The Gift of Music

Each semester we visit our student teachers at Duke Ellington High School in Washington, D.C. One of their famous graduates is Denyce Graves, an African American opera singer. Of course every student attending this performing arts high school KNOWS that he/she will become the next Duke Ellington or Denyce Graves. Last week, we had the opportunity to hear Ms Graves and Brian Stokes Mitchell (a famous Broadway Tony Award winning singer whom I’d never heard of) perform in the Conference Center with the Tabernacle Choir in a wonderful program entitled “An American Songbook.” Denyce was excellent, but Brian Stokes Mitchell was more than fantastic!! Yes, there were a lot of gray hairs in the audience (including President Monson), but also young families and young adults in attendance. Hooray for them!

Loved, loved all of Mr. Mitchell’s songs. Three really stood out. I’ll share two of them with you. (1) The Very Thought of You: Read the words to this song, or better yet, listen to it – Nate King Cole’s version is good. I’m thinking we all need to rekindle that “butterfly stage” of our romance. (2) The Impossible Dream: Can’t help but remember the time when our whole family was shedding tears (to the point of embarrassment and shhhushing) to the reprise of this magnificent song. The words are so meaningful. Enjoy Brian Mitchell’s Broadway rendition below.