(Read Gerry Avant's blog as she accompanies the Choir on their 2009 tour.)

Gerry Avant

Marene Foulger is historian for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Wherever the Mormon Tabernacle Choir happens to be, there also is Marene Foulger, a member of the behind-the-scenes volunteer staff who knows practically everything that has to do with the organization.

As choir historian, she totes a laptop to nearly every event, making a written record of all that transpires. She's good at her volunteer job — and she ought to be: Having practically grown up in the choir family, she has been an eyewitness to its comings and goings all her life.

Her father, Paul Foulger, joined the choir two years before she was born. Her mother, Josephene Foulger, served as volunteer historian from 1976-2002. Her paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather were members of the choir, making her a third-generation affiliate with the famed musical organization.

Marene ("Sister Foulger" is her mother and predecessor historian) quite literally followed in her mother's footsteps to become choir historian.

"The first historian was Millicent D. Cornwall, a singer from 1937 to 1957," Marene said. "In the foreword of the compilation of the choir's history she wrote: ‘The prominence of the Salt Lake Tabernacle Choir in the public mind has made it desirable that an accurate record be kept of activities of the choir as they occur, and that an effort be made to find and record its past history, insofar as it may be available. It is fitting that some effort should be made to set out its history and to record its achievements. From a modest beginning amid all the hardships of a pioneer community, its members, through generations of unswerving loyalty and devotion to a spiritual and cultural ideal, have perpetuated a unique tradition of service.'

"Millicent complied the history of the choir through December 1957," Marene said. "Singing members of the choir maintained the history through 1976.

"When the choir travels on tour there must be two people per hotel room. When possible, my father would pay for my mother to accompany him on tours.

"In 1976, the choir's tour was to celebrate the U.S Bicentennial. At the last minute, my father's roommate was unable to go. My father felt that it would be good to have a non-singer keeping the history, enabling that person to collect information especially on tour so a choir member could focus on singing. So, without a roommate, my father approached the choir president at that time, Oakley Evans, recommending that my mother be called as historian. She had two days to pack a suitcase before they left on tour."

Marene began traveling with the choir abroad in 1982 as a guest.

"When my father passed away, I would accompany my mother on tours and to other choir functions. Being called as an assistant to my mother was an answer to prayers. I was seeking to be of service but didn't know where.

"I received a phone call from the then-choir president, Wendell Smoot, to meet him at his business office. My mother had requested to be released; he had asked her for names of people she felt would be good for the calling.

"Generally, volunteer staff positions have been filled within the choir family as they know about the organization and its demands. She had no names to offer. Since I'd been around the choir the president thought of me."

Marene said that her mother was surprised when she accepted the call.

"Traveling with the choir is moving in mass with anywhere from 550 to 700 people all at the same time, and when they're on tour that means two to three weeks. Well, at times it bothered me being around so many people. Again, it was an answer to prayers and I strongly felt that my father also had a hand in it from the other side.

"My mother continued to serve for another three years, for a total of 26 years. Concluding her service with the choir, she participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies and attended the Nauvoo Temple dedication."

Marene said a lot of people are interested in the choir's history. Some are doing research about family members who served in the choir, or perhaps individuals who were choir members are looking for some detail about an event in which they participated.

"That information is in the Church archives and I refer people there," she said. "We collect newspaper articles, broadcast programs, concert programs – what might be called scrapbooking material."

No, she doesn't have a supply of old programs or other materials to give to people, though she does collect items that choir members might want when they retire from the choir.

"I maintain a membership file that shows when they come in and when they retire or resign. We've been maintaining a roster of all the choir members that we have information on. Prior to 1945, the records really aren't there."

She maintains quick reference files that are put to good use. Public affairs directors in various concert areas referred to some details that came from Marene's files, such as when was the last time the choir had performed in a particular city or state.

The biggest plus to her calling as choir historian, she said, is the friendship among people in the organization.

"When you're together, when you're on a tour like this one, you kind of become a family," she said. "You're looking out for each other. You care about the people and friendships that you've made."