--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Smith, David A. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 15 number: 3 published: 1912-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Smith, David A., "Tour of the Tabernacle Choir," *Improvement Era* 15, no. 3 (January 1912): 234–244.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1503unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1503unse start_page: 234 end_page: 244 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1912-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1503unse publication_year: 1912 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1912, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Tour of the Tabernacle Choir Tour of the Tabernacle Choir BY DAVID A. SMITH, OF THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC After- months of hard work at rehearsals, on Monday, October 23, 191 1, at 6 p. m., two hundred of the sweet singers of Zion boarded an Oregon Short Line train, in Salt Lake City, Utah, preparatory to taking a 5,500-mile pilgrimage through the east. Accompanying the singers were some fifty tourists, most of them being the husbands, wives, mothers, brothers or sisters of some of the choir members. During the day each member of the party had been assigned to his or her car and berth. The occupants of each car were organized with a captain and lieutenant, whose duties were to look after them, both spiritually and temporally. Hundreds of people had gathered at the station to wish their friends and loved ones success and happiness on their journey. The first concert to be given was at Ogden, and you may imagine the joy of the party on learning that Presidents Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, and Bishop Charles W. Nibley, had decided to accompany the party to Ogden. To take a look into the train, as it left Salt Lake City, one would wonder at the excitement, but upon closer scrutiny, he would find that dress-suits and white shirts were being unpacked by the men, and adjusted to their persons, as fast as possible, in the small dressing rooms of the cars. The ladies likewise were clothing themselves in white, and preparing for their first concert away from their home city, though they were received in Ogden as her own. After the concert, as the singers were hurrying to the train, whichwas to be their home for four weeks, Manager George D. Pyper was happily surprised by President Smith, who announced that the presidency had decided to appropriate sufficient funds for the choir to visit the scenes of early Church history, provided these visits could be made. On the 24th, a concert was given at Cheyenne, Wyoming, and, through the courtesy of the Union Pacific railroad, we arrived at Omaha two hours earlier than schedule. Manager Pyper had telegraphed ahead, asking that electric cars meet the party at the TOUR OF THE TABERNACLE CHOIR 235 and convey them to Florence. Upon arrival there, those station who were familiar with the history of this place were besieged with questions concerning it. - Conductor Evans Stephens was seen standing upon an elevation telling how the Saints in early days were landed here and fitted out for their journey across the plains. Concluding his remarks, he said "I walked from here to the : valley once, and if the people don't come out to our concerts, I believe I can do it again, although I much prefer the train." In Chicago, all were the guests of the International Harvester company, through the efforts of Mr. George T. Odell, manager of the Consolidated Wagon and Machine company. During the day, they provided a most excellent luncheon, after which sightseeing automobiles were furnished, and the party taken to see the city. An invitation had been extended to the choir by the Kimball Organ company to take dinner with them, but through failure to deliver a telegram the invitation was not accepted, much to the regret of all. As the party stepped off the train in Detroit, Michigan, a string of fifty-seven automobiles met their gaze. These had been provided by the Studebaker company, through the solicitation of Mr. Quigley, their local manager. During the day they visited the plant of the "E. M. F." automobile, and saw every detail of construction. While the attendance at the concerts given had been small so far, except at Ogden, the audiences had w armed up T and shown by their applause that they appreciated the singing. At this place, Detroit, the good women had worked earnestly to persuade the people not to attend the concert. But the people thereby became curious, and that night the house was filled with a cold, unsympathetic audience. As the sweet tones of the music fell upon their ears, however, they gradually laid aside their prejudice, and forgot that they were looking upon and listening to the dreaded "Mormons." The applause increased and prolonged, and encores were demanded. At