Bells on Temple Square Herald in Summer with June 22 Concert
Summer is a favorite time of year on Temple Square. It’s not just the flowers and the shade trees,
the monuments and the historic buildings that attract so much attention. It’s also the spectacular
music presented in the Tabernacle. On June 22, 2012 the Bells on Temple Square pick up their English
handbells and regale the audience with music from classical to patriotic to hymns. No question this
will be an event you won’t want to miss.
This 28-member bell ensemble formed in 2005 under the umbrella of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has a
tradition of performing two concerts a year in addition to their participation in Choir programs.
The repertoire, planned by LeAnna Willmore, conductor of the Bells on Temple Square, will include
“America the Beautiful” and “Stars and Stripes Forever” and hymn arrangements-- a feature of Temple
Square concerts—“Amazing Grace” and “Come Thou Almighty King.” In addition, the evening will
feature bell ensemble transcriptions of the well-known classical pieces, Stravinsky’s “The Firebird
Suite” and Mendelssohn’s “Italian Symphony.”
The Friday evening concert entitled “Summer Celebrations” comes just two days after the official
start of summer and also includes solos by Temple Square organists Bonnie Goodliffe and Linda
Margetts as well as instrumental ensembles from members of the Orchestra at Temple Square.
Tickets for the concert—which begins at 7:30 p.m.—are available on Tuesday, May 15 at by clicking here or by calling 801-570-0080.
First Ever “Conduct the Choir Facebook Contest”
Beginning April 25, 2012, Mormon Tabernacle Choir began inviting fans across the United States to
enter the “Conduct the Choir Video Facebook Contest” for a chance to conduct the Choir’s 360
powerful voices during one of their rehearsals.
To enter the contest, participants must visit the Choir’s Facebook page, click on the Contest tab,
and download an audio clip of the song “Ode to Joy” from the Choir’s latest album Glory!
They then record a 30-60 second video of themselves conducting the Choir. Participants will enter
the contest by posting their video to YouTube, and following all entry guidelines on the Choir’s
Facebook Contest page.
“This is a first for us and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a fan,” said Mack Wilberg, music
director of the Choir. “The Choir’s following is hugely loyal and we wanted to create an experience
that would be fun and powerful. Standing in front of 360 voices, with the conductor’s baton in
hand, will certainly be a moment not to be forgotten.”
Contest participants are encouraged to ask friends and family to vote for their video to increase
their chances of becoming a finalist. The top 10 videos, based on votes, will be selected as
finalists, at which point the Choir will then select the eventual winner.
The winning “conductor” will be invited to Salt Lake City to direct the Choir during a rehearsal,
planned for some time this summer. Other finalists will receive free copies of Glory! signed
by Mack Wilberg.
The Contest submission deadline is May 25, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. MDT.
Get On Your Feet and Shout BRAVO!
Singers love to hear the audience shout “Bravo!” It’s an expression of admiration for excellence
beyond measure. So it is with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir recording label’s latest release,
Bravo! This breathtaking three CD package includes the Choir’s recent #1 charting
albums on Billboard: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Men of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
and Heavensong. In addition to the three, a special bonus disc, Music from 9/11: Rising
Above formerly a digital only album is included. The new collection is available the first of May.
To reach the top of the charts is no small task and certainly a much deserved accolade of its own.
But this priceless collection is more than CDs of songs. For a collector Bravo! is a
must-have and for those just discovering their love for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, it is a
terrific place to start.
Men of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir spotlights the rich tradition of tenors, baritones
and basses, performing classics as well as new tunes: "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy,"
"Beautiful Savior," "Pilgrims' Chorus" from Tannhauser, "You Raise Me Up," and Billy Joel's
"Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" are among the wonderful songs on this best seller.
Heavensong features beloved classical selections from new Mack Wilberg compositions to
familiar melodies. The music is more heart-felt and reflective in keeping with the CD’s subtitle
“Music of Contemplation and Light.” Included are such songs as “Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” “I
Will Lift Up Mine Eyes,” “Alleluia” and David Foster’s “The Prayer” with the noted impresario at the
piano!
