It's been a few months since I posted anything and a lot has happened. The biggest change was that I moved and that took a big chunk of my time and attention for a few weeks. Last weekend I was able to go to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert at the LDS conference center in Salt Lake and I wanted to blog about my experience. I felt lucky because I was able to go on Friday and again Saturday night. On Saturday I decided to try out the new frontrunner train because of the snow storm.
Here's a picture of the view I had from the window on the train...brrr, it was cold
I arrived at Central Station in Salt Lake just as the Christmas lights in the plaza turned on
I met up with a friend at City Creek Mall and we explored the mall some while trying to decide what to do for dinner. I loved the decorations, it's a beautiful mall!
After dinner at the Lion House Cafe we walked across Temple Square towards the conference center. This was the view we enjoyed...so beautiful!
I snapped this picture of the choir just before the program began
The performance was amazing! My favorite moments included hearing Alfie Boe sing Bring Him Home, from Les Misérables and watching Richard Elliott playfully perform Sleigh Ride on the organ.
The magic came for me when Tom Brokaw told the story Christmas from Heaven: A gift that changed the World. He told the story of Hal Halvorsen, also known as 'Uncle Wiggly Wings' and the 'Candy Bomber' who dropped candy rations by parachute over Berlin in 1948. The story came to life through pictures and sounds. It was magical when "snow" started falling in the conference center along with several parachutes. The Deseret News shared this picture of that moment:
The big surprise was when the parachute-like screen that they'd been showing pictures on dropped to the ground and Hal Halvorsen waved to the crowd. He made his stage appearance encircled by children dressed as German refugees with the sound of flying airplanes filling the hall and searchlights piercing the dark. He's 92 and I thought it was impressive to see him jog down the stairs then talk with Tom Brokaw about his experience. He even mentioned that he was wearing the same jumpsuit he wore in 1948! Wow, it was a special experience I won't forget!
Here is another picture from the Deseret News showing Tom Brokaw and Hal Halvorsen
I snapped this picture of the final moments of the concert when the crowd gave a final standing ovation
On my way to the train station I took this picture of the Salt Lake Temple. It was a wonderful concert and I'm glad I was able to enjoy the magic two nights in a row.
Merry Christmas!
