All is Well

To continue my postishness on Religious Songs I just wanted to write a little bit about what it meant for me to present a Mormon Trail themed Midterm to the class (with the wonderful help of Beth).

I think one of the most rewarding parts of preparing was being able to sift through Pioneer journals. After one long day of research I had chosen 18 pages of single spaced quotes that I had thought were "indespesible." It was immensely difficult to cut it all down to the 4 pages single-spaced (including song lyrics) that I needed for the presentation because all the voices I had found were REAL people going through such a trying period in their lives...a trial that we can't even imagine.

I was particularly happy to find a song in its original tune form from the British immigrants since a few of my own ancestors may have sung that very song as they immigrated from Wales and Scotland to "Zion."

Of course the children's songs were great too, a nice mix up from the period songs. It was fun for the class to see I think.

BUT, the high point of my presentation had to be singing "All is Well." I have known about this song my entire life and have always loved singing it. I wanted to do it right. I wanted to try and let people in the class feel the song, written on the trail and sung by thousands of pioneers crossing the plains and going through such difficult times, yet singing "All is well, All is well."

Maybe I imagined it...maybe...but it seemed that by the second verse the classroom had gone silent..."Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? 'Tis not so; all is right." I remember thinking that Beth had begun at a much MUCH faster tempo than we had practiced. I remember looking at her and trying to regulate it, slow it down with me...looking at each other I think we could feel the song a bit better. I remember singing through the first verse and looking back at the class and seeing quite a few people with their eyes closed...(I don't THINK they were sleeping. hee hee) I think they were really listening. We switched into harmony. And even though I had learned a descant for the final verse...I was so caught up in the song that I completely forgot. I just heard my soprano and Beth's alto and I heard my ancestors a capella on the plains...

It meant a lot to me to have that opportunity.