Bell Ringers

Were you at our Christmas Concert last year? If so you might want to watch this video and see if you can spot yourself.

Someone bootlegged our concert. Part of me wants to say “Hey!” in a “who do you think you are?” kind of way. But a bigger part of me wants to say, “Hey!” in a “I think this means we’ve hit it big” kind of way.

Either way, it brings back good memories. This is the opening number “O Come O Come Emmanuel.” Quite theatrical with the bells coming from the balcony and then the choir’s voices coming out of nowhere. Check it out.

Let’s talk about a couple things here:

#1 Processionals. We’re not Broadway performers so walking and singing at the same time isn’t Utah Chamber Artists’ favorite thing to do. The amount of work that goes into something that sounds so simple — especially when the conductor wants you to follow him when you can’t face him — is ridiculous. Just picture all of us spread out along the perimeter of Libby Gardner Hall at dress rehearsal yelling back and forth at each other and singing in between.

#2 Bell Ringing. You think it sounds fun, and if we were all 5 years old we’d be fighting to be the one to ring a bell. But we’re all grown up with well-developed apprehensions about unfamiliar tasks. It took some arm-pulling to get half of these guys to agree to be a bell ringer. We had a couple singers hand them over because it was just too darn overwhelming.

Speaking of bell ringing. Here’s a Claymation Christmas Classic: