Provo Tabernacle

FREEDOM!

The semester is over, the concerts are over, the finals are over, and guess what? I HAVE TIME AGAIN. For the first time since what feels like EFY, I actually have some time to blog. I hope this keeps up, because I really miss it!

Anyway... this year, outside of the stress of it all, has included the perfect Christmas. In order to have an amazing Christmas, I have recently decided that you simply HAVE TO sing, and you HAVE TO be of service to others. In LDC, I got to do both. We had our regular show, the poster for which, pictured left, I got to create - thanks to Liz Lemon Swindle for giving me permission to use her artwork...

Then we also got to do the Forgotten Carols (video of us at the show HERE), and a show by Lex De Azevedo called Gloria.










It was the Gloria show that had the chance to try and light up a community in light of a tragedy that occurred very early Friday morning, just before our Gloria show...

photo courtesy of KSL

It's been all over the news, at least around here. I can't tell you how surreal it is knowing that I was one of the last people to be inside that building when it went.

photo courtesy of Eric Torrie

That was such a beautiful building, especially with how much it had all been decorated for our Christmas show. It was supposed to be a big deal. BYU TV had millions of dollars of camera equipment in there that was lost, a beautiful harp, a $100,000 dollar grand piano, thousands of dollars of percussionist equipment that was personally owned, and so many other personal effects.

And that is not even mentioning the amazing legacy that building held. Created at great sacrifice by the settlers of the area and used for generations; full of beautiful craftsmanship in stained glass and woodwork, and a gorgeous old organ.

But I'm glad I was able to do something to help. We all felt a little bit helpless, but we were able to keep the music going, first in American Fork...



And then at the official benefit concert, last night, at UVU's event center.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

I have come to learn in being able to sing about the Savior, and being able to try and serve the community of American Fork with my friends, the true feeling and meaning of Christmas.

You can't convince me that there aren't miracles all around us today.

Merry Christmas to all of you. I hope that you remember the true meaning of it all, as I have been lucky enough to this year.