Todd and I went to campus today to watch a conference broadcast, and something happened that could ONLY happen at BYU. The picture was fuzzy and the audio wasn’t working, but we could discern through the scrambled picture that the opening hymn was to be “Now Let Us Rejoice”.
Our eager student crowd did not miss a beat, literally. As soon as the squiggly conductor lifted his hand and opened his mouth our crowd was ready. I wasn’t surprised so much that people sang along to a silent, squiggly screen, I was surprised with the gusto, volume, and good quality of sound that burst forth…and in four-part harmony.
It gave me the giggles real bad. I wasn’t laughing because I was mocking their eagerness, I was laughing because I understand that some behavior is circumstantial; that BYU campus has this magical power to create obedient little participators. I was laughing because I’ve been to other churches before, and Mormons sing really well, especially BYU students.
I couldn’t get myself under control until the last verse, and it was then that I added my best shot at alto, because that’s what I had to offer.
15 comments:
I'm just so happy you're back.
Oh great, now the words to that song keep ringing through my head. I've been BRAINWASHED!!!! AAARRRHHHH!
LC
What IS it with that song and BYU devotionals? I have a very vivid memory of my BYU days of singing that song at EVERY Marriott Center gathering I ever attended. There MUST be a good reason. Someone, please explain. Is it particularly easy for large groups to sing together? No irregular beats? Easy harmony? It's not like we all learned the words in Primary...
So why did you go? Who was speaking?
hey, monkey.
You would've made me start to giggle too, I'm sure.
...and earth will apear as the garden of eden...
It was OUR stake conference even though lots of stakes were invited. Cecil spoke and Wirthlin (his wife just died and he talked about "carrying on" :(. Then Monson spoke and he did not have a topic. He just showed pictures that little kids had drawn for him of "pumkin temples" and told stories and recited parts from plays and poems...it really was random and strange. He was really funny, but I just didn't understand why they would have all these stakes assemble just for that.
that's like...wicked wie-ahd.
I was at the Marriot Center when Cody Judy tried to get President Hunter to read a letter stating HE was the new leader of the LDS church. And while he was threatening us all with a bomb (turns out to be a suitcase with some books in it), the congregation burst into song--harmony and all, and I knew it was supposed to be inspirational, but I thought it was so funny! Like, where else does this sort of thing happen?!--it's nice to know I'm not the only one. . .
It's so great that you're back! (I'm a long time stalker here)
that happened at byuh a lot. the sound would go out but everyone would break right in and sing. byuh didnt have the rythme you mentioned and THATS what usually made me giggle.
Ok, at the beginning of reading this I thought we were in for a good story about how you saw some crazy happy coed singing out loud on campus (seen it many times myself). However, I find I am similarly ammused by the actual story--only I hate the alto part to that song (excepting the very last line) bc it stays on the same note most of the time, and it makes me self-conscious that someone near me with a lesser ear might think I'm tone deaf.
If that person had a "lesser ear" then how would they know that you were tone deaf? Can people that are tone deaf tell if someone is singing off key? Something I've never really considered...
Hey I was there with you in that massive crowd.
All along you were fooling us all! I keep checking but you're not really back - you were teasing us and making us THINK you were back. Call me crazy, but I'll still check and see once in a while. COME BACK FOR GOOD!!!!!
LC
Rise and Shout the Cougars are out...that's all I know of that song...and I'm not sure why I capitalized the words I did.
Try playing that song from the simplified hymn songbook on the piano...it is torture. One note...the whole time...pounding, pounding, pounding...
Hello? Hello?
I'm sorry I missed your Birthday.
Can you hear me?
I love you, friend.
Hello?
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