040326 Women's Chorus digital final

Held By Grace BYU Women’s Chorus

Sonja Poulter, conductor

Rebecca Meiss, graduate assistant

Lizzie Weber, accompanist

7:30 PM | APR. 3, 2026 | CONCERT HALL | MUSIC BUILDING

I. HELD AND HEALED

Amazing Grace TRADITIONAL TUNE

arr Michael Hanawal

Elijah Rock

TRADITIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN SPIRITUAL

arr Clifton J Noble, Jr

II. HEAVEN KNOWS YOUR NAME

Not One Sparrow Is Forgotten WILLIAM HAWLEY b . 1950

arr Brian Pappal

Sing Me to Heaven

Even When He Is Silent

Rebecca Miess, graduate conductor

DANIEL E . GAWTHROP b 1949

arr Paul Carey

KIM ANDRÉ ARNESEN b 1980

III. HE HEARS

What a Friend We Have in Jesus .

. CHARLES CROZAT CONVERSE 1832–1918

arr Brian Pappal

BYU Honors String Quartet

Joseph Smith’s First Prayer SYLVANUS BILLINGS POND 1792–1871

arr Spencer Baldwin

I Heard It from Heaven Today

arr Brent Wells

IV. DEATH WITHOUT STING, GRAVE WITHOUT VICTORY

Good Night, Dear Heart

DAN FORREST b 1978

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep

Melissa Heath, soprano

Things That Never Die

V. MORNING WILL FIND YOU

ROBERT PRIZEMAN 1952–2021

arr . Masa Fukuda

. LEE DENGLER b 1949

Only in Sleep ĒRIKS EŠENVALDS b 1977

Melissa Heath, soprano

Happiness LEAH HOKANSON

Light of a Clear Blue Morning

Beautiful Savior

DOLLY PARTON b 1946

arr Craig Hella Johnson and Richard Gabrillo

Laney Alger, soprano

Daron Bradford, soprano recorder

VI. BECAUSE OF HIM

. TRADITIONAL arr Ryan Murphy

A New Jerusalem Arise KYLE PEDERSON b . 1971

BYU Honors String Quartet

Joseph Rasmussen, string bass

Brooklyn System, percussion

Andrew Fellows, organ

Soprano I

Julie Acevedo

Laney Alger

Claire Anderson

BYU WOMEN’S CHORUS

Hannah (Patton) Arnold

Amelia Bond

Amber Denison

Corynn Estes

Sadie Green

Celeste Hanosek

Jenni Hurst

Robyn Johnson

Elanor Johnson

Mikayla Jonas

Ella Jones

Elle Linkous

Liv Maloy

Sariah Reid

Sophie Riggs

Katie Robbins

Grace Rowberry

Lily Santos

Ella Smith

Kennedy Taintor

Ellena Thompson

Macy Torrie

Madi Van Valkenburg

Camille Vance

Soprano II

Shanny Abadia

Flores

Hannah Andrews

Brooke Ault

Anna Bott

Rebecca Brandt

Cambri Burgon

Emma Christensen

Lillian Cook

Hallie Davidson

Syrena Dyreng

Melissa Een

Hannah Hacking

Elsa Hardy

Lisa Hart

Eliza Hirschi

Audrey Klein

Grace Machado

Chloe Mastny

Emma Maughan

Megan Mickelson

Abby Moore Merkley

Madeline O’Neil

Bria Parma

Laura Porter

Sarah Richter

Megan Rosevear

Analeigh Sims

Abigail Smith

Mimi Smith

Heidi Smurthwaite

Eliza Stewart

Ahnyka Stone

Annie Taylor

Charly Thrap

Eden Tomlinson

Kira VanDam

Avery Wayment

Elisabeth Williams

Sabrina Winters

Alto I

Abby Allred

Anny Andrews

Lydia Booth

Leah Brandt

Miriam Call

Sydney Carroll

Diana Chase

Julia Collings

Kaylie Davis

Makenna Dockter

Sophie Dyreng

Hannah Evans

Kate Gabrielsen

Ella Gardner Myesha Gilliland

Lydia Grow

Paige Gunther

Lauren Gurney Parker

Lizzie Hardy

Megan Haynie

Millie Hein

Margaret Herrick

Sarah Heywood

Megan Kirk

Clara Lathen

Sydney Lewis

Joanne Linford

Attalie Lunt

Kayla Macfarlane

Victoria Martinez

Lilly Modrell

Ella Morley

Maddie Morris

Ellie Moser

Stephania Muro Munoz

Paige Nelson

Rachael Nufer

Bethany Parker

Mikayla Peacock

Claire Plowman

Avrie Prows

Elizabeth Przybyla

Kenzie Randall

Capri Runyan

Aubrey Salyards

Lily Schellhous

Brooke Seeley

Genevieve Simmons

Anna Skoy

Kelli Smith

