Last night, I made the long journey to Salt Lake to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert, featuring Norwegian-born superstar Sissel. That woman is amazing! She was so gracious and grateful for the opportunity to sing, and the had the most pure, clear voice. She had the stage presence that is often sought after but rarely achieved. She realized that the concert was not about her, but about the choir and Christmas. In short, if I had the opportunity to see her again in concert, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Have you ever heard the soundtrack to Titanic? If yes, you've heard Sissel. She's the one who's not Celine Dion, the one with the "hauntingly ethereal" voice. And she was beautiful. She was born in 1969, making her 37 or so years old, but she had the fresh look of someone in their mid twenties. She was stunning! If you get the chance to see or hear the performance, it is so worth it. She was amazing.
But the MoTabs were great too. They sang that great Nigerian carol, Betelemehu, that sounded as authentic as I've ever heard white people sing it. They looked a little goofy on this one, but I suppose that's hard not to do when you're a white Mormon from Utah trying to sing a Nigerian carol. But they were magnificent! And Craig Jessop, props to that man. He can pull anything off. Also, the orchestra, bells, and dancers made it even more wonderful. It was magical and if I'd eaten anything that day, I would have wanted it to last all night. (I, however, was anxious for it to end so I could dash over to the ZCMI center and eat some crappy fake Chinese food.) It was spectacular.
My verdict: if you ever get the chance to go, do not miss it. The choir, soloists, orchestra, dancers, bells... O Holy Night, I'm in the spirit of the season now!
1 comment:
I seem them often due to the fact that I have three family members in the choir. :)
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