the close of the concert, that once cold, misinformed audience filed out of the building praising the work of the "Mormons," having seen and heard for themselves. The next morning, the 28th, upon awakening, the party found themselves in the city of Toledo, Ohio, where concerts were given in the afternoon and evening. While the audiences here were small, they were manifestly pleased. During the night, Cleveland, 236 IMPROVEMENT ERA Ohio, was reached. As soon as the party could get breakfast, a which had been provided took them to Willoughby, special train Here they were met with automobiles, carriages, and farm wagons to convey them to Kirtland. It was an ideal day, the 29th, clear, and just cold enough to be comfortable. As the wagons, which were heavily loaded, commenced to climb the hill upon which the temple rests, the eager pilgrims, feeling that they were not being conveyed fast enough, forsook their vehicles and, almost running, reached the summit and stood facing the first house erected to the Lord in this latter day. They were met at the door by Mr. Miller of the Reorganized Church, who was in charge. He invited them in, and then gave a lecture relating to the history of the building-. He referred to some of the revelations given there, notably the one recorded in the 110th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. It was noticeable that he confined his remarks chiefly to explaining how this revelation was received, and not to the importance of its contents. He read from the first to the seventh verses, and called attention to the prophecy contained in the tenth verse, saying that this had been fulfiled, for people from all over the world had visited it, and that picture postal-cards had been mailed broadcast. But the singers could also see a mindpicture of Moses committing the keys of the gathering of Israel, of Elias committing the dispensation of the gospel, and of Malachi testifying that he should come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse. At the conclusion of Mr. Miller's remarks, he said "We : believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and I believe He then asked that the choir sing. Brother that you believe it." Stephens stood upon a chair, and Brother E. P. Kimball seated himself at the organ. He commenced to play the song, "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet." Brother Stephens raised his baton, and oh, what tones of music Tt was the voice of angels, ! for never before did the choir sing with such feeling and, as they ; looked back upon the past, their eyes were wet with tears and their voices subdued with humility. At the close, Mr. Miller arose and said that at the beginning he had stated, "I believe you believe Joseph Smith was a prophet of God now I can say that I know ; you believe he was a prophet of God." After spending a few hours visiting the historic scenes and TOUR OF THE TABERNACLE CHOIR 237 buildings, the party returned to Cleveland and prepared for their concert. The next day Niagara Falls was visited, and varied were the experiences of the party that day. At night a concert was given at Rochester, New York, another cold, curious audience being present, but they left with their former opinions somewhat shattered. The Hill Cumorah, where the Prophet Joseph found the Plates of the Book of Mormon. The next morning, October 31, at 8:30 o'clock, the party reached Palmyra. Here they found automobiles and carriages awaiting, to take them to the Hill Cumorah. All were taken to the hill through the rain. They climbed its slopes to the summit, and sang the hymn, "An Angel from on High." From here they were taken to the home of Joseph Smith. They were shown the room where the Book of Mormon was translated, the room that he occupied when he was informed by an angel of the golden plates. Thence they went to the grove in which he received his first vision, and there they sang "Joseph Smith's First Prayer.'' Upon returning to the train all voted it had been one of the most interesting and enjoyable days of the trip. That evening a concert was given at Syracuse, New York. The following day one of the newspapers stated that the singing was excellent, and if they could esteem the singers as Christians, they would be glad to invite them back. 238 IMPROVEMENT ERA From Syracuse they continued their pilgrimage to Scranton, Pennsylvania. In this city they found a music-loving populace. The work of the choir was known, and a number of the choir members had friends residing there. Many seats were unoccupied, but nevertheless the reception was a warm one. Judge Edward, who led the Welch choir in Chicago, in 1893, stated that this was nwv/*«*TAi»w«w tun. £*<*'** 'twa** au*/w£ ^ A view from the Hill Cumorah, looking toward Palmyra, N. Y. the greatest singing he had ever heard, and that the choir need not fear any New York audience. The next morning, November 1, found the