Reunion

The legendary Jay Welch passed away on Sunday, and his funeral was held today at the Bonneville Stake Center. Brother Welch was a professor of music at the University of Utah, led the Jay Welch Chorale, the Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus, and for 17-plus years was associated with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as organist, assistant conductor, and conductor. His family estimates that he either taught or conducted over 50,000 different people in the course of his career. He was a member of the Yale Ward for many years. The Bonneville Strings occasionally performs one of his compositions, "Pavane", in the prelude for stake conference. The Bonneville Stake Choir and Strings also use some of his arrangements.

Needless to say, the music at the funeral was incredible. A granddaughter played "Redard Variations", composed by Jay while a young missionary in Switzerland (then part of the Paris France Mission). The Redards were a family he taught and baptized, the the piece is essentially a series of variations on Chopsticks which the young Elder Welch would improvise on the Redard's piano as Sister Redard was preparing dinner. Quite incredible, really. This was a kid who graduated at age 19 from UCLA in math with a minor in music and was class valedictorian. He stayed in Paris after his mission to study at the Paris Conservatory.

But the main music was provided by members of the Tabernacle Choir with Mack Wilberg conducting and Richard Elliott at the organ. I love it when the Tabernacle Choir performs at the Bonneville Stake Center! And what made it even more fun was the gathering of past directors of the Choir. Donald Ripplinger (also my chorus teacher at Skyline High School),Gerald Ottley (from East Millcreek), and Craig Jessop were all in attendance. It was a great reunion of every living Choir director!