Hicks has released a compilation video of the EFY Medley being performed in 23 countries/6 continents, representing over 60 unique performances. These videos are edited together to seamlessly recreate the song, jumping from locations like Hanoi, Vietnam to Guatemala City, Guatemala, from Cedar City, Utah to Bintulu, Malaysia.
A complete list of cities/countries where the performances were videoed are as follows:
Popurri, Uruguay
Layton, Utah
Cedar City, Utah
Meridian, Idaho
Hanoi, Vietnam
Middlebury, Vermont
Toronto, Canada
Grand Junction, Colorado
Viera, Florida
Palmer, Alaska
Laie, Hawaii
Lehi, Utah
Lolo, Montana
Lindon, Utah
Idyllwild, California
San Jose, California
Taipei, Taiwan
Salt Lake City, Utah
Ulan Bator, Mongolia
Laurel, Maryland
Kiev, Ukraine
Talamban, Phillipines
Bucharest, Romania
Rome, Italy
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Spokane, Washingon
Provo MTC, Utah
Pleasant Grove, Utah
Abilene, Texas
Colonia Juarez, Mexico
Taipei, Taiwan
Carmona, Phillipines
Shibuya, Japan
Delta, Utah
Polynesian Cultural Center Oahu, Hawaii
Atlanta, Georgia
Sendai, Japan
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Deutschsprachigen, Belgum
Tokyo, Japan
Preston, England
Donnerstag, Germany
Sydney, Australia
Boston, Massachussetts
Panama City, Florida
Toronto, Canada
Georgetown, Kentucky
Provo, Utah
Bintulu, Malaysia
Taichung, Taiwan
St. George, Utah
Nairobi, Kenya
Gilbert, Arizona
Las Vegas, Nevada
Galilee, Israel
Mexico City, Mexico
Vladivostok, Russia
San Salvador, El Salvador
Vieweres who have ever sung the EFY Medley: As Sisters In Zion/We’ll Bring the World His Truth are invited to “sign” the new EFY Medley Guestbook on Michael R. Hicks’ web page.
ABOUT THE EFY MEDLEY
In 1999, the Especially For Youth (EFY) Program (CES Youth and Family Programs, BYU),
asked Michael R. Hicks to arrange Janice Kapp Perry’s As Sisters In Zion for the young
women to sing during their week-long summer program. Hicks created the arrangement and
added in an original counter-melody based on the first line of the Young Women’s Theme.
After performing his arrangement for the EFY Coordinators, he was immediately asked to
arrange another Janice Kapp Perry song, We’ll Bring the World His Truth, for the young men
to sing at EFY. As soon as he was asked to arrange this second song, he began to think of the
possibility of the two songs being sung simultaneously. He immediately returned to his BYU
apartment and tried it out, and it worked, thus the creation of the EFY Medley: As Sisters In
Zion & We’ll Bring the World His Truth.
ABOUT MICHAEL R. HICKS
Michael R. Hicks has uplifted audiences all over the world – from the Middle East to California, from Calgary, Canada to Kenya, Africa. His music has won awards and many have performed his arrangements, from small church choirs to famed country stars. Michael graduated from BYU in Marketing Communication with a minor in Music. Michael enjoyed teaching seminary for a semester at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah. He loved working as a counselor for the Especially For Youth program for five summers.
Michael is perhaps best known as the composer of the EFY Medley: As Sisters In Zion & We’ll Bring the World His Truth, sung by nearly a half of a million youth since 1999 at the Especially for Youth program, and sung by tens of thousands more in church congregations around the world, including seminary graduations, mission farewells, temple dedication celebrations, youth conferences in Lithuania, Australia, Japan, China, Canada, the United Kingdom, throughout South America, and more.
Michael has contributed other arrangements of hymns for EFY CDs, including I Know That My Redeemer Lives, I Believe In Christ, Lord I Would Follow Thee, and Let Us All Press On.
Michael has produced 7 of his own CDs, his latest being called Hymn Creations. When he is not writing music, Michael enjoys spending as much time as he can with his family. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife, daughter, and son.
ABOUT EFY
In the mid-1970s, Ron Hills and other BYU employees developed a program to “create an Education Week for teenagers where youth could interact with other young people from various places in the country, rather than just with those from their own ward or stake.” That program was called Especially For Youth (EFY).
In 1976 the first session was held in Provo, Utah. It was nearly cancelled because of low enrollment. On the very day of the enrollment deadline, an envelope arrived containing 25 registrations, bringing the total to 172 participants. Brother Hills and others decided that was enough to hold the first-ever EFY.
The following year two EFY sessions were held, and 863 people attended in Provo. Enrollment continued to grow every year. In 1980 four sessions were held in Provo, with over 3,600 participants. In 1986 five EFY sessions were held, four in Provo and one in San Diego, California, with a total of more than 4,900 participants. By 1990 EFY had 12 sessions, one each week of the summer, with over 10,500 total participants. In 1993 the decision was made to hold more than one session during a single week. That year 21 sessions were held with over 15,500 youth attending. In 1999, 46 EFY sessions were held throughout North America with more than 30,000 youth attending. In 2008 a remarkable 109 sessions were held with over 46,000 participants enrolled.
Now approaching 40 years since its inception, EFY remains a successful BYU program. The many young single adult counselors and leaders, past and present directors, administrators, staff, session directors and teachers who have worked for EFY have made it what it is today. The objective of EFY is provide an uplifting, edifying, learning experience where youth can strengthen their commitments to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
From 1976 through 2012, more than 747,000 youth have attended in 1,453 EFY sessions. We are grateful for each and every participant and counselor, and those who have done both. We hope the EFY experience was awesome for them, and that those interested in coming to EFY for the first time will have a great experience like those before them. The purpose of Especially For Youth (EFY) is to strengthen youth in their commitment to live the gospel of Jesus Christ by providing inspiring, edifying learning opportunities and wholesome social experiences.