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing showcases music and melodies of the folk tunes and
hymns as passed down through the centuries. Included are Mack Wilberg arrangements of the title
song, “Come Thou Fount,” “Deep River,” “Bound for the Promised Land” and “Amazing Grace.” Soloist
Alex Boyé performs on several stunning African-American spirituals.
Music from 9/11: Rising Above demonstrates the ability of Americans to face adversity
and unbelievable losses and yet overcome. Much loved classics, “Shenendoah,” “For the Beauty of the
Earth” and “God Bless America” are fitting for this message of hope, determination and triumph of
this bonus CD.
Retirements from the Choir Are a Bitter-Sweet Passage
Officially the Sunday program of Music and the Spoken Word April 22, 2012 is Number 4310
since its broadcast beginnings in 1929. For 28 Choir members and 3 members of the stage crew the
number reflects something close to taking their last breath! They are retiring, saying good bye to a
calling they have loved and labored over for as many years as they could squeak in. A special
retirement ceremony is held once a year in honor of these men and women who are leaving this
volunteer church service. It will be a bitter-sweet passage. The retiring Choir members will be
leaving their seats, lockers, folders and even their wardrobes to the new members who have just
completed training in the Chorale. The stage crew members will hand their work gloves to those who
will follow. All the retirees will be taking with them hearts full of love for this singular service.
Some of the retirees have sung in the Choir for the full 20 years. Some have edged up to the age 60
cutoff with less than ten years in the Choir loft. Others have been in and out of the Choir with
other callings; one sang under the baton of Richard Condie (1957-1974) and came back to finish his
“time.” The stage crew members have labored behind the scenes on broadcasts and tours and concerts
to handle the details so the performances could go forward.
Those who have watched the commitment of these Choir organization volunteers might expect them to be
elated to have their Sundays back, their Christmas holidays. For them, there will be no more 7:30
a.m. calls or Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and all day Saturday recording sessions. No more
carpools from the 100 mile radius from which the Choir draws. No more rigorous tour schedules with
no pay—although when they do go on tour, their expenses are covered even though they still have to
use their vacation time for the travel.
Ask any of them would they “re-up” if given the chance. Absolutely, they will reply. They love the
spirit of the work, the professionalism of each musician, the music—oh, the music—and the masterful
direction they have received. They have wept and grieved and sung praises to the Almighty together
and now they lovingly, willingly and without asking for a receipt join the audience.
Choir Announces Guests on Broadcast and 2013 Tour
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir engages audiences in the weekly broadcast, Music and the Spoken
Word originating in the Tabernacle on Temple Square, at spectacular seasonal concerts and on
tours across North America.
From time to time, the broadcast spotlights specialty choirs from around the country and even the
world. On April 15, the American Boychoir currently on tour in the West joins the Choir in the
loft. They will sing Franz Schubert’s “Gloria” from Mass in G, Barbara Baker’s arrangement
of Charles Tindley’s “The Storm is Passing Over” and join with the Choir for the finale, “Praise, My
Soul, the King of Heaven,” arranged by Mack Wilberg.
For 75 years this premier choir featuring boys in grades 4 through 8 has dazzled audiences with
opera, stage and television performances. The American Boychoir School, located in Princeton, New
Jersey, is the only non-sectarian boys’ choir school in the nation offering a training program for
mastery of choral music with a strong academic program.
Every other year the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square go on tour. From June
12-21, 2013 they will conduct a Midwest States Tour presenting concerts beginning in Columbus, Ohio
and traveling on to
Indianapolis, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin. The final concert is
scheduled in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Tickets at most of the venues will be on sale on or before December 1, 2012. Tickets for the
Madison concert will go on sale for season subscribers and group purchases of 10 or more next week
on April 17. (See the “Tickets” tab on mormontabernaclechoir.org for more information or click here. This first announcement gives a
jump-start for those who live in one of the areas or plan a visit to one of the cities where the
Choir will perform.
