Concert Gives New Voice, Appreciation to “Come, Come, Ye Saints”

“Though hard to you this journey may appear, grace shall be as your day.” Those familiar words from “Come, Come, Ye Saints” might well describe the journey several singers, composers, and choir directors took to pay special tribute to this iconic hymn last Sunday.

“Though hard to you this journey may appear, grace shall be as your day.”

Those familiar words from “Come, Come, Ye Saints” might well describe the journey several singers, composers, and choir directors took to pay special tribute to this iconic hymn. Their efforts culminated on Sunday night as they gathered in Melbourne, Australia, in Melba Concert Hall for “Come, Come Ye Saints,” a special performance.

The concert was unique by many standards. All 12 of the concert’s pieces grew from “Come, Come, Ye Saints” (meaning, as one singer put it, that everyone involved came to know the words “verrry well”). Furthermore, despite the song’s distinctly religious nature, many of those involved did not have LDS backgrounds. Lastly, according to chief organizer Glenn Gordon, it gave Saints in Melbourne “a chance to hear new LDS music here—to create an understanding that such things were possible and were not restricted to Utah.”

For Gordon, the journey to Sunday night was worth it, even if it was long.

It started back in 1997 when Gordon met with several composers at BYU and discussed the concept. They were less than enthusiastic—many said it would be “boring.” It wasn’t until nearly nine years later that Gordon, after organizing an LDS music collection, returned to the idea. This time the composers he contacted encouraged him, and Gordon eventually found 12 who were willing and able to compile original pieces inspired by the song.

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Australian composer Elliott Gyger found the task somewhat difficult. “Coming from a non-LDS background, I didn’t previously know ‘Come, Come, Ye Saints,’ and I must confess that it isn’t necessarily the kind of text I would have chosen for myself to set!”

However, coming at the text from a new angle meant that Gyger was able to find something new and universal in it: “What I found most interesting was the sense of multiple journeys in parallel: a physical journey through the American West, a personal journey towards fulfillment and a spiritual journey to a paradise beyond this world.”

Also participating with these composers was the Melbourne Chamber Choir, which has no religious affiliation. Faye Dumont, leader of the choir, studied with Mack Wilberg at USC and maintained a friendship with him, so was open to considering a concert with an LDS theme.

Dumont found the creativity in the pieces inspiring. “It was illuminating to see how each composer’s creativity responded to this starting point. Where one might think there would be a sameness to the compositions, they were colorfully different,” she said.

Rose Wallin, one of the singers in the Melbourne Chamber Choir, felt that the very specific theme of the performance gave it extraordinary focus. “It was a concert that felt as though it had real direction a purpose—I think mostly due to Glenn’s passionate vision,” she said. “It was very interesting to be exposed to aspects of a religion that I have no experience with, and learn a bit about it.”

The concert had many different goals, according to Gordon, including creating an event unique to LDS music-making, bringing young composers together with experienced composers and providing the opportunity for worldwide exposure to the pieces by selling a recording of the concert.

Ultimately, though, one of the great goals he had was to facilitate new appreciation for an old and familiar hymn. “I wanted people to hear the familiar text with new ears and build a new level of understanding and appreciation for words that have become so familiar that they are sung on autopilot,” he said.

That new understanding is exactly what many felt. Tamsyn Opie, one of the singers of the LDS choir that joined the Melbourne Chamber Choir, said, “Having the words the same for each piece, I feel was able to lead to a greater appreciation of the lyrics and a greater feel for what the early saints had to go through.”

Cynthia Watson, another LDS singer, said the opportunity helped her apply “Come, Come, Ye Saints” more broadly. “I enjoyed having to rethink my habitual response to this song. The new music made me appreciate how the lyrics of this song express a universal message of hope for all Christians.”

Even Gordon was surprised with how the pieces affected him. “One of the things that actually surprised me on the night was just how emotionally I reacted to the works being performed. Each piece made me think in new ways,” he said. “It was humbling for me to see how much work went into each piece and to know each composer brought his or her own voice to the project.”

Not only did the concert facilitate a new appreciation for a special anthem, but it also provided an opportunity for many to appreciate it for the first time. “After the concert one of the Melbourne Chamber Choir Members who was not LDS, approached me to thank me for putting the program together and expressed how meaningful an experience it had been for her,” Gordon said. “Music touches lives, and I believe that this concert did just that.”

On the web: http://ldschoirs.com/reflections/