Best Seats in the House

On Monday late afternoon we drove up to Toronto to attend the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert at The Roy Thomson Hall. When Irene had booked the tickets we were late in the game but appeared that almost anywhere you would sit in this hall would be good ones.

Walking along King Street West

The amazing architecture of the Hall

As we walked through the lobby we saw many people we knew and talked briefly with them. We purchased the latest CD from the Choir title "This is the Christ".

We were approaching the stairs when a women came up to us and asked, "Are you Brother and Sister Saunderson?" To which we obviously replied "yes" but were immediately confused as neither one of us knew who we were talking to. It seems this was Julie Wagner the mother of Kyle's friend Rebekah from Ottawa. She said when she saw me she immediately could see the likeness with Kyle so she approached us to find out.

Shortly after her husband Wendell came over and greeted us and they then found Rebekah to come over and meet us.


Irene and I with Rebekah Wagner

By now it was time to get to our seats.

The usher told me two rows from the front of the section we were in. These were in a raised section back from the orchestra seats and to the left. So I went to the second row with Irene.

Then all of a sudden there were two tall men in suits wearing Canadian and American flag lapel pins (I notice these things!) who came into "our" row and asked if we had tickets for these seats. I showed my tickets which had row "C" on them. By mistake I was sitting in row "B".

And who should follow these two security guards....President Thomas S. Monson, his daughter, Sister Ann M. Dibb, and Elder Jay Jensen from the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife.

So we were sitting right behind them.

President Monson checking his watch right before the concert was to begin

During the intermission, Irene bent down at his seat and felt to tell President Monson to convey our thanks to his wife Frances for letting him come to Canada for so long as it could not be easy for both of them to be away from each other. President Monson pulled her in and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek and said he knew his wife would appreciate her wishes.

Prior to the intermission the choir had sung, "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands". After Irene had spoken to the Prophet one of the security guards beckoned Irene to talk to someone who was trying to get her attention. It was Melissa Wilson who we know from Toronto.

So Irene bent down to talk with her. At this time President Monson walked by to talk to another Church member. When he walked by behind Irene he put his hands on her shoulder and said, "I've got the whole world in my hands," and then laughed and approached the other person.

I had the opportunity to talk at length with Sister Ann Dibb and Sister Jensen.

So we had an amazing evening with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and with President Monson too.