The Cricket and Seagull Fireside Chat

For centuries they lay hidden in clay jars in remote cliff-side caves near the Dead Sea, but now you and your family can see the Dead Sea Scrolls in 10 US cities, including at The Leonardo in Salt Lake City right now through April 2014.  And even if you can't go in person, you'll find amazing ways to be involved from wherever you are at the website (TheLeonardo.org) with podcasts of lectures, book clubs, and picture books.In this audio interview, Bryton Sampson, communications specialist at The Leonardo, takes us on a quick tour of the possibilities and what you'll experience at the exhibit. From a 3-ton stone from Jerusalem's Western Wall of the Temple Mount to everyday objects and sections of the actual Dead Sea Scrolls, you'll find plenty to pique your interest.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

What was temple worship like in Old and New Testament times?  What ancient symbolism might be enlightening to us as we  worship in our Latter-day temples?  The 2013 Sidney B. Sperry Symposium taking place this Saturday on the BYU Provo campus addresses these and many other aspects of "The Mountain of the Lord" in ancient times.  And if you can't attend in person, the book containing nearly all of the presentations has just been published.In this audio interview, Dr. Jeffrey Chadwick of the BYU Jerusalem Center and the department of Religious Education at BYU shares the history and purpose of the symposium, gives some passionate advice to Gospel Doctrine teachers everywhere,  and lays out a preview of his own presentation at the upcoming gathering -- "The Great Jerusalem Temple Prophecy."  The symposium begins at 9:00 am in the Joseph Smith building on the Provo campus and it's completely free.  Click Here for symposium details online.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

So here's a question; if you could visit Israel and go to all the places you've read about and dreamed of experiencing, using every sense but sight--meaning you wouldn't see a thing--would you still want to go? Would it be worth it? Kyle Woodruff has been blind since birth, but on a recent tour of the Holy Land with a choir, he “saw” the land of Israel and the places Jesus walked and taught, in very different ways than everyone else in the group--and came up with some amazing and surprising insights. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull

Motivating and inspiring young people to do their best is always a good thing, but how to do it?  In the case of the members of the Lyceum Philharmonic Orchestra, director Kayson Brown seems to have found just the right formula for inspiring excellence. In this interview he talks about high expections, love, and an over-riding sense of purpose; traits which apply to much more than music, although we'll be sure to hear lots of great music along the way. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

What if you wanted to paint the being you worship? You might worry that you don't have the skill, but what about an even more basic consideration; is it right to even try? If you do try, then what kind of representation should you use?  Classical, realistic, or abstract?  You'll find all these questions and a lot more to think about and see in this excerpt from J. Kirk Richards' recent keynote address at the 2013 conference of The Association for Mormon Letters, titled, “Seek Ye the Face of Christ: Considerations in Depicting the Savior.” And, because it's such a visual presentation, we've made this a video podcast.  Click here to view the presention. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

The word “banquet” conjures up the image of a feast; delicious food and lots of it, but for the past 22 years, students at BYU have hosted a Hunger Banquet – a banquet where the goodies are not doled out equally.  In fact, most of the attendees go away hungry, at least physically, but filled with a very tangible vision of the scope of global poverty. This event is truly “thinking globally while acting locally,” not only by raising awareness, but also by benefitting a local organization which helps international refugees in Northern Utah. Click Here to listen!  That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

It's the middle of winter here in North America – the time for snow and freezing temperatures, and the time when nothing grows in the garden.  At least that's what most of us have come to think.  But you might be surprised to know just how much you can grow all winter long.  In fact, the skills of winter gardening were common knowledge and even common practice up until just 50 or so years ago. This week we'll talk to an expert on Winter Gardening – a man who manages to feed his entire family from his garden all winter long.  In this interview you'll learn how a winter garden works, and you'll also learn a simple secret to always having a garden no matter where you live. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

