Members of the Brigham Young University—Hawaii Concert Choir often experience powerful and sublime spiritual experiences while performing.
At times like that, Timothy Saylor just can’t resist reaching over to the lovely young woman standing next to him and squeezing her hand. Camilla Saylor doesn’t mind having her hand squeezed, because Tim is her husband.
The Saylors are one of three married couples who are members of the BYU—Hawaii Concert Choir. They are performing in the choir's "Voyages of Light" Pacific tour.
They have a unique opportunity to share the same feelings, emotions, sensations and audience reactions as their spouses while performing with the choir.
Camilla Saylor says: “It’s just nice being up on stage and having moments in the music that are really special; it’s something that we can both relate to. It's something that kind of brings us together.”
The Saylors admit to occasionally holding hands while on stage. “We’re not supposed to, but we do it anyway,” said Camilla.
Brinley Shumway’s voice teacher in Colorado happened to be her future husband Kenner’s aunt. Kenner’s visit to his aunt led to his meeting, dating and eventually marrying Brinley.
Brinley Shumway says that "being on this tour with Kenner has been so amazing, bringing us closer together."
She adds: "You change a little bit when you go on a tour, you become a little bit more spiritual...and it's just really cool that we get to share that instead of me going home and saying 'Guess what? I had all these cool things happen.' Instead we get to share these together.”
The Shumways stand next to each other for most of the show, and Kenner also admits to holding hands “a lot of times."
“It’s nice as a couple to have our testimonies strengthened through music," Kenner says.
Brinley adds: ”You sing a song and you can tell that everyone on stage often feels those warm fuzzies. At times like that it’s great to have your best friend right next to you and to look at him and know he feels it too."
Mouria Ngati Au was born in Auckland, New Zealand and is of Cook Island descent. His wife Calista is from Arizona. They have been married a little over a year.
Calista explained that she is a voice major and Mouria is a piano major. “He’s not usually doing the singing," Calista says.
“I made him join the choir so we would have more time together during class and not just after classes.”
Mouria says he has had many strong emotional moments singing on this tour.
“I’m loving being back here, especially interacting with our Māori audiences. We share similarities of Cook Island culture with them. It’s been a really strong spirit of familiarity; we share a similar genealogy and culture.”
Calista says it is "really powerful to hear someone giving themselves in their performances."
She adds, “It’s been really special for me to listen to my husband singing when he doesn’t know I’m listening. I kind of turn my ear a little bit and I love just to hear his voice and his contribution to the choir.”
Calista and Mouria were married in the Hamilton New Zealand Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
They lived in Auckland for a few months when they were newly married. They have been able to connect with family members on this trip.
Calista describes that having Mouria's family come to see us perform has "lifted their spirits."
She says it's been "an amazing cultural experience that I don’t think I will ever be afforded again.”
After performing for audiences in New Zealand, the choir is now in Tahiti.