choir approaching New York. The ferry took the company across to Nineteenth street. On the way, a first class view of one of Uncle Sam's fighting machines, anchored in the river, was obtained. All hurried to the hotel, re-adjusted their clothing, and rushed to the river front to see the great Atlantic squadron sail out to sea. It was a wonderful sight. That evening was to be the choir's first appearance in New York, for they had been invited to sing at a banquet given by Mr. Arthur E. Stilwell, president of the American Land and Irrigation Exposition, at the Waldorf-Astoria. Here the singers were well received. The men at the tables stood upon their chairs and waved their napkins, while the women, in the galleries, were vigorous with demonstration. After the sing- ! TOUR OF THE TABERNACLE CHOIR 239 ing, the choir was conducted into another banquet hall, where tableswere spread in the same building, with the same host, but oh, how different In place of wine, which had been so much in ! evidence at the other tables, the glasses were filled with clear, sparkling water. There was no odor of tobacco, and the atmosphere was clear On the following day, November 2, it being Sunday, the little mission meeting house in New York, at 126th street, was filled to overflowing, and for the first time since leaving home the sacrament was partaken of. During the stay in New York every minute was occupied, either in sight-seeing, or in attending concerts,one being given at Madison Square Garden, each afternoon and evening. One of the notable events of the twelve days' stav U. Si. S. UTAH. - 3-1352 CLARKE & MULLER. N. Y. IS The Battleship "Utah." here was the participation in the presentation of the silver service, November 6, to the battleship Utah. The warship did not look large, as she sat upon the water, but when the invited guests, six hundred in all, and seven hundred boys in blue, were on board, her magnitude could readily be realized, for the whole company were sheltered by the two big guns at her bow. The "StarSpangled Banner," and "Utah, We Love Thee" (the latter composed specially for the occasion), were sung with spirit, by the choir. 240 IMPROVEMENT ERA Another pleasure was the visit to the mansion of former Senator W. A. Clark, through an invitation to Professor McClellan. This palatial b.uilding is both wonderful and grand, and but few are permitted to inspect it, as did the choir An invitation was extended to the choir, Saturday, November nth, by Miss Maude Adams, their talented and respected townswoman, to attend as her guests the theater in which she was playing. This was actuated by a letter written to her extending The Sacred Grove, where Joseph Smith held communion with the Angel, near Palmyra, New York. greeting, and a wish for continued success, signed by all members of the choir, and left in the theater at Syracuse, where she was to appear the following evening. After the performance, the choir sang "Auld Lang Syne," bringing tears to the eyes of the hostess, who invited all to the stage, where she shook each one by the hand. She expressed herself as being more than pleased to greet them, especially so on this day, it being the anniversary of her birth. From the theater all went to the Astor Hotel, where a few songs were sung, and where refreshments were served. That night, being the closing night of the landshow, the choir was invited to attend a banquet given in their honor at the WaldorfAstoria, Mr. Arthur E. Stilwell being host. Tt was a very happy TOUR OF THE TABERNACLE CHOIR 241 event, greatly appreciated by the singers. Mf. Stilwell had shown himself to be a friend, for he attended every concert given in New York, and at the close of this banquet he stated that he had never heard such excellent singing in his life.He regretted not having banqueted the singers every night, and stated that while he had not been to Utah, his acquaintance with the singers had endeared her people to him. The following day was spent in preparing for the homeward The Tabernacle Choir on the Summit of Cumorah. journey. A concert was given in the Hippodrome in the evening. On Monday, the 13th, the company arrived in Philadelphia, where the Independence Hall, Carpenter's Hall, home of Betsy Ross, and many other historic places, were visited, rather hurriedly, however, for another concert was to be given that night. The next morning, the 14th, found the party in Baltimore, and the next day, the 15th, in Washington. This city, with its wide, clean streets, was the only one that could be compared with our own. Here it was learned that the President of the United States would be unable to attend the concert, which was to be given in the afternoon, but that he would be pleased to have the U2 IMPROVEMENT ERA choir sing for him at the White House in the evneing. That day small parties of the company could be seen going to and from the various government buildings with