There's nothing like a hometown Christmas — a Christmas when you were together with family, when the high school choir set the mood for the season with their concerts, and when you saw and waved to your neighbors as they scurried among the downtown shops seeking treasures for their loved ones.A hometown Christmas is a bit harder to find these days — strip malls and canned holiday music which starts around Halloween have seen to that, but they still do happen.  In this case we'll listen in on a few numbers from a hometown Christmas concert by Utah singer-songwriter Cori Connors, herself one of just two recipients of this year's Governor's Mansion Artist Awards for artistic contributions to the state and her community.  We'll hear a Christmas story or two, a tribute to a real-life hometown hero, a song about the reason for the season, and finally, a sing-along “Silent Night” with all the people crammed into the Farmington Arts Center to celebrate the season.  I hope you'll sing along.Here's to a hometown Christmas — that's this week on The Cricket and Seagull!

The "Arab Spring” has swept across the Middle East this year, bringing new freedoms to people in a number of nations, but in Syria, the winter approaches and hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled the fighting by crossing into Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan – nearly half a million and growing in number – are finding life more difficult than ever. In one of the many refugee camps, you'll find Jim and Karyn Anderson, two Utahns who have been serving as humanitarian workers for LDS Charities in Lebanon and now in Jordan, trying to bring relief and encouragement to the fathers and mothers who have made their way from Syria over the Jordanian border by night, often through gunfire with their children, seeking any kind of safe haven. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull!

It used to be that if you wanted hear music, you had to make it yourself, or find someone else who could make it.  Nowadays we can carry thousands of the greatest recordings ever made right in our pocket.  That part has changed.  What hasn't changed is what music does to us; what it makes us feel and remember. Come do a little time-traveling and musical exploration with the hosts of Classical 89, BYU's music station, now streaming worldwide at Classical89.org. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull!

When Calee Reed lets go with her big, hearty, infectious laugh, you can't help but laugh along.  And when she sings of joy or of holding on through heartbreak, it's hard not to feel that you know exactly what she means.  I guess that's the beauty of "The Waiting Place," the new album of songs that marks Reed's recording debut. With imaginative pairings of familiar hymns and lots of originals, Calee Reed hits the mark nearly every time.  Her runaway success of a music video (which you can see here) shows a gift for finding the divine in the mundane and the everyday; the perspective that suddenly snaps everything trivial into it's proper proportion when something really important is suddenly at stake. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull. Playlist: Give My Heart Your Peace Better Than a Hallelujah Called to Serve Closer to You Time for Love Trust in God The Waiting Place Where Can I Turn for Peace?/Be Still, My Soul She Put the Music in Me Come, Thou Fount/I Am a Child of God

"Next year in Jerusalem!" The Jews have said it for centuries. For all who love the scriptures, visiting the Holy Land fills your heart and mind with feelings and images which rush back every time you open those sacred pages. And some of the most moving memories come from singing the hymns at the very places they speak of; the little town of Bethlehem, a green hill far away, and not-so-far-far away on Judea's plains. To lift your voice in "He Is Risen!" at the Garden Tomb, to sing "I Stand All Amazed" among the ancient olive trees of the Garden of Gethsemane; these truly are sacred moments. In this audio interview, renowned choral director Brady Allred invites experienced choral singers to combine voices and form a choir for a 10-day tour of Israel, including exchange performances with the Kolot Hasadeh Choir at the Harduf kibbutz, and at the acoustically gorgeous Scottish Church in Jerusalem with one of Shimon Levtov's accomplished choirs.Along with the choral events, our experienced guides will make sure we still explore all of the important historical and religious sites which can make a visit to the Holy Land a life-changing spiritual experience in 2013 — "Next year in Jerusalem!" Click Here for dates and details, including a full day-by-day itinerary.  If you'd like to join us, please act quickly, the tour has already begun to fill.

