the one who made it all happen and to him I will always be thankful!!
I can't wait until next year. We are going to make this an annual event now. I hope even more people will be able to have the opportunity to participate next year and experience the blessings that we all felt this year.
Now the only question is, what am I supposed to do in the mean time?? I guess its time to start on all of those projects that were neglected over the past year:)

The Cantata is finished!!

Well, I have really been neglecting this blog. I thought I would at least take a few minutes and write an update. The music for the cantata is finished. I finished the last song just a few weeks before our stake started practicing for the performance. I had no idea how long this would take me, but I am so excited that it is done and I am even more excited to hear the whole thing. I have been working on getting recordings of each song onto my website so that it is easier for everyone to hear how the songs sound and so that you can practice with them if you would like.
  I am so lucky to live in such a talented stake, and even more lucky that they are willing to come and record songs for me so that I can put them on the website. Thank you to everyone that has helped already.
  I am so amazed, as I look back to when I was writing each song for the cantata, at how blessed I was. I truly feel like each song was inspired. I can't even describe how I felt each time I would sit down to write the lyrics. I have always struggled with lyrics, but for some reason with this cantata, I felt the spirit so strongly as I would start to write, and many songs came so quickly, some almost too fast. I had a hard time sometimes writing things down fast enough. And then there were times when I would wake up in the middle of the night with a new melody in my head for the next song. What an amazing experience! I am almost sad that it is finished.
  I thought I would want a break from writing for a little while, but after a few days, I started to go crazy. I needed to write something! So, I am in the Young Women's presidency in my ward, and I thought.....I should write a song for their new theme for this year, "Arise and Shine Forth". So, I just finished a song called, "I Will Arise and Shine Forth". It is on the site along with a recording done by the very talented, Joni Hayes. She is amazing. Take a listen. I have also just started an arrangement of the hymn, "Guide Me To Thee" for SATB. Hopefully it will be done in the next week or so.
  That's about all that is going on. I am loving each Sunday night as I go to practice with our stake. It is so much fun hearing these songs come to life. Anyone in the Kaysville, UT area that wants to sing with us should come. We would love it.
  And last but not least, I wanted to thank Ben Dee. He is our stake choir director and is the most amazing director that I have ever had the opportunity to play for. He knows how to have a good time and laugh with everyone, but also knows how to draw the spirit in. He makes my songs sound so much better than I ever thought they could, and he is always encouraging me to write more (I always take that as a good sign that he likes what I have written). It was his faith in me that helped me to have faith in myself to write a cantata. And, not only is he an amazing director, he has also taken over my website for me. I am terrible with computers, and I was just lucky to be able to publish things onto my site. But, he took it upon himself to re-do my site, make it look beautiful, and make it easier to read or find what you are looking for. I don't know how to thank him enough. Thanks Ben!! (He also has recorded a few songs for me....he has an amazing voice as well.....take a listen to "On My Way"....that's him!)

With Healing in His Wings

I finally found time to write another song for the cantata. It has been a wonderful summer, and we have been able to do some fun things with the kids. But, between swimming lessons and going on vacations and dance camps, etc....it sure is hard to find time to write. Somehow, I found the time to write another song. I wrote the song that the women will sing. It is written for SSAA. I was trying to write a song about why we need a Savior. I read a scripture in Malachi 4:2. " But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." I loved that phrase, "with healing in his wings." I really felt like this is what our Savior has done for us, he has taken us under his wings and healed us, and without this, we could not be healed, or return to live with Him again. I was also reading in Jesus the Christ about the need for a Savior, and Talmage talked about how just as a flower needs the living waters, so do we need a Savior. So, I put both of these ideas together and wrote "With Healing in His Wings". I really like how it turned out. It is a very light almost lullaby feel, just perfect for womens voices. As always, I can't wait to hear it actually sung, it really brings it to life.
So, be looking for this on the site. I need to edit it and get it looking how I want to look, then I will put it on the site.

He Comes Again

So the cantata is going to be titled, "He Comes Again."  I just finished writing this song. It will be sung at the end of the cantata. I am really happy with how it turned out. I had a really incredible experience while trying to write it. I knew what I wanted the song to be about, but I was having a really hard time getting it started. I couldn't decide how I wanted to start it. Well, my husband and I had a date to the temple planned, so that whole day, I kept praying that I might be able to receive some inspiration for this song. There is not a better place in the world to think about the Savior, than at the temple. So, we pulled into the temple parking lot, and I just knew that I would be able to figure it out. I got dressed, and made my way up to the chapel. As I sat down in this beautiful room, I looked up and there is a huge picture of the Savior, coming down from heaven with His arms opened wide. I felt the spirit so strongly tell me that this is what the song was to be about. It was to be about our Savior, coming for us, with His arms outstretched wanting us to come to Him. So, I was able to come home, and that very next day, write all of the words to this song. It starts, "He came to us with open arms, surrounding all with love." I think this is one of my favorite songs that I have written. (I think I might say that about a lot of the songs I write though) So, it is on the website.....check it out!
I also have a few more new ones on there, I Seek Him, which is the song that I wrote about what Mary Magdalene might have been feeling. Alleluia is on the site. I also just wrote a fun little song called Our Mission is Possible for our stake young women's camp. Their theme was Mission Possible, so I hope this fits in with what they were wanting.
So, there's quite a few new ones. Check it out!

Recordings

So, I took a little break from writing and have been working on trying to get some recordings on the site. I have an incredibly talented brother-in-law who is a sound engineer, and he sacrificed A LOT of his time to help me do some recordings. Thanks Nic! I will put those on the site when they are finished. I was also lucky that my very talented stake music director was willing to come sing these songs for me. So, be looking for recordings of Master of Charity, There is a Green Hill Far Away, and How Great the Wisdom and the Love, all sung by the one and only Ben Dee. Thanks Ben! It sure is humbling to be surrounded by such talented people. Now, back to work on the cantata!

Alleluia!

So I am really glad that I started on this cantata so early. I really had no idea how long it would take, so I am happy to have the extra time. I never can tell when I will be able to write. It always just depends on if the kids all decide to nap at the same time.  I finished Mary Magdalenes song called, "I Seek Him". I am really happy with how it turned out.
Now I am working on the song for the choir to sing about when the Savior was resurrected. It is a very upbeat, exciting song and I hope that when it is sung, the congregation is able to feel the excitement and happiness that the world must have felt. It has been a fun one to write. I think it will be titled "Alleluia". But the jury is still out. I have to wait until it is done. I have an amazing stake choir director that is always very encouraging and gives great advice and ideas (Thanks Ben!). He gave me the idea of writing this song for a double choir, so it is written for an SSAATTBB choir. With choir I and choir II singing almost like a duet. I hope it will sound big and glorious, as this is the reason why we celebrate Easter....the Savior's resurrection! Can't wait until its done so I can hear it all together!

Abby's baptism song

I got Abby's baptism song on the site as well as a recording of her singing it. She is so cute!! I love it. She really loved being able to sing, and I love being able to share this with everyone. It is called I Want to Be With My Savior Again. Take a listen!