The General Women's Broadcast Choir- An Experience I'll Never Forget

I found out about the choir from my friend on Facebook. She had posted to our Relief Society page that there was an application to fill out for anyone interested in singing in a choir for the General Relief Society Broadcast in 2014. This would be a historic event, because it was the first time that girls age 8 and older would be invited to the meeting, and there would no longer be a Young Women's meeting. All the women of the church would meet together bi-annually from now on. What an amazing opportunity!

I was interested, so I filled out the online application, which asked about my experiences singing in choir, why I wanted to sing, and what I thought I could gain spiritually from this experience. You also had to be at least 8 years old, live within 100 mile radius of the Conference Center, have experience singing in choirs, and be able to commit to 100% of the rehearsals and performance. The fact that the rehearsals were all at a chapel in Centerville on Sundays weighed heavily on my reason for applying. I figured we were in Centerville at Jake's parent's house for dinner every other Sunday anyways, so why not?? I submitted my application, and then waited a month or so to hear whether I'd been selected. I didn't hear back by the deadline, so I figured I hadn't been chosen.

Then one day I got a call on my cell phone while I was at the library. It was a lady saying that I had been selected for the choir after all! Some of the originals who'd been selected weren't able to commit, so then they personally hand selected other women to fill their spots. I was honored, of course, and said I would be happy to commit. So that's how it happened. I felt excited to be a part of something big, and good, and historic. I hadn't sung in a large choir since BYU Women's Choir, so it was fun to have that experience again.

Our first rehearsal was on Sunday, February 23, 2014. I arrived 10 minutes early, but the chapel and gym were already full of women and primary girls! I sat in the back, and we got our packet of music, a nametag, pencil and a letter from the General Women's Auxilliary leaders of the church. Members of the board were there, and the General Primary President, Sister Wixom, spoke to us. It was so cool to be there with all these faithful Latter-day Saint women, many of whom were mothers, daughters and grandmothers from the same families.

We were told there were over 12,000 applicants for the choir, and that we were there for a reason. We needed to figure out that reason and use it to strengthen our testimonies and be missionaries. We represented 292 stakes over a 100 mile span. Some ladies drove all the way from Logan for each practice, others from Spanish Fork. I was the only one from our stake in West Jordan, so it was crazy to see the vast area that the choir members covered.

Our director was Emily Wadley, an awesome lady who directs high school choir and had teenage daughters of her own in the choir. She was also an actress in the LDS movie "17 Miracles", in which she played the wife with the abusive husband who left in the night and boarded the train and who was not seen by her husband when he looked her in the eye. She was so cool and fun and outgoing- I loved her from the minute she got up to introduce herself that first practice.

We learned 3 songs that were written just for this choir for this Women's meeting on March 29th. The songs were "Daughters in His Kingdom"- a song specially written and arranged for primary girls, Young Women, and Relief Society sisters to sing, "Let Us All Press On", and a "Lord, I Would Follow Thee" medley with Love One Another. The music was beautiful, and such a powerful thing to sing with all those women!

We had four Sunday rehearsals, lasting 2 hours each, and then a Saturday dress rehearsal at the Conference Center. That was really fun to be there and see things "behind the scenes", and I took pictures of course. Here's the center from our view from the "choir loft".

Emily Wadley, our cute director.

Posing with the organ pipes

Me in all my glory, wearing my coral colored cardigan to fit in with the color code. They wanted us wearing shades of pink, orange, yellow and purple.

It looked so pretty all together!

Presidents of Relief Society, Primary, Young Women...just hangin out, listening to us practice and showing encouragement and love.

Then a week later, on Saturday, March 29, the day came for the General Women's Meeting we'd been waiting so long for! Here's my ticket, parking pass, and credential.

We met in the morning and had another dress rehearsal, working out all the kinks and making finishing touches.

It was so neat to have all the women's leaders there, speaking to us and showing their support and appreciation.

We got to eat lunch where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir hangs out, and they even had some nice gluten free lunches! I was so excited, I threw all my grain-free rules out the window and devoured that gluten free bread sandwich and gluten free cookie. I prayed that my body would digest it ok and that I would be blessed. :) It worked! I felt just fine!

The meeting was amazing. The speakers were wonderful. Elder Eyering spoke and the spirit was strong. The music was beautiful, and I felt amazing standing up there, singing praises to the Lord with all those women. After the meeting, this was when we were filing out.

Cute ladies. That's Linda Burton, the General Relief Society President in the turquoise jacket and glasses.

I went outside and met Bree and Cassity, and took some pictures with the beautiful temple.

Sister Love

And this is a shot she got of the screen during the meeting. Yay, my one screen shot! :)

I'm so glad I was blessed with the opportunity to sing and strengthen my testimony through beautiful music. It's an experience I'll never forget.