For decades Clive Romney has been a solid session player, writer, producer, recording engineer, arranger and performer on the Utah music scene, but it wasn't until a change of heart in his 50's that he found what he describes as his true calling in life.In this audio interview Clive tells both personal and universal stories that show the richness a connection with our ancestors can add to our lives.  And, like most good guys in westerns, you can always pick out Clive in a crowd; he's the one wearing the white hat.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Summer is a busy season in Nauvoo, Illinois, especially if you are in charge of letting everyone know about the various events and shows happening every day.In this audio interview, Elder Verl Doman talks about the work he and his wife, Sister Sue Doman, do every day as public affairs missionaries in Nauvoo, and how the church reaches out in friendship to Latter-day Saints and other people alike in the area.  Also discussed, is why the growth of the church in Nauvoo puts the LDS Church is a position similar to the 1840's when the influx of saints began to affect the balance in government and politics in the area.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Recently retired BYU theater professor Eric Samuelsen has always connected spirituality with art, but he finds that connection in a lot of places where most people wouldn't think to look—like a ballgame or a rap song, or even zombie movies.In this audio interview Samuelsen talks about his background in the arts and shares some eye-opening ideas about what expressions of the human soul can mean to someone with the gospel in their lives and the willingness to take a second look.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

You've heard his songs for nearly two decades, but maybe you didn't know that songwriter, arranger, and producer Tyler Castleton was the man behind the music.This new 17-track collection album includes some of Tyler's most requested songs, as well as a few brand-new offerings, performed by Tyler himself.  With performances from the likes of Gladys Knight, Hilary Weeks, Jericho Road, Jenny Phillips, Kenneth Cope, Cherie Call and many others, "When I Can't Speak," features music that closes the gap between heaven and earth.Playlist:When I Sing (Tyler Castleton)When I Can't Speak (Julie Yardley)Love Will Find You There (John McVey)Again (April Meservy)Just Like a Father Would (Mercy River)I Will Not Be Still (Kenneth Cope)Blessed Be His Name (Jenny Phillips)Sometimes He Lets It Rain (Katherine Nelson)For the Love Of a Woman (Jericho Road)You Can Change (Julie Yardley)You Give (Hilary Weeks)Walk With Me (Tyler Castleton)I Just Knew (Cherie Call)Sisters In Christ (Gladys Knight)Let Him Heal Your Heart (Dave Kimball)In the Meantime (Jessie Clark Funk)Shine On (David Osmond)

LDS pianist William Joseph is known for being a protegé of super producer David Foster, and his first two albums have wowed listeners and audiences alike with virtuosic performances.  Now his new release, "Be Still," features an entirely different approach.Filled with thoughtful, liquid-sounding piano and joined at times by cello and violin, "Be Still," is a collection of reverent interpretations of favorite hymns with a two original pieces which match the mood of the project.  In this audio interview you'll hear samples of the music and William's thoughts on choosing and arranging the pieces.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Whether you're finding an apartment for someone newly homeless, explaining to a foreign refugee what a flush toilet is, or connecting addicts with resources for recovery, the Inner City Project has something nearly anyone can do to fulfill Christ's call to serve "the least of these" right when it matters the most.Mike and Allene Ross—Elder and Sister Ross right now—are assistant directors for this innovative program which is changing the lives of both recipients and those who serve in downtown Salt Lake City.  In this audio interview they share amazing stories about this program which lets you serve for a number of hours each week while still living at home, sleeping in your own bed, and even before you retire.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull!

She's been writing music for decades, but never loses her enthusiasm for writing for children. Ever wonder what her favorite song is from her catalog? How she combines research and relaxing to create?In this audio interview about her new album "As a Child of God," Janice Kapp Perry talks about writing for kids, the song that came in a day, balancing life and writing, and answers questions from Facebook fans.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull!

What would you do if you were the only Latter-day Saint you knew in your entire country and the only way to attend sacrament meeting was to get over, around, or through a massive wall meant to keep you and your people out?  And how would you make peace with your situation and learn to forgive?Sahar Qumsiyeh, a Palestinian from the West Bank town of Bethlehem, found unorthodox ways to attend her meetings for 12 years until a job at a UN agency allowed her to pass through the checkpoints freely.  As Relief Society President in the Jerusalem District, she shares the same responsibilities as her counterparts throughout the world, but with an added challenge of a wall which prevents many of those in her care from ever meeting.  Through it all, she has learned to trust the inspiration and peace of the Holy Ghost, giving her the peace Jesus promised; a peace not of this world.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull—be sure and Click Here to listen.

