Celebration focuses on the U.S. Constitution
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While most Americans recognize July 4, 1776, as the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, statistics show relatively few can identify the date of the signing of the Constitution of the United States.
\\ \\ \\ \\— President Thomas S. Monson
To promote greater awareness of that foundational document and its importance to the freedoms that Americans enjoy, the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Utah Chapter, on Sept. 17, sponsored "Celebrate America," to observe the 215th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution on that date in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1787.
President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency, was the featured speaker for the program in the Salt Lake Tabernacle that included performances of patriotic selections by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with the Orchestra at Temple Square and guest soprano soloist Daisy Jackson.
"Do we fully appreciate and treasure the Constitution?" President Monson asked. He quoted President J. Reuben Clark Jr.'s description of the signers of the document as "sober, seasoned, distinguished men of affairs drawn from various walks of life." He cited President Ezra Taft Benson's statement that "the wisdom of these delegates is shown in the genius of the [Constitution] itself." He invoked the words of William Gladstone, former British prime minister, that the document was "the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man."
And he quoted President Gordon B. Hinckley's words uttered at October 2001 general conference: "The Constitution under which we live, and which has not only blessed us but has become a model for other Constitutions, is our God-inspired national safeguard ensuring freedom and liberty, justice and equality before the law."
"Tonight let us pause and reflect upon the many blessings we as Americans have received from our Constitution and the debt of gratitude we owe those heroic signers," President Monson said. "As we do so, we might also recognize that freedom is not free."
He spoke of the Borgstrom family of Garland, Utah, who, within a six-month period during World War II, lost four of their five sons serving in the armed forces, each in a different part of the world. He recounted much of the story in the words of Gen. Mark W. Clark. As commander of the Sixth Army headquartered at San Francisco, Calif., Gen. Clark became acquainted with the Borgstroms as it was his duty to coordinate the return of the remains of war dead. As part of his duty, he attended the funeral service in the tabernacle at Garland for the Borgstrom sons.
"During the luncheon period," Gen. Clark recalled, "Mrs. Borgstrom turned to me and said in a low voice, 'Are you going to take my young one?' I answered in a whisper that as long as I remained in command of the Army on the West Coast, if her boy were called I would do my best to have him assigned to duty at home.
"In the middle of this whispered conversation with the mother, the father suddenly leaned forward and said to Mrs. Borgstrom, 'Mother, I have overheard your conversation with the general about our youngest. We know that if and when his country needs him, he will go.'
President Monson continued Gen. Clark's account: "I could hardly contain my emotions. Here were parents with four sons lying dead from wounds received in battle and yet they were ready to make the last sacrifice if their country required it."
President Monson said the general regarded the mother and father as " 'the bravest and most inspiring Americans he had ever met."
The choir and orchestra, directed by Craig Jessop, included among its selections a stirring Mack Wilberg arrangement of "America the Beautiful," and the Woody Guthrie folk song-favorite "This Land Is Your Land," underscored by the orchestra's driving percussion, bright woodwinds and string pizzicato.
Daisy Jackson, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force during which she was featured with the Singing Sergeants and the Air Force Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra, sang "The House I Live In," with the Lewis Allan lyrics evoking wholesome, down-home images of America. Later, she performed "The Last Full Measure of Devotion," drawn from the words of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
Two highlights of the musical performance involved the soloist, choir and orchestra. They were "An American Songbook," a medley of classic show tunes by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers; and "The Story of the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic.' "
The latter featured narration by choir announcer Lloyd Newell over orchestra background music and told the story of the emergence of that American standard. The melody was written initially as a southern Christian revival hymn, "On Canaan's Happy Shore," but it never really caught on, and in fact degenerated as laborers applied vulgar words to the melody. Later, northern abolitionists set new words to the tune, "John Brown's body lies a-moldering in the grave," but again it degenerated into vulgarity.
One day, after the beginning of the Civil War, a group of soldiers marched in a parade in Washington D.C. singing the song. Witnessing the parade, Julia Ward Howe remarked, "Why is it that young men must go forth to die with such obscenities on their lips and with filth as their battle hymn?" Standing next to her, President Abraham Lincoln asked, "Why don't you do something about it?" She whispered, "With God's help, I will." Late that night, she penned the words to "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
Instead of its well-known Peter Wilhousky version of the hymn, the choir for this performance rendered an arrangement by Floyd Werle that showcased Daisy Jackson's soulful soprano solo and prompted an immediate and prolonged standing ovation from the audience.
The program was videotaped for broadcast next July 4 on the Hallmark cable channel.
E-mail: rscott@desnews.com
