[Teachldsseminary] CHAT: song at GBH funeral - story

[Marji]

While listening to the funeral, I felt something very special through
this song.  Here is the story behind it.
Marji
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The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang a hymn text written by President
Hinckley at his funeral. During President Gordon B. Hinckley's funeral
service Saturday, everyone listening heard something new. It was a
poem written by President Hinckley that was just recently put to
music.

It is originally titled, "What is This Thing that Men Call Death."
Latter-day Saint songwriter Janice Kapp Perry discovered the poem as
her own niece was dying and trying to find comfort. Sister Perry asked
Hinckley if he would permit her to put the words to music. He approved
her request three days before he died.

The letter addressed to Sister Perry is dated January 24, 2008 with a
special thanks from President Hinckley. It reads, "Please know that
President Hinckley appreciates your thoughtfulness and generosity in
so remembering him."

During the times in Hinckley's own life, he often spoke of the
desperate heartbreak he felt at the loss of his wife of 66 years,
Marjorie Pay Hinckley. The words of his poem seem to speak of her, "O
God, touch thou my aching heart and calm my troubled haunting fears.
Let hope and faith transcendent pure give strength and peace beyond my
tears."

President Hinckley passed away Sunday January 27. Ms. Perry got the
letter of approval in the mail the next day. Then that afternoon came
a request from the Mormon Tabernacle choir director Craig Jessop to
perform the song at Hinckley's funeral.

Saturday at President Hinckley's funeral service the very words of
Hinckley's poem gave others comfort upon his own passing.

"What Is This Thing That Men Call Death"
By President Gordon B. Hinckley
Music by Janice Kapp Perry

What is this thing that men call death,
This quiet passing in the night?
'Tis not the end, but genesis
Of better worlds and greater light.

O God, touch thou my aching heart,
And calm my troubled, haunting fears.
Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure,
Give strength and peace beyond my tears.

There is no death, but only change,
With recompense for vict'ry won.
The gift of Him who loved all men,
The Son of God, the Holy One.


Letter from Janice Kapp Perry:

       During President Hinckley's funeral, the Tabernacle Choir will
be singing a hymn text written by President Hinckley  which I set to
music in December.  I would like to share the story of it with you:

         About two months before my niece Kathy Blacker died, on
January 11, 2008, she found a three-verse poem by President Hinckley
among her files.
         Although she was resigned to dying, she had some fears about the dying
         process and his words greatly comforted her-especially the second verse
         which descirbed exactly what she was feeling.

She wrote to Pres.
         Hinckley's office to ask permission to have the poem printed
on her funeral
         program, and she received a very nice letter from his secretary Don H.
         Staheli saying that President Hinckley gave his permission
for her to do so.
         The letter also conveyed some very comforting words from Pres. Hinckley
         which were helpful to helpful to Kathy in her final weeks,
and he said he
         would remember Kathy in his prayers.

         Then Kathy suggested that  I write and ask permission to give
the poem a
         hymn setting. I did so, and Brother Staheli conveyed
President Hinckley's
         permission for me to write the hymn. After offering some
heartfelt prayers
         that I might be able to write appropriate music for his
profoundly beautiful
         and moving text, I wrote the hymn setting and sent a copy to President
         Hinckley's office for approval at the end of December. I received so
         immediate response.


         Kathy passed away January 11 and after her funeral I sent a copy of her
         funeral program to President Hinckley's office so he could
see how nicely
         his poem was displayed along side my brother Gary Kapp's
painting of Christ.

      When I heard President Hinckley had passed away last Sunday night I was
feeling a little sad to think I hadn't received a letter with his official
       approval.  But the very next day after his passing, the hoped-for letter
       arrived with his approval, his permission for me to publish it
in a future
       volume of my series Inspirational New Hymns for Choir and Home,
and leaving
       it to my discretion as to whether to submit it to the Church
Music Division.
       The timing was so unusual and I was extremely grateful to
receive the letter
       as a tender mercy in my life.

Then on Monday afternoon Craig Jessop, Tabernacle Choir Director, heard
       about the hymn and had his office call me to obtain a copy of
the hymn for
       consideration for President Hinckley's funeral.  On Tuesday, while
       travelling in California, I learned that the hymn would be
performed by The
       Tabernacle Choir at President Hinckley's funeral on Saturday.

Having seen the great comfort this hymn brought to my niece who died just
       two weeks before President Hinckley passed away, my great desire is for
       people throughout the world to have a free copy of these
magnificent words
       of President Hinckley to comfort them in times of the loss of
loved ones.
       This is just one more way his influence could be felt down through time.


http://tinyurl.com/2ag5nj
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