Keeping a history of the Tabernacle Choir
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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 quite literally followed in her mother's footsteps to become choir historian.
Marene's mother became choir historian in 1976, when the choir's tour celebrated the U.S. Bicentennial. Marene began traveling with the choir abroad in 1982, as a companion to her mother; she was called as assistant historian in 1999.
"When my father passed away, I would accompany my mother on tours and to other choir functions," Marene said. "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."
Marene was called to be choir historian in 2002. She 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." 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. 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 public affairs directors in various concert areas referred to for details, 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."
