The best way I can think to explain this work is to share some of the director's notes. A little background first: and oratorio is a large musical composition that generally focuses on one story or subject. Place of Holiness is a work about temples, and it is based entirely on scripture. Since the Latter-day Saint church doesn't have quite as much original music as other faiths who have been around longer (think Handel's Messiah), a work of this size, subject, and caliber by an LDS composer is a little bit of an anomaly, albeit a welcome one.
Lou Williams, who directed last Saturday, writes of Don Grimes: "There is so much to tell about [him]. His first mission to Argentina, his schooling (he has three degrees including a doctorate from Brigham Young University), his service as a fighter pilot in the US Air Force, his service as a bishop, [church] organist, choir director, and many other church callings could fill volumes."
He goes on to describe Brother Grimes' service in the temples, where he served as a sealer, or someone who officiates in the sacred ordinance that seals couples and families together forever. He then continues, "[Don Grimes] and his wife Carol went on a mission to Montevideo, Uruguay where he continued to serve in the temple. After returning from that mission, having retired and with his health failing, he began working on the oratorio that is being sung for the very first time tonight."
Brother Grimes himself wrote about this oratorio:
"About the composition, both as a musician and a temple sealer, the desire to represent through music the magnificence of the temple and its ordinances has permeated my feelings over the past months with increased urgency. I am beginning to perceive some purpose in the Lord's prolonging of my days. I find I am calling upon a lifetime of training and experience, opening up old books and re-honing my creative skills. If the results could be edifying for the church and the people, I feel I would have made a contribution with the gifts I was given. These are my deepest feelings about this oratorio."
The choir that sang this piece last Saturday was certainly an amateur one--the vocal talent ranged from professional singers to singers with very little music performance experience. However, everyone who participated felt of the power and the beauty of the music. It took us eight months to prepare and forty minutes to perform (we sang a condensed version), but we will never forget that experience or the testimony of the Lord's house it bore to us.
With all that said, here are some pictures documenting the evening.
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| The fabulous Lisa (in the green, Lou Williams' wife) is the one who provided and set up our pre-performance banquet. See following photo: |
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| Sister Grimes, Don Grimes' wife, presenting gifts before the performance. |
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| Part of the Alto section (woot woot!), including Eve and her gorgeous new baby girl. |
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| Our fearless director. No one put as much work or faith into this as he did! |
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| Look at those beautiful sopranos! And you can see some basses back there, too, if you look hard enough. |
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| Sister Grimes and I, after all was said (sung?) and done. |
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| The absolutely amazing desserts. |
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| The absolutely amazing desserts being thoroughly enjoyed. |
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| Two of the lovely sopranos. I'm so glad I didn't have to hit any high A's (or higher!). For them, it was no sweat. |
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| This is Sister Grimes and her (and Brother Grimes') grandson, who sang two of the recitatives in the oratorio. |
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