Video in Celebration of Easter Week:
"Behold, This is the Way"
from the 2008 Easter Performance of
The Redeemer
by Tabernacle Organist
Emeritus Robert Cundick
(Available on DVD.
Click here for more information.)
Easter Concert Reflects on Christ’s Last Week
There is no better way to celebrate the Easter season than in song. It is fitting then that the
Temple Square Chorale and Orchestra at Temple Square present as a spring concert, “Easter
Reflections” in the Tabernacle on Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. The concert is
a conclusion to the rigorous Choir School training for new members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
The first half of the concert features Requiem by composer Maurice Duruflé. The entire work
has never been performed on Temple Square, although the full Choir has sung the famous fourth
movement many times. “The Requiem is a beautiful work, one that is poignant for this time of year,”
states Ryan Murphy, Chorale conductor and associate conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
“Themes of mercy, love, justice and meditation are magnificently expressed in the work. Though not
written specifically for Easter, the music is devotional in nature with its own tonal languages.”
The second half of the program pays tribute to the events of the last week of the ministry of Jesus
Christ. “All Christians celebrate Holy Week in various ways,” Murphy explains. He has prepared
music to highlight the significant settings for those special days honored by so many Christians.
John Rutter’s “Christ the Lord is Risen Again” opens the sequence followed by “Tell me the Stories
of Jesus” for Palm Sunday, “As I Have Done for You,” for Holy Thursday, “Ave verum corpus” for Good
Friday, “In the Garden” for Easter morn. The evening will conclude with the stirring “And Is It So!”
Not surprisingly, all the tickets for the concerts have been distributed, however, patrons may
standby for seating. A line forms at the flagpole outside the Tabernacle. Come and celebrate the
Easter season with the Temple Square Chorale and Orchestra at Temple Square.
The Choir Sings “Heavenly Music” for General Conference
At the close of a recent General Conference President Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, thanked the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for “truly heavenly music.”
Twice a year, the Choir stirs the hearts of millions with hymns of the Restoration, often newly
arranged, for the Saturday morning, Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon conference sessions.
President Monson loves to describe the 360 singers as “my choir!” Previous Church President Gordon
B. Hinckley (1995-2008) said of the Choir, “I regard it as the outstanding choir in the world. May
it continue its great mission of providing lofty and inspiring music at home and abroad.” Another
Church President, Spencer W. Kimball (1973-1985), thanked the Choir for adding “so much to the
spirit and enjoyment” of conference. “As I listen to the lovely melodies of the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir,” President Kimball continued, “I am comforted by the assurance that there will be beautiful
music in heaven.” Other General Authorities of the Church have referred to the Choir in their
conference messages as “magnificent,” “stirring,” amazing,” “unequaled,” “remarkable,” “divine.” The
words of praise go on and on---all of them well deserved.
The Choir doesn’t just sit down in the loft and sing old favorites. They prepare for general
conference just as those who write their messages. The Choir music director Mack Wilberg proposes
music which is approved by President Monson, advisor to the Choir, and then rehearsed at length. The
music comes from the hearts of the singers and the spirit of God carries it to the hearts of those
listening.
Choir members can tick off on their fingers the remarkable experiences of singing at the 2002
Olympic Winter games, touring Europe and the United States, the former Soviet Union and New Zealand,
singing at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem and being on stage with celebrities like Walter Cronkite,
Bryn Terfel, and Sissel. But the assignment to sing at general conference is like no other. Said
one member who recently retired after 20 years of service: “There were many instances when the
Spirit was so strong that singing became very difficult as emotions welled up in my throat and my
contribution had to be limited to my countenance.”
New CD Glory! Enchanting
Listeners
You need to be familiar with a lot of music if you are going put together a blockbuster recording,
program, or broadcast. To do it time and again takes a director like Mack Wilberg who is a genius at
connecting the old masters with great composers from film, traditional folk hymns, and favorite
anthems. Wilberg is quick to explain that you have to have something for everyone. That’s why the
Choir and Orchestra’s new album, Glory! Music of Rejoicing has climbed the Billboard charts
and clearly “raised the roof” for listeners.