The popular all-mom trio, Mercy River, is back with a mix of well-known inspirational music and originals that reflect their own life experiences.In this audio interview Soni, Brooke, and Whitney talk about the usefulness of onstage humiliation, the good things about surrendering and letting go, plus introduce the LDS market to some of the best contemporary Christian songwriting from recent years.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull, be sure and take a listen!Playlist:Beautiful LifeBetter Than A HallelujahIt Might Be HopeWith Him We CanChange In the MakingLove Never FailsLet GoBlessingsBeautiful For MeSurrenderJust Like A Father Would

A video presentation of the audio interview including visuals of all the various works discussed. Click Here to view.

Rita R. Wright, Curator of Art and Artifacts at the Church History Museum walks us through the new exhibit featuring nearly 200 different works in a variety of genres.  Her enthusiasm for art and the gospel is infectious and you'll be glad for a guide who helps you see more deeply into these amazing paintings, sculptures, and yes, even a flannel board story.In this audio interview you'll hear what kind of support the Church gives to the arts, how learning to understand art an be helpful in understanding the scriptures, and I think you'll especially enjoy hearing Rita Wright get on her soapbox for a moment on the power of art and how it blesses our spirits.Click here to see a video version of this edition with photos of the exhibits.  And be sure to click here to visit the exhibit page itself and cast your vote for the Visitors Choice award.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Utah State Democratic Party Chairman Jim Debakis was delighted with the soaring numbers of LDS Utahns who turned out for the Democratic Party's caucus meetings last Tuesday, and Craig Janis, head of outreach for the newly launched LDS Dems Caucus, talked about the increased interest in the organization just this week.With The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expressing concern over a lack of political participation in the state and amid worries over the ways an increasingly one-party system of government in the state can be harmful to all citizens, Mormon or not, LDS Democrats were impressed to hear the following read over the pulpit in church meetings in a letter from the First Presidency of the Church in recent weeks:"Principles compatible with the gospel may be found in the platforms of the various political parties.  We encourage members to attend their precinct caucus meetings."In addition, the LDS Church directed local congregations to cancel activities on March 13 and 15, allowing church members to attend their Democratic and Republican caucus meetings held those evenings, respectively. The result? Record participation.That's this week on the Cricket and Seagull.

This new album features masterworks, sacred anthems, a folk hymn, a song from the Broadway stage, and selections from some of the most eminent film composers of our day. Included are jubilant renditions of “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Ennio Morricone's “Nella Fantasia” from The Mission, and one of the choir's most frequently requested anthems, “The Holy City.”In this audio interview director Mack Wilberg tells about the music choices, Tenor soloist Stanford Olsen, relates the most humbling aspect of working with the choir, and describes the joy of performing and recording some of the world's most enduring (and difficult!) works for choir and orchestra.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

For some deaf recipients of Cochlear Implants, it can take up to ten years to learn to distinguish sounds and to speak.  But for Emily Thomas, from Oklahoma, it was a miraculously short period of less than two years; years which coincided with her finding the Gospel and deciding that God's gift of words to her was a sacred trust. In this audio interview with Emily Thomas, a professional counselor deaf since birth, you'll learn three things deaf church members wish hearing members understood about them, hear a remarkable story of the Gospel of Jesus Christ bringing a family together after a decade, and generally bask in the glow of someone full of the light of the Lord. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Cody Reese and and Brandon Larson look like any other athletes until they slide up their pant legs to show off the high-tech prosthetic legs that keep them in the mobile mainstream of society.  What's not mainstream is their penchant for zooming down mountainsides at 70 mph.In this audio interview bobsledders Reese and Larson and their coach Jeremy Holm talk about the spiritual lessons learned from challenging yourself to do difficult things, whether able-bodied or otherwise, and why they do what they do.(Find them online here and on Facebook here.) That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Positive music can inspire, heal, uplift, and enlighten. That's what Craig Clifford and Aaron Edson have always believed and now they've released “My Rules,” a new album of 14 original pop, rock, and hip-hop songs that intend to prove it. In this audio interview Craig and Aaron talk about creating an album of modern music that encourages kids to live more hopefully, purposefully, and honorably, while enjoying the styles and beats they love.  You'll hear their philosophy of music and don't miss my favorite of the bunch, "Something Sacred," which, as Craig says, "I can't believe has never been written before." That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

