Pioneers in their own right as perhaps the most widely known Latter-day Saint pop music entertainers in history, the seven singing siblings of the world-renowned Osmond family highlighted the annual Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square on July 25-26.
It was a momentous occasion for the family, as it concluded their year-long anniversary world tour marking 50 years since the group of four original singing brothers, originally from Ogden, Utah, began harmonizing on stage in 1958 as very young boys.
Energy was palpable in the filled-to-capacity Conference Center auditorium as Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Jimmy and their only sister, Marie, bounded on stage to the opening beat of their 1970s hit song "Down By the Lazy River."
This was followed by "One Bad Apple," the Jackson Five-influenced song that in the early '70s brought them to the attention of the youth market. Donny, then a pre-teen but now an adult with grown children of his own, sang his solo parts an octave lower than on the well-known recording.
With Osmond musical director Jerry Williams taking the baton, the orchestra and choir then backed Marie in a fervent solo rendition of the hymn "How Great Thou Art."
Brother Williams, a member of the Tarzana Ward in Los Angeles, Calif., said later in an e-mail to the Church News, "I've listened to the choir innumerable times via recordings, but to stand in front of them and hear this gorgeous sound at close range is a never-to-be-forgotten, nor ever-to-be-taken for granted, experience."
Introducing the song "He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother)," eldest performing Osmond Alan paid tribute to Virl and Tom, the eldest members of the family who were both born hearing-impaired. He noted that being born into a family of singers was "quite a test to them" which they have met with "such amazing dignity, and they are our heroes."
Virl and Tom joined the family on stage near the end of the concert, performing sign language as the family sang the medley of "Are You Up There?" and "I Believe."
At the apex of their rock-and-roll career in the 1970s, the Osmonds created a concept album called "The Plan," expressing their belief in the Plan of Salvation. A high point of the concert was their performance of a song from that album, "Let Me In," which Alan introduced simply as being "a song we wrote about our Savior, Jesus Christ":
Loving you could be so easy.
Loving you could make me warm.
Ever since the day I left you,
I try, but I just can't get you
Out of my mind.
Let me in,
Let me in your arms again.
Let me love you once more.
Another high point was Donny's performance of "Whenever You're in Trouble," a song he wrote based on an incident that occurred while he was recording a take for an album. His missionary son in Scotland sent him an e-mail to his computer asking, "Are you there? I need you." They conversed for 15 minutes, until the son wrote, "I'm OK; you don't need to worry about me." Asked why the sudden change in attitude, he replied, "I just needed to know that you were there anytime I needed you."
Donny related it to the accessibility of his own parents, George and Olive, as the Osmond children were growing up, and to the availability of the Savior's love in time of need.
During performance of the song "Through the Years," video footage was displayed on screens in the Conference Center, showing the young Osmond boys in early performances on Andy Williams' television variety show, their breakthrough opportunity in show business, and in an audition with Walt Disney, among other settings.
Directed by Mack Wilberg and Ed Thompson, the choir and orchestra performed a selection of folk tunes, including "Shenandoah" and "Cindy," and the Pioneer Day selections "They, the Builders of the Nation" and "Faith in Every Footstep." As the finale, the entire concert cast joined in performing Brother Wilberg's arrangement of "Come, Come, Ye Saints," the anthem of the Mormon Pioneer Trail.
E-mail to: rscott@desnews.com