Mack Wilberg was about eleven years old when he first walked into the Tabernacle and heard the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir. His grandmother took him to the famed Tabernacle on Temple Square to a
Thursday night rehearsal; Richard Condie was conducting as the Choir prepared “The Holy City.”
Wilberg was mesmerized.
He tucked that experience away and when putting together Glory! Wilberg reached back to that
memory and included that well-known piece “The Holy City” as part of the repertoire. He updated it
with some new arranging for solo, voice, and orchestra and tapped as tenor soloist Stanford Olsen, a
friend of the Choir who has performed with the Metropolitan Opera more than 150 times.
In a recent Deseret News article on Glory!, Choir tenor John Maddox said that making a
recording is “not a party.” But the songs selected for the album allow “the Choir and Orchestra to
be intense and exuberant about glorifying the Lord.” Karen Maxell, first alto, said of the long
hours, “We all come so excited because we want to record and want others to hear our testimony
through song and instrumentation.” For the complete article click here.
The result is a sensational album. Wilberg has crafted both big and fast moments and those of
quiet, subtle reflection as well. Included are 14 jubilant renditions including “Glory!” by
Rimsky-Korsakoff, an excerpt from “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Ennio Morricone’s
“Nella Fantasia” from the film The Mission, “Psalm 148” by Holst, “Look to the Day” by
Rutter, and “Hymn of Praise,” an original composition by Wilberg prepared as a tribute to the
reopening of the Tabernacle in 2007.
To hear a radio interview by Steven Kapp Perry with Music Director Mack Wilberg about the new album
Glory!click here.
Many New Stations Tuning into Music and the Spoken
Word
If you are in Africa, you can tune in to Music and the Spoken Word. Or in Taiwan, India,
Mexico and many nations in South America. And of course, Music and the Spoken Word has a
loyal following across the United States and Canada. In recent years, the more than 2,000 radio,
television, cable and satellite stations carrying Music and the Spoken Word has increased—122
stations have recently picked up the program—and the number continues to climb. The Mormon
Tabernacle Choir has great international draw; there aren’t many great choirs left in the world with
a reputation for continued excellence. “The world is recognizing Music and the Spoken Word
is a beautiful show,” says Gregg Garber, vice president of Bonneville Distribution which markets the
Choir’s program, the world’s longest continuous network radio broadcast. That’s been the niche for
the Choir since its beginning in 1929. The programs lift spirits, touches hearts, encourages, brings
peace and solace in troubled times.
Stations have scooped up the “Holiday Specials” that Music and the Spoken Word offers from
Christmas to Mother’s Day to most recently, the tribute to 9/11 which featured Tom Brokaw. The 9/11
program was put up on satellite by NBC and scores of its affiliates aired the program with great
responses from viewers. The 9/11 program also prompted stations in the top 10 markets who were not
familiar with the Choir to pick up other seasonal specials as well. Spanish and Portuguese stations
are adding the Choir to their programming not to mention 7 countries in Africa where choral music is
a prized tradition.
In a day when air time is scarce, when viewing and listening patterns continue to fragment, getting
in front of audiences is increasingly difficult. So why the interest in Music and the Spoken
Word? “Because it is a quality show,” states Garber emphatically. At a recent trade show in
Florida, broadcasters stood at the booth of Bonneville and were mesmerized by the 42-inch screen
displaying Music and the Spoken Word. Bonneville is aggressively visiting with stations and
attending trade shows across the country—26 this year-- to push for increased attention to the Choir
and its programs. Garber explains that the music and the spirit of the Choir members are engaging
new opportunities and that means “that the Choir will reach far beyond what we have envisioned up to
now.”
Organ Recitals Fill the Tabernacle and Conference Center with Magnificent Music
For 100 years organ recitals in the Salt Lake Tabernacle have delighted both visitors and residents
alike. Tabernacle Principal Organist Richard Elliott recalls when his mother while traveling West
in the 1920s stopped in Salt Lake for the sole purpose of attending just such an organ performance.