Claire Summers

Makayla Thomas

Ellie Wanamaker

Marie Wells

Elise Westbrook

Rachel Weyhreter

Nicole Williams

Lizzy Wilson

Jane Winward

Alto II

Arielle Jurel Alvez

Kate Ashton

Madi Bancroft

Emma Bird

Mimi Bowman

Sarah Brousseau

Emma Brown

Mikaela Burtch

Abbey Burton

Aimee Caldwell

Jaryn Chaggares

Nadia Chanthaphuang

Angela Chock

Ada Clarke

Mackenzie Crawford

Ali Creason

Hadley Danielson

Ella Dellenbach

Mikaela Dubreuil

Lucy Farmer

Rylie Fuhriman

Gwen Gee

Kalina Gilliland

Elizabeth Goodrich

Leah Greenhalgh

Liza Hakanson

Natalie Hanna

Morgan Hanna

Dani Harper

Emi Harrison

Leah Hicks

Emily Hoopes

Savannah Hughes

Eliza Hunter

Emma Hyde

Mynoa Jacob

Kara Jansson

Savannah Klepko

Sariah Melin

Lily Merrill

Audrey Monson

Chrissy Owensby

Elsa Papenfuss

Natalie Parkinson

Mia Phelps

Crystal Rasmussen

Zoe Reed

Paige Reed

Anna Robertson

Isabel Rowan

Sienna Shepherd

Anna Bella Shimazaki

Lily Snow

Sadie Staker

Emma Stark

Lena Suckow

Elise Thompson

Cadence Torres Mckenna Uffens

Eleanor Van Boerum

Paige Wazenegger

Jane Westover

Juel Wettstein

Emily Whipple

Kathleen Williams Kimmy Williams

Kaisa Woodruff

Choir Leadership

Elanor Wilcox, president

Sarah Heywood, vice president

Corynn Estes & Camille Vance Tanner, wardrobe

Eliza Hakanson & Rylie Fuhriman, activities

Analeigh Sims & Rachel Weyhreter, social media

Kennedy Taintor, Chloe Mastny & Dani Harper, choir ministering

HELD BY GRACE

On Good Friday, the Christian world pauses in remembrance of the suffering, sacrifice, and the incomprehensible gift of Jesus’s Atonement and Resurrection . On Good Friday, the weight of loss is not yet lifted by the joy of resurrection, and the silence between death and life is still very present . And yet it is within this silence that grace is most profoundly felt . To be held by grace is to be upheld in moments when strength alone is insufficient .

Tonight’s program departs somewhat from our typical repertoire choices . While our performances often celebrate light, love, faith, and joy, tonight’s repertoire inhabits a more contemplative, even vulnerable, space . It reflects a theological and emotional journey that mirrors the passage from Good Friday to Easter morning . It shows the movement from sorrow to hope, from broken to healed, and from mortality toward eternal life .

This theme is deeply personal . In recent months, I have experienced the passing of my mother, a loss that has reshaped my understanding of both grief and grace . I am mindful, however, that this experience is not mine alone . Within this very ensemble, others are walking similar paths: a soloist engaged for this concert was called home to be with a parent in the final stages of life; one of our student singers mourns the loss of her mother to cancer earlier this year . Others have lost grandparents, friends, and other loved ones very recently . These individual stories are tender and difficult, but they are not isolated . My hope is that tonight’s music can serve as an offering of comfort . The repertoire does not mean to rush past grief, nor does it remain in darkness . Instead, it is intended to honor the complexity of sorrow while also bearing witness to a sustaining hope through the grace that our Savior offers . On this Good Friday, as we dwell in the uncertainty of loss and resurrection, may we find ourselves held, healed, and filled with the assurance of that Easter morning .