You might not know it from listening, but some of Jason Tonioli's hymn arrangements and piano pieces have come to him at unusual times and places; like while he was white-water kayaking or boarding a bus to leave a little town in Argentina he'd come to love. In every case though, they are heartfelt expressions of his life and what he feels.In this audio interview you'll hear what convinced him to keep practicing piano as a reluctant teenager (moms take note!) in Hooper, Utah, and why he posts many of his arrangements for free online.  It's a preview of two albums in one program.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Mixing classical influences with sacred hymns, James Conlee sings new interpretations of beloved melodies from both worlds. At times he combines actual pieces as with "Abide With Me" and "Pachelbel's Canon," "I Often Go Walking" with "Claire De Lune," and others.James has performed with the Broadway touring company of "Miss Saigon" and is a former BYU Young Ambassador.  In this audio interview you'll hear about the hymns and arrangement process, how recording with the City of Prague Philharmonic provided a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience, and why several of these hymns have a personal connection to a loved one.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Bobbi Hansen has always loved working with kids and music, but she was a bit daunted when she first felt the vision of a new musical project for kids coming into her mind and occupying her thoughts and feelings.  Luckily for kids everywhere, she was willing to be brave and step forward in faith and dream big.In producing "We Are Amazing!" she teamed with veteran children's writers Roger & Melanie Hoffman, Marvin Payne, and Steven Kapp Perry to write and record a program that embodies the concepts she felt every child should know about themselves and their world.  Take a listen as she shares the music and the results of performing the songs live with 2nd and 3rd grade choirs.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

A visiting legislator once asked Joseph Smith Jr. how he governed so many people with such order.  Joseph replied, "I teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves."  Joseph Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois at the time and was later a candidate for President of the United States.  Now, over a hundred years later, another Latter-day Saint espouses much of the same principle-based philosophy of decentralized governance, only his name is Yeah Samake, he is currently the mayor of Ouelessebougou, and he is a candidate for President in the African country of Mali.In this audio interview, BYU graduate Yeah Samake shares the story of his father's vision for education which raised an entire family from hunger to prominence.  We'll hear how his actions eliminating corruption as Mayor of a small town brought him to the attention of national leaders in Mali, and what he hopes to accomplish if elected President of Mali in April of 2012.  You'll also learn what it's like for brother and sister Samake and their children to be the only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in their country.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

If you can picture a jalopy crammed full of thrift-store-clothing-clad carolers singing and playing hymns with acoustic instruments as they bounce merrily along through the snow under a winter moon, maybe you can imagine the sound of The Lower Lights on their cheerful new Christmas album without even taking a listen.  But do take a listen, you'll be glad you did.Producer Scott Wiley provides the quirky recording space where all the magic happens at June Audio, in Provo, Utah.  In a room filled with instruments and mics at the ready and looking like it's decorated for A Beatles Christmas all year long, he collected faithful friends and musicians to spontaneously arrange and record the holiday songs they love best over a joyful five-day period.  In this week's audio interview, Scott talks about the group dynamics, the surprising reaction to unexpected fans from young to old, and ultimately why The Lower Lights do what they do.  Like I said before, take a listen, you'll be glad you did.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