Today, five Tabernacle organists and an occasional guest organist present these 30-minute recitals
in the Tabernacle at 12:00 noon Monday through Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Between Memorial Day
and Labor Day, a second recital is added in the Conference Center on weekdays and Saturdays at 2:00
p.m. These recitals showcase not only the magnificent Tabernacle organ and the equally grand
Conference Center organ but also reflect the Latter-day Saints’ commitment to worshipping God
through music.
One woman approached Elliott after an organ concert and said “the organ was for her the voice of
God” with both loud and soft sounds. Elliott agrees. “Music makes people feel good and makes them
want to be better,” he says.
The other members of the organ staff include Clay Christiansen, Andrew Unsworth, Bonnie Goodliffe
and Linda Margetts. They, like earlier organists who have sat down at the Tabernacle organ and more
recently the Conference Center organ, have two main assignments: to accompany the Choir and to
present organ recitals. “There is nothing like sitting at the organ,” Elliott explains, “and having
360 voices bouncing around you. There is just so much energy.”
The two organs are by most descriptions, massive, impressive and heralded in music circles as well
as by millions who listen. They are different. The organ in the Tabernacle was initially built by
Joseph Harris Ridges who was born and raised near an organ factory in England. The highly
recognizable gold-painted pipes were harvested from suitable timber 300 miles south of Salt Lake and
carted to the Tabernacle in the 1860s. Over the years, renovations have updated the organ to now
include 11,623 pipes, 206 ranks of voices, and a console with five keyboards. The familiar image is
the icon for the Choir’s recording label. The Conference Center organ was built from 2000 to 2003
by Schoenstein and Co of San Francisco. The difference between the two, Elliott explains, is that
the organ in the Conference Center is about 2/3 the size of the one in the Tabernacle but must fill
a space six times the size of the Tabernacle. Both, he contends are world class instruments.
Click here for a
listing of recitals and performers in the daily recital series.
Chorale and Orchestra to present “Easter Reflections”
Once a year, the Temple Square Chorale and Orchestra at Temple Square present a spring concert. The
timing allows for a program that celebrates the Easter season. This year’s event, “Easter
Reflections” is no exception.
Under the direction of Ryan Murphy, Associate Music Director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and
conductor of the Temple Square Chorale, the chorus and orchestra will perform Requiem by
composer Maurice Duruflé. Commissioned in 1947 by the French music publisher Durand, Requiem
was written in memory of the composer's father. At the time, Duruflé was working on an organ suite
using themes from Gregorian chants which he incorporated into the commissioned piece. In addition,
the Chorale concert program will include other works that celebrate the Easter season.
The Chorale has been rehearsing since January, which Murphy describes as a "wonderful luxury"
because of the opportunity to get to know and work with the music in great detail. It’s a luxury
because the demands of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s broadcast and performance schedule don’t permit
the in-depth practice that are part of the training provided to new singers through the Temple
Square Chorale. Participation in the Chorale is part of the training process for new Mormon
Tabernacle Choir members; singers also include some current members of the Choir.
“Easter Reflections” is set for Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Salt Lake
Tabernacle. Tickets will be available February 28 online at www.lds.org/events, in person at the Conference
Center Ticket Office
(door 4), or by calling 801-570-0080. Admission to this event is limited to those ages eight and older.
Choir Sings to More than 20,000 in Arizona
For the first time in 40 years, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir visited Arizona for a two-day tour to
take part in the state’s Centennial celebration. The Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square performed
two concerts to more than 20,000 people in the US Airways Arena. The Choir has sung in similar
venues around the country. Its technicians have become adept at arranging the sound system in these
large arenas so that the Choir and Orchestra can perform to larger audiences than can be
accommodated in smaller concert halls.
The Choir regaled the audience with everything from Rossini to Rodgers & Hammerstein with a mix of
hymns, classical music, and show tunes including a Nigerian carol. That particular number, entitled
“Betelehemu,” suggests to everyone in the hall that this is “not your father’s Mormon Tabernacle
Choir.” Organist Richard Elliott played a version of “I Got Rhythm” that brought down the house.
