story10424.xml
Title
story10424.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2004-02-07
911DA Story: Story
I am a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. In addition to our weekly broadcasts of Music and the Spoken Word, we occasionally do special performances when conventions are in town. Patriotic songs such as The Battle Hymn of the Republic, America the Beautiful, and God Bless America are always audience favorites at these concerts.
On the evening of Sept. 11, 2001, we were scheduled to perform for thousands of financial advisers who were meeting in Salt Lake City. The date of Sept. 11th had been marked on our calendars for some time, and we had been looking forward to it. Little did we know how significant that date would become in our nation's history.
That night we gathered in the Tabernacle, numbed by the day's events. We were told that some in the audience had been personally affected by the tragedy, and many were worried about loved ones, friends, and business associates who were in the World Trade Center that day. Wise leaders dropped some of the lighter tunes from our concert program to make it less a concert than a prayer service and memorial to the fallen. But one patriotic song seemed especially poignant, even necessary, on that occasion.
"God bless America," we sang, "land that I love."
Thousands of Americans, brought together by fate from every part of the nation, shed many tears that night--tears of pain for our country, and sorrow for the many lives lost. But we also shed tears of joy, for we knew that the familiar refrain was true, more true now than it had ever been: We loved America.
On the evening of Sept. 11, 2001, we were scheduled to perform for thousands of financial advisers who were meeting in Salt Lake City. The date of Sept. 11th had been marked on our calendars for some time, and we had been looking forward to it. Little did we know how significant that date would become in our nation's history.
That night we gathered in the Tabernacle, numbed by the day's events. We were told that some in the audience had been personally affected by the tragedy, and many were worried about loved ones, friends, and business associates who were in the World Trade Center that day. Wise leaders dropped some of the lighter tunes from our concert program to make it less a concert than a prayer service and memorial to the fallen. But one patriotic song seemed especially poignant, even necessary, on that occasion.
"God bless America," we sang, "land that I love."
Thousands of Americans, brought together by fate from every part of the nation, shed many tears that night--tears of pain for our country, and sorrow for the many lives lost. But we also shed tears of joy, for we knew that the familiar refrain was true, more true now than it had ever been: We loved America.
Collection
Citation
“story10424.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 9, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/14609.