Sonja Poulter Director, BYU Women’s Chorus

I. HELD AND HEALED

“Amazing Grace” is one of the most enduring hymns of redemption and transformation: “I once was lost, but now am found .” John Newton, the author of the text, lived a life once complicit in the transatlantic slave trade but was later transformed by a profound spiritual awakening . That journey from moral blindness to repentance and belief is an example of the life-altering power of grace . “Elijah Rock” is rooted in the tradition of enslaved African Americans . The spiritual draws on the biblical figure of Elijah, who, according to scripture, did not taste death but was taken to heaven in a whirlwind . In a historical context where death, oppression, and suffering were constant realities, Elijah’s defiance of death became a powerful symbol of liberation and divine deliverance . The repetition and invitation to “rock” suggests both steadfastness and spiritual resistance . In the pairing of these pieces, one is grounded in personal repentance and inward transformation, and the other in communal endurance and outward proclamation . Together, they affirm that grace has the power to restore and that even death does not hold ultimate power .

II. HEAVEN KNOWS YOUR NAME

This set turns toward divine awareness and individual worth, with particular tenderness toward the language of care and belonging . “Not One Sparrow Is Forgotten” draws from Christ’s teaching that not even the most insignificant bird falls without God’s notice, extending that promise to each of us . In this setting, the metaphor expands toward maternal care with the idea of being known, gathered, and held with the same attentiveness and protectiveness associated with a mother . “Sing Me to Heaven” continues this thread with a plea for gentle accompaniment during the transition from life to death . The haunting “Even When He Is Silent” carries an extraordinary

historical weight . Its text is attributed to words found etched on a wall in a concentration camp during the Holocaust and is a testament of faith articulated during unimaginable suffering: a belief in God that persists even when divine presence feels absent . Finally, “I Heard It From Heaven Today” offers a more immediate and personal sense of connection, suggesting that heaven’s awareness is real and ongoing and that our goal truly is to return to our Maker . Together, these works affirm that to be known by God is to be remembered, named, and loved beyond the limits of mortality .

III. HE HEARS

If the previous set affirms that heaven knows, this one insists that heaven responds . The unifying thread here is prayer . “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” frames prayer as an opportunity for relationship, emphasizing the accessibility of Christ’s comfort: “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer .” Similarly, “Joseph Smith's First Prayer” recounts a moment of earnest seeking, in which a question offered in faith is met with divine answer . In a program shaped by grief, prayer becomes a blessing that doesn’t have to remove sorrow, but one that offers the assurance that we are heard, carried, and at times answered .

IV. DEATH WITHOUT STING, GRAVE WITHOUT VICTORY

“Good Night, Dear Heart” is based on a simple poem by Robert Richardson, inscribed on the headstone of the daughter of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), who died in her youth . I love the simplicity of saying “good night” and how it rarely is a final goodbye, but most always suggests the expectation of reunion in the morning . “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” expands this idea by reimagining death not as absence but as transformation . While not overtly doctrinal, the poem offers comfort through continuity rather than closure . “Things That Never Die” turns to the living . This Charles Dickens text illustrates the beautiful qualities that outlast mortality, such

as kindness, love, music, and memory . And, in doing so, places responsibility in our hands . If these are the things that endure, then they are also the things we are called to create and extend . In the wake of loss, the piece becomes a reminder that through acts of compassion, care, and friendship, we participate in something eternal . In this way, death does not have the final word; what we give to one another continues .

V. MORNING WILL FIND YOU

Having experienced sorrow, the program begins its turn toward light . “Only in Sleep” is Sara Teasdale’s nostalgic vision of childhood reexperienced through dreams . It is an example of the power of memory and that for a moment people do not have to age and loved ones do not have to die . The 14th-century poet Hafiz’s poem “Happiness” suggests a life-changing concept: divine joy (happiness) is looking for us, not the other way around . God knows us by name, looks for us not only in quiet places but in the business of the street, and is in endless pursuit of us . “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” introduces the promising glimmers of life . The morning becomes a metaphor for renewal and the process of life growing around the grief . Together, these pieces suggest that healing happens over time through remembering, through being found, and ultimately through the return of hope .