From tender to triumphant, you'll find all the moods of the Christmas season in this beautifully produced new holiday album from Tricia Storey.  It's the kind of heart-felt work of art from a skillful and experienced artist you rarely hear any more in these days of glossy arrangements, one-song downloads and whatever-will-sell retail dynamics.Turn on the Christmas lights, sit down with a cup of hot cocoa and put on this new recording for a feast of favorites and rare finds that feel instantly like old friends.  Perfect simplicity in instrumental arrangements and harmonies make this my favorite intimate holiday recording of the last several years at least.  You're in good hands with Tricia Storey and you'll love hearing her insights and stories of the songs in this week's interview.  She calls Christmas songs "the last socially acceptable way to bear testimony of Christ," and you'll hear plenty of joyful and inspiring music doing just that on "Christmas."That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.PlaylistO Come All Ye Faithful • I Saw Three Ships • Rise Up Shepherd and Follow • Good Christian Men Rejoice (harp interlude) • Who Comes This Night • Away in a Manger • What Child Is This (harp interlude) • The Holly Berry • Christmas for Cowboys • Some Children See Him • O Come O Come Emmanuel • Lo How a Rose (harp interlude)  • We Will Rock You • what Songs Were Sung • Angels We Have Heard On High (harp interlude) • Christmas is a Comin' • I'll Be Home for Christmas • Silent Night • Merry Christmas Round

One of the most surprising things about Christmas is that the earliest Christians didn't celebrate it at all—it was just too pagan. Not long thereafter though, the human propensity to observe important events began to assemble a celebration like none other.  In his new book on the advent, Eric D. Huntsman creates a near-perfect mix of history, facts, doctrine, stories and illustrations to engage readers of every age and intellectual bent.  Along the way, you'll encounter wisemen, shepherds, angels, Joseph and Mary, and all the familiar elements of Christmas cast in a revealing new light.  You'll also enjoy a heart-felt chapter on "Christmas with Autism," which shows one family's discovery of ways to fill the season with joy for every family member.  Click Here to follow the Huntsman's celebration of Christmas in Jerusalem this year at their blog at http://www.huntsmansintheholyland.blogspot.comHappy Advent, from The Cricket and Seagull!

Renowned painter Lee Udall Bennion has been partners in life and art with her husband, potter Joe Bennion, for 35 years. This Fall the Bennions and their family open their pottery shop and painting studio for visitors and shoppers on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving for a special sale in Spring City, Utah.In this second of a two-part series, Lee talks about painting, becoming aware of her "style," and why her work focuses more on color, form, and feeling, than on photographic accuracy.  She shares the serendipitous story of meeting her mentor, Ella Peacock, soon after moving to Spring City.  In addition to everything else she's accomplished in her life, Lee Bennion may also be the only woman alive with her own combination art studio, print-making shop, and horse stable.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

For over thirty years Joe and Lee Bennion have been husband/wife, potter/painter, river runner/camp cook and any number of other partnerships together.  Every Fall the Bennions open their pottery shop and painting studio for visitors and shoppers on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving for a special sale.  In this part one of two articles, I interviewed renowned potter Joe Bennion while he worked at the wheel at Horseshoe Mountain Pottery on Main Street in Spring City, Utah.  Against the quiet creak of his foot-driven potter's wheel, you'll hear about his creative philosophy, how even pottery can honor the Lord, and how clay pieces are like people.  You'll also learn about two artists who made a life for themselves in the place they love, doing what they love, and blessing the world.(Watch for part two featuring the visual art of Lee Bennion next week.)That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

This native of Osaka, Japan, had never sung in public until he joined the LDS church and was serving as a missionary in Fukuoka.  In the 20 years since, he's sung and written music with artists like Janice Kapp Perry, Afterglow, Kenneth Cope, Jericho Road and other, all in Japanese.This weekend Nobu is giving a concert in his home ward in Osaka and has released "I Will Sing!"  This new CD includes many of his favorite inspirational songs sung in Japanese with the artists who created them, and he includes several meaningful originals.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.PLAYLISTI Will Sing!Let Me Be a LightWhen Love Leads the WayDuty to GodHe Brought Me Light (w/Daniel Beck)Like a LighthouseMy Single HeartHold On, the Light Will ComeBig TreeNever a Better Hero (w/Kenneth Cope)Sukiyaki (w/Jericho Road)I Believe in ChristArigato OkaasanNearer, My God, to Thee (w/Bless4)My Friend, My BrotherExtending LightI Will Sing! (English version)

