The Music & the Spoken Word broadcast airs live via TV, radio, and internet stream on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. mountain time. For information on other airtimes, visit “Airing Schedules” at musicandthespokenword.org.

This encore performance of Music & the Spoken Word has been specially selected for airing while the Choir and Orchestra are practicing social distancing. It contains a new Spoken Word delivered by Lloyd Newell.

Music

Conductor: Mack Wilberg
Organist: Brian Mathias
Announcer: Lloyd Newell
With Bells at Temple Square, LeAnna Wilmore, conducting

“All Things Bright and Beautiful”^1,3
Music: John Rutter
Lyrics: Cecil Frances Alexander

“My Mother’s Love”
Music and Lyrics: Janice Kapp Perry 
Arrangement: Nathan Hofheins

“Jesus Loves Me” (organ solo)
Music: William B. Bradbury
Arrangement: Brian Mathias

“Canticle”
Music: Matthew Compton
Featuring Bells at Temple Square

“Home Is a Special Kind of Feeling”^2,3 from Wind in the Willows
Music: John Rutter
Lyrics: David Grant

“Fill the World with Love” from Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Music and Lyrics: Leslie Bricusse
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

1. On the CD Peace Like a River.
2. On the CD Love Is Spoken Here.
3. In the CD set Anniversary Collection.

The Spoken Word

I'll Always Be with You

Written by Heidi Swinton

A young boy looked up from the bench on the baseball field, hoping to catch his mother’s eye. She was sitting in the bleachers, as she always did, game after game. And he was sitting on the bench, as he always did, game after game. The season was almost over, and he still hadn’t cracked the starting lineup.

As they drove home, he said quietly, “You don’t have to come, Mom. The games are boring, and I just sit on the bench.”

She replied, “I don’t come because I love baseball; I come because I love you.”

Mothering is, after all, about love—whether it’s love for one’s own child or for someone who simply needs love. So, mothers attend baseball games even when their favorite player never leaves the bench. They stand at the back of auditoriums after rushing in from work, hoping to catch at least part of the program. They balance generosity with high standards, sharing your dreams but also feeling your worries. They have a bag of cookies in the cupboard to fix almost anything from skinned knees to the drama of mean friends. When you outgrow cookies, they find new ways to express their love. But the underlying message is always the same: “I’m here for you.” “Hang in there.” “You can do this.” “I have faith in you.” “I love you.”

So we, in return, try to find ways to express our gratitude. That’s one reason we have Mother’s Day, though many mothers would just as soon not have a day that honors them. They hear all of the praise and wonder, “Who are they talking about?” But then, there they are, sitting in the bleachers, paying more attention to the discouraged player on the bench than to the action on the field.

The words of the beloved character Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh sound like those of a mother: “If ever there’s a tomorrow when we’re not together, there’s something you must remember. You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you.”