The 310 choir members and 65 orchestra musicians and about 40 staff members who traveled to Arizona
resembled a small army. Although short weekend tours can be as much work in many respects as longer
tours, Barry Anderson, administrative manager for the Choir and Orchestra said, “Two days or two
weeks, it still takes three airplanes, three semi trucks loaded with instruments including a
portable organ, wardrobe, sound equipment, and rigging to send the Choir and Orchestra on tour.”
One of the highlights of the tour included a VIP reception for 500 guests including Governor Jan
Brewer who addressed those assembled as did Choir President Mac Christensen and Musical Director
Mack Wilberg. Concluding remarks at the reception were given by Elder Tad A. Callister of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who oversees the work of the Church in Arizona. Two
famed Arizonans, Sandra Day O’Connor, former U. S. Supreme Court Justice, and Most Reverend Eduardo
A. Nevares, Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix conducted the Choir and Orchestra in
encore performances of “This Land Is Your Land” each night.
Orchestra at Temple Square Goes “Romantic”
The Orchestra at Temple Square joins with #1 Billboard artist Josh Wright to present its annual
spring concert, “Romantic Variations: Music of Brahms and Rachmaninoff,” Friday, March 16 and
Saturday, March 17 in the Tabernacle. Igor Gruppman, conductor of the Orchestra at Temple Square,
will lead the ensemble in the concerts.
The program is ideally suited to the participants. Under the direction of Igor Gruppman, the
Orchestra will perform Brahms’s Symphony no. 1 in C Minor, a work of four movements that premiered
in 1876 after two decades of attention from its famed composer. Brahms wrote the piece to honor
Beethoven and is often described as “Beethoven’s Tenth” because of the themes drawn from his earlier
pieces.
The Rachmaninoff rhapsody features piano solos in its series of 24 variations on Niccoló Paganini’s
Caprices for solo violin. The work, performed at its premiere by the composer himself in 1934,
showcases soloist Josh Wright’s talent. Wright was the first prize winner of the 2010 American
Protége International Competition of Romantic Music in New York. He has won top honors from a number
of highly acclaimed piano competitions including the heralded Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw,
Poland and another Chopin competition in Miami, Florida, the familiar Gina Bachauer International
Competition in Salt Lake and many others. Josh currently attends the University of Utah, studying
under Dr. Susan Duehlmeier, where he recently completed his master of music degree. This will be his
first time performing with the Orchestra at Temple Square. Wright’s self-titled album topped the
Billboard Classical Traditional chart in 2011.
The concerts will be filmed with excerpts airing in a future special on BYU Broadcasting.
Click here for tickets or go to lds.org/events. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
The Choir Has a Closet of 2,000 Dresses!
This spring 17 women will join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the transition will look seamless –
at least as far as the wardrobe is concerned. But it is a monumental task to keep all the women in
matching outfits Sunday after Sunday, not to mention on tour. The Choir provides nine dresses for
the women in colors to suit the camera and in styles to suit every figure. They come in fuchsia,
blue, cream, raspberry, black, lilac, turquoise, rose and aqua. Each design in expected to last 20
years – more than a lifetime in anyone’s closet!
A staff of five volunteers with Valorie Jensen at the helm designs, stitches, alters, sews, presses,
hems and cleans the 200 dresses. At her side are Peggy Becker—who has served as a member of the
wardrobe committee for 35 years—Joyce Kennard, Susan Newland, and Connie Warner.
When new Choir members are added, this committee tries first to fit them from existing inventory,
making adjustments as needed. In some cases, they have to pull out the rolls of fabric in reserve
to cut and sew new dresses.
When a new dress is introduced, the Choir orders 2,000 yards of fabric direct from the factory. The
most recent addition to the wardrobe was what they call the “rose” dress. The committee used 1,100
yards of fabric for the dresses and put the rest on the shelf for future needs. Every woman is
measured for her dress and each pattern is adjusted for fit—neckline, sleeve, front, back, length.
Each dress is then made to fit. The process takes about five months. The committee members sew
each one of the dresses.
