From Deseret News archives:
Music, spoken word to mark 150 years since handcart trek
The 1856 journey of the Edward Martin and James Willie pioneer handcart companies will be showcased through a newly composed orchestral chorus, written by a Utah composer and sung and played by Utah Valley State College Symphony Orchestra and A Cappella Choir this weekend and next.
"Fresh Courage Take," composed by Marden Pond, marks the sesquicentennial of the fateful pioneer trek from Iowa to the Salt Lake Valley. More than 200 people died when a winter storm stranded the groups in Wyoming.
"While some historians look on the experiences of these handcart companies as a tragedy, and even though these determined pioneers encountered intense suffering and even death, the spiritual nature of their ordeal was a great blessing and a faith-strengthening opportunity," The Sons of Utah Pioneers, who partly commissioned the work, said in a statement. The SUP, along with the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, is co-sponsoring the performance.
The musical performance is approximately one hour long. Spoken text for the newly commissioned piece comes from personal journals, writings and biographies of members of the Martin and Willie handcart companies and rescuers.
The performance is free and open to the public and will be at the Provo Tabernacle, 100 S. University Avenue, tonight at 7:30 and again on Friday, Nov. 3, at the Bountiful Regional Center, 835 N. 400 East, in North Salt Lake.
Elder Merrill J. Bateman of the presidency of the Quorums of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is to speak at the performance in Bountiful.
E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com
Recent comments
I absolutely love this story! I recently went to Martin's Cove with...
Hannah Weaver | Aug. 9, 2009 at 5:49 p.m.
- House bill would boost costs 8:06 p.m.
- $47B in suspect Medicare claims 8:05 p.m.
- Little things count in Cougar victory 8:04 p.m.
- Snowstorm hits Utah; 1 dead in crash 8:03 p.m.
- 2A title: Broncos' slippery win 7:33 p.m.
- 1A championship: Rich undefeated 7:29 p.m.
- Few call Venice home 7:27 p.m.
- Volunteers are needed 6:50 p.m.
- News seeks entries for contest 6:49 p.m.
- Fans greet 'New Moon' stars 6:37 p.m.
- Apostle's wife felt comfort in attack
- Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
- Short-handed Jazz fly past Sixers
- D-Will home for daughter
- Bench proves fruitful for Y.
- Utes excited for 'dream' game
- Snowstorm hits Utah; 1 dead in crash
- Born of water and the spirit
- GameDay in Fort Worth
- No. 22 BYU holds off pesky Lobos
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
356 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
199 - Senators want food tax restored
164 - Will state consider gay rights law?
148 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
129 - No. 22 BYU holds off pesky Lobos
129 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
129 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
113 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
105
If you are looking for a bird on the cheap, the following specials from...
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
How does Scammed know that DHS hasn't helped snare a dozen or more attack...
Nobody is going to give Utah State a chance against Boise, but I think we'll...
So what you are telling me is that we DO need a government to do all these...
This is really cool.
Jealous? Yeah, I'm jealous, I'd rather have a sloppy win from missed kicks...
From the tone of the comments, people in Utah are content to be uneducated...
Trains don't blow their horns to disturb the peace. It's federal law that...
This ethics bill creates a commission that has NO checks or balances. The...
PG, Brighton, LP why are you saying "what if" Bingham played you. Bingham...
I dislike how they use the example of students having to change majors so...