Thousands of LDS teenagers hear and sing his vocal arrangements every summer at Especially for Youth camps, but on this new album, composer and arranger Michael R. Hicks lets the instruments do the work.Hymn Creations runs the gamut of styles, featuring big celebratory arrangements like "Rejoice the Lord is King," and more contemplative performances like "I Need Thee Every Hour."  In this interview Mike talks about his personal—and sometimes surprising—connection to the hymns he's chosen, about doing his best writing away from the piano, and why he thinks hymns are to music what the scriptures are to literature.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.PlaylistCome Ye Children of the LordHow Gentle God's CommandsCome Thou FountJesus the Very Thought of TheeAmazing GraceDearest Children God is Near YouGreen HillWe Thank TheeCome Follow MeRejoice the Lord is KingI Need Thee Every HourI Know that My Redeemer LIves

From the hundreds of song submissions they receive, the producers of each year's Especially for Youth album winnow out the best for recording and sharing with the tens of thousands of youth who attend the annual summer camp.Producer Russ Dixon talks about the process of creating this year's album, "Believe. Hope. Endure."  He's found some new diamonds-in-the-rough like "The One," plus Stephanie Mabey's "He Knows Me Better," the contemporary Christian hit "What Faith Can do," and more.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

In this remarkable DVD shot on location in the Holy Land, beloved LDS scholar and educator Ann Madsen uses the land itself to introduce us to the images and poetry of Isaiah like few others could.  The cinematography is often breathtaking and the computer-generated visit to Solomon's temple and the description of Isaiah's call to prophesy are worth having all by themselves.Her decades of teaching the subject at BYU and in Jerusalem have prepared Ann Madsen in a rare way to start us on our own journey into Isaiah knowing what to look for to discover for ourselves why Christ himself said, "Great are the words of Isaiah."  Indeed, it is Christ himself and his atonement we will find revealed in powerful ways in the words of this prophet among prophets.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Whether it's a monumental heartbreak or child with a mouthful of Mac 'n Cheese, songwriter Hilary Weeks seems to take her inspiration from every part of her life.On this new album recorded in Nashville, TN, you'll hear ten new songs from tender to jubilant -- like "Living Proof" and "Past the Point," and a bonus remake of one of her classics, "All My Days."That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

It began with one simple hymn lyric by Bonnie Hart Murray and then became an entire album once she was paired with LDS composer Janice Kapp Perry.Bonnie and Janice tell about choosing the Book of Mormon people and events to feature in this new musical fireside and how they created the songs, including "Two Thousand Stripling Warrios," which is featured in the October Ensign and Liahona magazines.Also, visit JaniceKappPerry.com to find out how you can get two "pass-along download cards" to share the album with family and friends for a limited time. That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

It begins like other 9/11 commemorations we've seen in the past, and on this day 10 years after the events of 9/11 the sounds of salutes and taps and the readings of the names is familiar.Except these names are from a different 9/11 altogether—September 11th of 1857, one-hundred and fifty-four years ago today.It really was September 11th, that day when a California-bound wagon train crossing Southwestern Utah was attacked by Mormon militiamen, killing approximately 120 men, women, and children, most from Arkansas.  Many of the details are here in excerpts from a ceremony held on September 11, 2011 on the same site, marking the designation of this burial spot as a National Historic Landmark.A century and a half later, signs of healing and reconciliation between the descendants of the perpetrators as well as descendants of the 17 young survivors, is an encouraging work in progress.  In the commemoration ceremony conducted by Assistant Church Historian and Recorder Richard E. Turley, Jr, there are remarks from Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the First Quorum of the Seventy, himself the Church Historian, and representatives of the three groups of survivor descendants.You'll also hear about a remarkable set of quilts which have literally brought both cloth squares and people together representing all the stakeholders, making a hands-on memorial of remembrance and forgiveness.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

It was October General Conference of 2001, just a few short weeks after the events that will make September 11, 2001 live forever in our minds.  President Gordon B. Hinckley stood to share his views on the new situation and express his faith in the future.  CLICK HERE to listen to this brief except, or CLICK HERE to read the entire text.

