Lutheran bell choir performs with Peter Mayer

Intermountain Catholic

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Salt Lake Lutheran High School Bell Choir Members practice for the Peter Mayer benefit concerts. They are Audrey Bradshaw (left), Andrea Wall, Brandy King, and Linh Duong. Spencer Walker was on a cruise. IC photo by Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — The bell choir from Salt Lake Lutheran High School had the opportunity of performing with Peter Mayer, lead guitarist for singer song writer Jimmy Buffet.

The Peter Mayer Group performed "Stars and Promises," a Christmas benefit concert, Dec. 4, at Juan Diego Catholic High School, and Dec. 5, at Judge Memorial Catholic High School. The Lutheran bell choir performed both nights with the Peter Mayer Group.

"It was a good experience to be able to perform in front of people with someone who is famous and professional," said Andrea Wall, a sophomore at Salt Lake Lutheran High School.

Brandy King, a freshmen in the bell choir said, "All the musicians in Peter Mayer’s group were really good and really nice."

"There has been a bell choir at Salt Lake Lutheran ever since the school began about 22 years ago," said Linda McKinney," bell choir director. "The name of the choir is "Soli Deo Gloria," or "To God be the Glory." They have earned a superior rating at the State Solo and Ensemble Competition for the past three years and I am very proud of their accomplishments.

"We were asked to participate in these concerts by Ramona Mayer, the choir teacher at Judge Memorial, who knew of our bell choir," said McKinney. "Ramona said Peter was looking for a bell choir to accompany him on one of his songs, "Ring Out the Bells." Obviously we were interested in playing with someone famous. All the adults and parents here at the school know who Peter is, since he is Lutheran, and his parents were Lutheran missionaries in India for 17 years. The kids were just willing. They were amazed at his talent and it was a great opportunity for them.

"We practiced with Peter for only about 10 minutes during the sound check prior to the show," said McKinney. "We knew our part because we had practiced on our own by listening to his CD to get the right tempo. He was a really nice guy. He shook hands with every one of the students in the choir. One of the boys had a flat tire on the way to practice and was a little late, so the rehearsal had to be rearranged. Peter remembered and asked him about his car."

McKinney said Mayer let the choir play a set before he came out because he did not want the students hauling all the equipment for one song. They were fascinated watching Mayer’s group, particularly the keyboard player because he kept crossing his hands.

"Some of the parents knew of Peter through Jimmy Buffet, others knew of him from being featured in several national Lutheran magazines and publications," said McKinney. "A couple of parents said the whole Stars and Promises show came across as very spiritual, but not preachy."

Mayer’s message was, "Give yourself this Christmas." He followed that message with the song "This Christmas," in which the words are, "Lend a heart, lend a hand, lend an hour, lend a day, wrap yourself to give away."

Mayer’s memories of living in India, where he was born in 1958, the sixth of eight children, and grew up until he was 8 years old, return to him every year at Christmas. He remembers the poverty people face in India, and the cold reality of the Indian people not having even the basic medical care they needed.

Faith was something Mayer learned from his parents. Mayer’s father, who died in 1984, was a Lutheran minister. His most vivid childhood memory of his mother, now 82, and a longtime member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Mo., is how she instilled faith in her eight children.

"My mother, taught us every moment we are being renewed and remade in the arms of a gracious God," said Mayer. "When I was 14, I started doubting God as a result of my friend’s involvement in a charismatic group. My mother told me I was in the arms of a loving God who will never let me go." And that was a relief."

It was Mayer’s mother who allowed him to realize his dream of writing music. He asked her how she knew the lyrics to the instrumental music they listened to on the British radio station in India. She said she made up the lyrics. What a novel idea he thought. Then he thought you had to be a big star to write music. Mayer told his mother he wanted to write rock and roll, and she told him to write hymns like he heard in church.

McKinney said Mayer’s music defies classification. Mayer’s initial song writing roots are in hymns and then rock and roll. McKinney said Mayer’s music is versatile, and all the musicians in the group he is currently touring with are incredibly talented musicians with an ability to switch within the concert from one style to another – jazz, classical, country, whatever the style.

Mayer said the songs he writes deal with the relationship of faith and its struggles and joys, rather than one particular religious way. Although Mayer realized at a young age you did not have to be a star to write music, his talents and abilities have led him to work with famous musicians.

After forming the PM group with his younger brother and bass player, Jim, and their friend, drummer Roger Guth, and heading for Los Angeles, they worked with producer Elliot Scheiner. Scheiner had worked with Aretha Franklin and Steely Dan. They signed with Warner Brothers, and opened for the Moody Blues and Chicago. When Warner Brothers decided not to renew their contract, they heard Jimmy Buffett was looking for a band. They became and remain the Coral Reefers in Jimmy Buffett’s Band 18 years ago.

"I was looking at it as a temporary thing, yet every year the tour would roll around again, and we were available," said Mayer. "I discovered that sometimes the things you think are stumbling blocks are really stepping stones. I learned that from working with singer song writer James Taylor.

"James Taylor said the secret to his success was Plan B, and that is so true," said Mayer. "We get upset when our ideas do not come to fruition exactly as we envision them. But really that is the whole idea, you have got to open the door to let yourself be transformed because we do not have all the answers. We have all the equipment, but we do not know how to run it all."

Mayer sings of joy, the joy he receives from God. It gives him joy to travel around at Christmas singing about the birth of Jesus and the real reason for the season.

His Christmas message is also to stop the brokenness of our world and start to heal it each day in a world that needs it so badly. We can do that by waking up each morning and making peace with our children, our spouse, and all those with whom we come into contact. Mayer says peace is the gift that is made new each Christmas.