One especially heartwarming moment for me in the last few days was when a student named Matt Staller came up to me and asked if the choir was going to be singing its surprise song for Mr. Noble as we had the last two years. And just as he was asking the question, another singer walked by just then and chimed in with “yeah, what about that?” A new tradition is born!
The song in question is actually a hymn, “God be with you til we meet again.” Back in May of 2008, when Mr. Noble was completing his year with the choir and about to receive an honorary doctorate from the college, I came up with the idea of the choir surprising him at commencement with this hymn- which is the finale for every concert sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (one of Mr. Noble’s favorite ensembles.) That alone would make it a very meaningful gift for Mr. Noble- but beyond that was the words themselves which were so fitting- especially given the fact that there wasn’t any way of knowing with absolute certainty that we would be seeing him again.
Of course, we did see him again- as he returned to Carthage last May for several memorable days- and at that concert and this year’s, the choir has offered up the same song….. and it still feels like a surprise even though by now he is probably coming to expect it. In fact, if there was a surprise this time around it came from Mr. Noble himself when he came over to the piano and sat down right next to me. And there we were, side by side, as the Carthage Choir sang:
God be with you til we meet again.
By His counsels, guide uphold you.
With His sheep, securely fold you.
God be with you til we meet again.
God be with you tll we meet again.
If life’s trials should confound you
God will put His arms around you.
God be with you til we meet again.