In his new book, author and journalist Caleb Warnock is likely to surprise you with the obvious — I mean, the pioneers did eat all winter, right? So what did they do differently than we do with our brief three-month garden season? Could we do it their way today?  And why is cooking with "pioneer yeast" so much healthier and easier on the digestive system than today's quick-rise yeast?In this podcast, you'll get an interesting earful of useful and practical ways of living that were basic life skills until just the last 75 years or so. Did you know carrots weren't even orange until a couple hundred years ago and that they taste best if you leave them in the ground all winter? You do now!That's just the beginning of this week's journey into self-sufficiency.

Fans of Daniel Beck's gorgeous voice will sit back and breathe a happy sigh when they hear "Abide With Me," his new album of hymns and hymn-like songs.  It's just what they've been waiting for—and that includes me.Whether it's an ear-opening blend of familiar lyrics with unexpected old hymn tunes or the tender, soaring high notes on "Gentle Savior," this is an album that speaks the longing we have for closeness and dependence on the Lord, and sings praises for his mercy.  You'll enjoy hearing Beck and producer Tyler Castleton talk about the song choices and the arrangements, and why this is more than just a collection of songs for them.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

When I heard Chieko Okazaki had passed away earlier this month, my first glance was to my bookshelf where I saw the two origami cranes she made out of gold foil paper and presented to me during the one interview I had with her.  When you hear what the symbolism of those cranes is you'll know why I've kept them and why they are so meaningful to me.The moment she walked in the door I felt not only the unexpected power of her presence, but also a clear feeling that she was not alone; that she walked and talked with her Savior.  It was something I have rarely experienced to that degree and a feeling I will never forget.  In the few short joyful moments I had to interview her about her final book "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" (a book whose title could sum up her life) she gave me several gifts; two golden cranes, one cryptic little wooden sign I treasure, and an increased desire to know Jesus in the way she did and now, surely, does.I can think of no better way to thank her for those gifts than to let you hear her tell about that relationship in her own voice.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

At the upcoming Book of Mormon Archeological Foundation conference in Salt Lake City, Dr. Joseph Allen and his wife Rhoda will receive the "Father Lehi" and "Mother Sariah" awards, recognizing those who have pioneered and expanded exploration of the Book of Mormon.While the exact geographical setting for the Book of Mormon is still an open question, Dr. Allen was one of the pioneers in researching and publishing on the possible settings beginning with his dissertation on the legendary white god, Quetzalcoatl in 1970.  In this rebroadcast of an audio interview recorded several years ago, Dr. Allen talks about why he became interested in the subject and how a knowledge of Book of Mormon culture and place as drawn from the scripture itself can bless us spiritually.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

It may be the third in their series of tribute albums, but this follow-up to "Joseph" and "The Trek" has the same strong sense of mission—in fact, it's all about missions, missionaries, their parents and families, and the people they find and teach.Nashville songwriter and producer Jason Deere shares the music and stories behind these songs, an unexpected collaboration with Michael McLean, and the goal of the Nashville Tribute Band members on this album; to help anyone of any faith understand the motivation and sacrifice of the missionaries they see on the streets around the world.That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Happy Pioneer Day! Music has been a part of the Mormon tradition from the very beginning.  Whether it was hymns or folk songs, it seems there was music created to mark most important occasions.  For instance, we have the dedication of the Kirtland, Ohio, temple in 1836 to thank for the hymn "The Spirit of God" appearing in our hymnals today.The wagon company of 1847 was hardly under way before William Clayton came up with his new version of "All is Well" which we know as "Come, Come Ye Saints."  And it was just over 150 years ago when the first of many handcart companies set out for the Rocky Mountains, pushing and pulling their way across a continent to the tune of "The Handcart Song."  Plus there were the humorous songs about the railroad and the bad influence it was bound to bring to the territory. This week in celebration of Pioneer Day on July 24th—a state holiday in Utah—we feature Mormon folk songs from the Library of Congress Archive of Folk Culture.  These examples were recorded in 1946 and 1947 by Austin Fife and his wife Alta on a trip covering Utah, gathering songs passed on in the folk tradition—either learned firsthand from the writer or passed down in families and communities through the generations.  
 That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.