scarcely time to look around. Thus in a few short hours the wonders of our National Capital were seen. No, one was yet to come, for, at 9 p. m., they were ushered into the presence of President William H. Taft, and his good wife, who greeted them all with a hearty handshake. The old home of the Prophet Joseph Smith, where the Angel visited him, and where part of the Book of Mormon was translated. The choir was arranged in one end of the famous east wing, while the President and his invited guests seated themselves at the other. With Professor McClellan seated at the $2,500 piano, Professor Stephens raised his baton, and the inspired songs put forth were greatly appreciated by all present. After the program, refreshments were served to the party in the large west room. While this was going on at Washington, the good ministers of Richmond, Virginia, were asking that the "Mormons" be not permitted to sing there, for, they said, "We doubt not that the choir will sing very well, nor that contains persons very decorous, it from a 'Mormon' point of view, but in giving them encouragement, you inevitably play into the hands of the 'Mormon' Church." The next night, the 16th, through the aid of those who sought to do injury, the house was well filled, and it is doubtful that one : TOUR OF THE TABERNACLE CHOIR 243 person left the building who would ever after rely upon the judgment of the protesters. That day was an interesting one, for, outside of the warm demonstration at the concert, many of the old landmarks of what was once the capital of the Confederate States, were visited. St. Louis, where the company gave three concerts, the 19th and 20th, proved to be uninteresting from a sight-seeing point of view, but the people made the singers feel that their efforts had been rewarded. In every city many were the conjectures as to the secret of their singing, but here was a critic who thought he had discovered it. He said "They sing in entirely different fashion from any other chorus. In the 'Mormons' song there is a magnificent note of religious frenzy, ' a diapason of devotion, an echo of deeds of fanaticism and of grappling with the desert, to make it blossom like the rose. * * * Their song has the note of triumph over difficulties, and dangers overcome. It is thenote of the pioneer, the road-breaker into the wilderness; and, indeed, they do not in looks belie their ancestry. There is fire in their eyes, and thunder in their throats." The following day, the 21st, Kansas City was reached. Independence, Missouri, was also visited, and a song was sung upon the temple lot, where many scenes of early Church history were recalled. That afternoon many friends were made in Kansas City, judging by the hearty reception tendered at the concert. The next day, the 22nd, dedicatory services of the monument erected by honor Oliver Cowdery, at Richmond, Missouri, the Church in of were engaged in, with a concert at Topeka, Kansas, at night. On evening the 23rd, the company were on the train resting, and that Denver and the Rocky Mountains hove in sight. The choir members began to feel that they were nearing home they were ; better and that night, in the known here, being no longer a curiosity, largest and City of the Plains, they were greeted by one of the warmest audiences of the trip. They were received well in Coloout and rado Springs on the 24th. They then left for home, worn done their and tired, but with the satisfaction that they had best, and had 'caused thousands of people, who were misinformed prejudiced, to forget their feelings of unkindness toward a misinclined and understood people, and to become more charitably friendly toward them. With the grand and unparalleled reception in Salt Lake City, tabernacle, where on Monday evening, November 27, in the great 244 IMPROVEMENT ERA ten thousand home folks welcomed their choir's return, all the readers of the Era are familiar. A word in closing must be said in most earnest praise of the stupendous work performed by Manager George D. Pyper, the excellent performances of OrganistJohn J. McClellan, and the splendid and careful labors of the veteran Conductor Evan Stephens. The exemplary conduct, the good department, and the meritorious efforts of all the members, were remarkable, all resulting in honor to our state and people. ELDERS AT TRONDHJEM, NORWAY. Back row, left to right: John H. Evenson, Salt Lake City; Andrew H. C. (jtteson, Salem, Utah; Charles C. Sorensen, Ovid, Idaho; Archibald Christensen, Fariview; A. Wilford Nielsen, Huntsville, Henry J. Amundsen, Salt Lake City, Utah; Junius M. Sorensen l.ago, Idaho; Norman K. Amundson, Salt Lake City; Ernest A. Jensen, Preston, Idaho! Middle row:| Conference President, Jacob W. Olsen, Vernal, Mission President, Andrew Jenson, Salt Lake City; Bishop Anthon L. Skanchy, Logan, Utah; In front: Conference Secretary Albert N. Hogan, Mammoth City, Leo M. Greenhalgh, Scofield, Utah.