Tabernacle choir director shares gift with students

ALPINE — Cathy Jolley laughed when Mack Wilberg asked her if the Mormon

Tabernacle Choir could sing "her song" on its new CD.

Jolley is the director of the Timberline Middle School choirs and

Wilberg is the new Tabernacle Choir director, and the song he was

talking about is one he wrote for the school.

"The fact that he wants to do a CD and include the song he wrote for us

on it tells me he valued what he did for us," Jolley said.

Early in the year, Jolley commissioned Wilberg to write a piece for her

choirs. His wife had adjudicated a number of competitions involving the

Timberline Middle School choirs and recognized Jolley's singers as

exceptional.

"We had no idea what he'd do. All we could do was approach him and see what happened," said Jolley.

"He agreed. He wrote it. We performed it at our grand concert," said

Jolley. "The kids loved it. It's fun. It's something that's accessible

that the kids can do well. It was absolutely glorious."

"Down to the River to Pray" has notes at the top of the score listing

the names of the choir, orchestra and band directors (Jolley, Candis

Taylor and Jennifer Halverson) as well as Terry Hill, the school

principal. The notes also indicate that the song was written for the

Timberline Middle School in Alpine for its grand concert.

Jolley said Wilberg brought down the music and asked her to turn the pages as it was played, which proved to be challenging.

"He does everything longhand and what he was playing was not what was written on the pages!" said Jolley.