Patriot's and Pioneers: Gettysburg

I just finished my last performance at BYU-Idaho and I couldn't have asked for a better performance to go out with! We were remembering the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address. We had a guest, Edward Hermann, come and narrate parts of the program! It was absolutely amazing! The last half was my favorite! That was the portion of the program that focused around Gettysburg. We sang a long set that included:

• Battle Cry of Freedom arr. by Brother Kempton (this recording is only the Union, but Brother Kempton added the Dixie/Confederate in there as well)
• Tenting Tonight
• The Dying Soldier arr. by Brother Mack Wilberg
• Of the People, By the People, For the People written by Brother Brown (faculty from BYU-Idaho)

My favorite is 'The Dying Soldier'. I cry every single time we sing it! And yet all of these songs have a message of hope in them! As soon as Sister Solberg put her arms down, I broke! Tears started streaming down my face and I felt overwhelmed! The audience jumped up after we finished, there was a powerful spirit there! I was reminded by my Grandma Anderson that I'm related to General George Pickett from the Confederate's. He led the raid that is now called "Pickett's Charge". It was really cool for me to think about George and what he did.

After we sat down and watched people begin to trickle out I felt the overwhelming sense of finality. That was my last time singing in the BYU-Idaho Center; in fact, that was my last performance at BYU-Idaho. I felt deflated, and yet a great sense of accomplishment! I've had the opportunity to perform and share my testimony through song so many different times over the last five years. I'm grateful for this final chance I had to bare my testimony! I'm also grateful that this isn't the last time I get to share my testimony through song; I can do that every day! However, my time at BYU-I is drawing to an end, and it's really bitter-sweet for me. But, onto the next chapter of my life!