Show V Section 13 b Sunday March 31 2002 tS Page! i The Herald Journal B the spot by Karen That fust Canta-- I ta in 1996 concluded with this “Hymn of Praise” still wet sung by Karen and Cecelia the only singers who had ever laid eyes on it Rehearsals back then were penseful Cecelia recalls that ‘‘some-ione would ask what they would be practicing next week and the answer was ‘Ummmm we don’t know It hasn't been written yet’” With two families and 10 people together under one roof as woe the marvel Bensons and the Carters a ' For house can be a crucible' Once the songs started years Hortense coming they wouldn’t stop Richardcoming for years son’s idea “John would get a brainof an Eaststorm” Cecelia recalls er celebra“He would run down and tion lay print music and sing it to dead in a Karen Karen could play it drawer in out John would write it out Cecelia’s and he would pass out home But music to the orchestra” Cecelia At first it was music in entrusted search of musicians Cecelia describes the audiby Richardtion process son to “A fireman Larry Tolley write a was literally plucked from musical score could not get trac- a fire truck and given his music to tion “Frustration mounted” and she ‘On the Road to Emmaus’ a day or shut her work away in the darkness two before he sang it My husband of the drawer Vaughn was drafted to sing with One year construction at Wilson him Rich Smith the administrator for Logan Regional Hospital John School Elementary displaced and Karen Carter’s house and sent it stepped in to sing the prut of Peter' in ‘LovestThouMe’ A newly trucking down the street The Carters sought temporary shelter ' returned missionary Jeremy with the Bensons Vaughn and Threlfall was nearly met at the ' Ceceliaplane with a musical score and an “One evening when the children invitation to sing the role of the SaviocHeather Shepard who sang woe all asleep the subject of the Cantata came up” said Cecelia It the role of Mary went into prema-cam- e up in the right company — the turn labor and had her little boy Carters are composers and pianists shortly before the performance but and John is a recording engineer ' still recovered enough to sing that They opened the drawer and out night This ypar she is flying in front came the composition and also you ' Kentucky to sing her part again : might say the genie of inspiration “The evening of the original per-formance the church was packed Cecelia’s composition grew and breathed and multiplied becoming Hortense Richardson was escorted the Easter concert that annually fills ' to the stand where she was given a the tabernacle corsage Through her tears she “i had no due what I was getting expressed gratitude for all those who made her dream a reality” into” said John as he prepared for rehearsal last Sunday “It’s been That was at the Seventh Ward church house on the Island One lis- As Carter dashed about between tener Mole Olsen recalled that the instrumentalists and singers it was Easter Cantata had once been a tra- him said didon performed at the tabernacle Cecelia to as easy picture running to church waving a printout Why not return there? of a spanking new song written on “I laughed” Cecelia recalls he Easter Cantata in the Logan Tabema- cle tonight rejoices in the Resurrection and is itself risen from the dead Quite risen the way of resurrections Cecelia Benson calls the Cantata named “Love’s Greatest Gift” a “miracle” Considering the conflu- ence of events that created the Cantata everyone agrees it’s at least a n ££ ' j-jr- i r V ta V Hij V5 - - of : - love’s greatest Gift” Karen Carter plays the piano accompaniment “There was no way we could get enough peopleto the tabernacle But John said ‘Okay for the year 2000 we’ll do it’ Nobody will come we thought And both nights there woe packed audiraces Where did they come from? Where did die choir come from?” Auditions it should be said have changed No longer is Tolley taken down from the fire truck Instead he and the others answer an ad in this newspaper When people ask Cecelia how they could try out for the choir she answers “Just watch for die ad in The Herald Journal That will be your audition” -- - Us r:T i See CANTATA on C2 ’ Ji $3'? ' d&fclfti-- "“58 W- & w f Is Above: A focused Jereiny Miller plays the cymbals Left: CbhductorComposer John Carter leads the cantata fl rehearsal at the Logap Tabernacle Hnset: Vocalist Heather Shepard traveled from Kentucky to participate v ' the Spring performance: i f ' ' I i I in !V- 1 r I i f r : iv v S s ' i ' 0’ Text by Mike IngrahamPhotos by Brent Stevens t ' A I A- SV - ‘Vvv-VM- - ‘V v V k V v -- : W yj ' |