VI. BECAUSE OF HIM

The final set brings all that has come before to the message of resurrection, which we celebrate at Easter . “Beautiful Savior” offers reverence and adoration with a deep hope in Christ . “A New Jerusalem Arise” envisions a restored world, where all pain and sorrow is replaced through HIM . Because of Jesus Christ, death is not the end, grief is not without purpose, and we are eternally held in His grace .

Thoughts and Experiences from Students

The song “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” has meant a lot to me this semester . My grandma passed away about a month before I returned home from my mission this last year . Coming back this winter to Women’s Chorus singing about how those we love aren’t truly gone felt like it was God’s message just for me . When we sing “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep,” it truly feels like my grandma is talking to me and comforting me even though I wasn’t able to be with her when she passed .

—

Ella Gardner (A1), Pre-Nursing

The song “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” has taken on great meaning in my life . When my grandfather passed away, I immediately felt his presence in a very literal and comforting manner . I know he is not sleeping . He is in the wind and the sunshine and the gentle rain . I long to be wrapped in his hug again, but I can wait a little longer and hope with all my heart to see him again and be with him forever . For now, the stars will have to be enough . I know he wouldn't want me to cry .

— Kelli Smith (A1), Spanish Translation

“Joseph Smith's First Prayer” and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” have been two of my favorite songs we have sung this year because of the powerful spirit they bring . Each time we sing these pieces, I feel the Holy Ghost testify of the truthfulness of these messages, and this phenomenon doesn't happen to me very often . I have a strong testimony of the Restoration and of God's love for me because of these pieces, and I hope all attending will feel this immense outpouring of love through the music like I have!

—

Lena Suckow (A2), Psychology

Singing “Only in Sleep” has touched my heart . I've always been a very nostalgic and sentimental person, and this song encapsulates the feelings in my heart that I could never put into words . At first, it seemed like a sad song, but as rehearsals

continued, I began to feel the joy and peace that comes from remembering . I still cry singing it though . Singing this song has taught me to live in the moment, but after it passes, don't be sad it's over . Enjoy the memory .

— Lydia Booth (A1), Pre-Illustration

“What a Friend We Have in Jesus” has touched my soul in every way . I feel like every struggle we sing about I have experienced at some point this year, but that song has brought me peace through it all . I've been so grateful for the reminder to always turn to the Lord in prayer . The beautiful writing just adds to the message of faith .

— Kara Jansson (A2), Marketing

This arrangement of “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer” is particularly moving to me . The pauses, harmonies, and other stunning artistic choices have reaffirmed to me in a powerful way that this was a real event . I especially love the moment when we sing the words Heavenly Father spoke to Joseph: “Joseph, this is my Beloved Son . Hear Him!” Those are such powerful words . I hope that when you hear this piece, you can feel of the truths that we are testifying of as a choir .

— Eliza Hunter (A2), Sociology

Learning “A New Jerusalem” has really touched my soul this semester . I have grown to understand that Heavenly Father has called us, a chosen generation, to arise and share the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ with every corner of the earth . As I prepare to leave on my mission this summer, this song has brought me comfort and peace as I prepare to share Christ’s word with others who need His healing and renewal .

— Lily Schellhous (A1), Public Relations

I have loved singing “Happiness .” So often, I think we all feel like we have to go out and put forth this huge effort to find happiness . Since we can feel like it is so much work, sometimes we just give up and turn to other things more immediate, which

tend to be things that get us into trouble . But, if we remember that “Happiness” is just another name for the Savior, Jesus Christ, and for Heavenly Father, that They know our name and are in “relentless pursuit” of each of us, all we need to do is our best to run toward Them to find those feelings of happiness, belonging, and peace, no matter what else may be going on in our lives . That is what I think of as I sing this song, and I can barely keep myself from shouting for joy at the thought!

— Kate Ashton (A2), Master’s, Public Administration

One of my favorite songs we are singing at this concert is “Only in Sleep .” As we sing about children, I think about my whole family . I have the blessing of not having many close to me pass away, but living far from home, I see my cousins and my brothers and sister who I don’t get to see very often now . Even though I’m grown up and life goes on without me, I still hold them close to my heart and my love for them grows deeper every day .

— Ellie Moser (A1), Pre–Experience Design Management

“Good Night, Dear Heart” by Dan Forrest is a piece that has stayed with me long after singing it back in my early years of high school . The most powerful and tearful moment came not from the text, but from the soft, wordless “oohs,” where the reverence created space to feel the depth of the music . In that stillness, the piece’s gentle grief and love became incredibly moving .

— Anna Bella Shimazaki (A2), Psychology

While performing “A New Jerusalem,” Dr . Poulter invited us to sing it for someone else . I chose to sing it for a family member I love very dearly who has experienced a lot of suffering in the last year, but who has been a beautiful example of faith to me through it all . While I sang the phrase “I will wipe all your tears from your eyes,” it reaffirmed to me that God hears every prayer and sees every tear and that none of that is in vain . He truly will make all things new!

— Natalie Hanna (A2), Elementary Education

“A New Jerusalem,” along with many other pieces in this concert, has helped me to know that God can make good things come from trials I face .

— Hadley Danielson (A2), Pre–Human Resource Management

As we learned the piece “Only in Sleep,” it made me reflect on my past and all the people who have impacted my life . I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing people, from elementary school friends to church leaders . Even if the version of them I once knew has changed or faded over time, they still live on in my memories and in the person they’ve helped me become . The hard conversations, the hugs, and the tears have all taught me something, and I’m so grateful for it all because I wouldn’t be who I am without them .

— Rachel Weyhreter (A1), Molecular Biology

The first few times we rehearsed the song “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep,” I could not hold back my tears . Having lost four grandparents in the past year, this song really spoke to my heart . I love how the song is from the perspective of the loved one who has passed, comforting those still on earth . It is a beautiful reminder of God’s eternal plan that we will be able to reunite with our loved ones in heaven .

— Jaryn Chaggares (A2), Biology

My favorite song from this repertoire is “Light of a Clear Blue Morning .” I listen to it more than I should, at morning and at night . Every time we sing it, my heart feels like a little electric shock that reminds me I’m alive . This song uses a slow, building crescendo from intimate piano to a triumphant climax to mirror a journey from despair to hope . The first time I sang it, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time: hope . “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” combines beautiful soaring, hopeful vocal harmonies to foster a feeling of emotional unity, functioning as little flashes of light in a magnificent sunrise of a bright new day .

— Stephania Muro (A1), Fine Arts/English

A couple years ago, a friend sent me the song “Even When He is Silent” during a very hard time in my life . I was dealing with more anxiety than I’d ever experienced and combating feelings of failure as I struggled to feel God in my life at all, despite having just returned from a mission . I really felt like God was silent at that time . This song gave me space to feel that distance and also have faith that He was still there . I didn’t understand all that I was feeling, but this song helped me not to feel alone .

—Attalie Lunt (A1), Exercise Science

I really enjoyed learning “Even When He is Silent .” The three sentences that are repeated throughout the song help remind us that even when something (and I’ll add someone) is absent from our lives, we still believe in it . My favorite line is “I believe in God, even when He is silent .” It can at times be hard to feel our Heavenly Father’s presence in our lives, but even when we can’t feel or hear Him, He is always there .

— Paige Gunther (A1), Psychology

I love singing this arrangement of “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer” with Women’s Chorus . My mother is a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and receiving the missionary lesson on Joseph Smith’s First Vision was the key building block of her conversion . I have always wanted to have as strong of a testimony of this truth as she does, and this piece has brought me one step closer . I am grateful for her example of faith, and I think of her every time we sing this together .

— Brooke Seeley (A1), Statistics

While I was on my mission, I began to suffer from intense pain, and I couldn’t figure out where the cause was from . I served five months in extreme pain before I was sent home . Once I returned home, things only got worse and I underwent many procedures to try and figure out what was wrong as well as a painful abdominal surgery . This was a very dark time, but things eventually began looking up . Now, almost two years since my pain began, even though it isn’t as bad as it used to be, I still

struggle with chronic digestive pain issues that are difficult to deal with . Sometimes the pain I experience weighs me down and I struggle to remember that my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ, love me . One day in choir, we sang the song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus .” We were singing this song during a particularly difficult week for me health-wise . While singing this song, I felt the Spirit so strongly that I started to cry . “Can we find a friend so faithful who with all our sorrows share?” Those words healed me . I am grateful for the healing words of music that reminded me of my Savior’s love and healing grace .

— Sabrina Winters (S2), Music Education

Celebrating 100 years of the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications and 150 years of Brigham Young University