Time was when the Choir ordered dresses from manufacturers. The Choir broke with that tradition when
the fuchsia dress was introduced more than a decade ago and the committee has been “dressing” the
women with their own creations ever since. In recent years, to assure they would get just the right
color of fabric, the committee has sent sequins or spools of thread for an exact match. The dresses
are always long—to the floor—so that the Choir does not have to provide matching shoes!
Facebook Fans Introduced to the Choir Raising the Tabernacle Roof!
If you are a fan of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Facebook, you get ongoing glimpses of the Choir’s
latest recordings, announcements, program notes and applause from friends. There’s chat and more
chat, too.
Take the new Glory! album just released. The new and very clever announcement of its
availability (shown above) is also posted on Facebook. “Raise the Roof” says the TV commercial for
the new 14-song recording and then that’s exactly what happens. The Tabernacle’s famous silver dome
lifts up and out pours the music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Not just lilting notes but
high-spirited and dramatic ones that are the signature of the Choir in its message of singing
praises and glory to God.
If you are not yet a fan of the Choir – become one right now. It is easy! There are two ways to do this:
Click “Like.” (Thumbs up!) at the top of the Facebook window (just under "Find us on Facebook" at
the top right hand side of this page.
Or click here to go
directly to the Choir’s Facebook page -- www.facebook.com/MormonTabernacleChoir -- and click “Like” right in the center
of the first entry. You will be one of thousands of fans who are in the Choir’s circle of friends.
And then tell your friends to do the same and the Choir will be well on its way to becoming not
just America’s Choir but the World’s Choir.
Choir Releases Exuberant New Album—Glory!
Click
here to hear Music Director Mack Wilberg introduce the new album on the Mormon Channel program
"Mormon Tabernacle Choir Premiers."
Glory! Music of Rejoicing is more than the title of the new CD just released from the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. It is the essence of the Choir and Orchestra.
As Music Director Mack Wilberg explains, no other recording displays the virtuosity of the combined
ensembles as does Glory!
The music draws from a variety of different sources. Every piece of the recording embodies some form of
rejoicing—from the masters to hymns, Psalms, movies and even the Broadway stage.
What was the genesis for this new fourteen-song recording? Like so many who love the music of the
Choir, Wilberg grew up listening to the old LP recordings which were often performed with the
Philadelphia Orchestra. Two pieces stood out for him: Rimsky Korsakov’s “Glory” and “Psalm 48” by
Gustav Holstz. Although they are quite different from one other, he loved the drama of each. Since
becoming Music Director he has loved performing them with the Choir and Orchestra. When planning the
latest recording these two pieces came to mind. He then thought of other pieces of music that imply
rejoicing and shaped an album with that focus. Jubilant renditions of “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s
Ninth Symphony, Ennio Morricone’s “Nella Fantasia” from the movie The Mission, and the
frequently requested anthem, “The Holy City” are included as well as the music of many well-known
artists, including John Williams, John Rutter and Gioachino Rossini.
Wilberg notes that sometimes the hardest part of putting together a new album is finding the first
and last piece: “I always have to know what that first and last piece is going to be and then build
around it.” The recording opens with “Hymn of Praise” which was written by Wilberg in 2007 as a
tribute to the opening of the then-newly renovated Tabernacle on Temple Square. He incorporated the
hymn that many know as “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” which dates back to 1551. The CD
concludes with “Ode to Joy,” excerpts from Beethoven’s well-known Symphony No. 9. As the
advertising campaign for the new CD aptly states, it is music that “raises the roof!” Click here to go to the product page.
Looking Back at 2011
A new year calls for a quick look back to reflect upon great accomplishments, according to Choir
President Mac Christensen. The world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir and its related Orchestra at
Temple Square, Temple Square Chorale, Bells on Temple registered an impressive list of events and
activities in 2011.
Some of the highlights included more than fifty concerts and mini-concerts both on Temple Square and
in other venues. It took over 300 rehearsals to put all the programs in place. The Choir sang in
St. George, Utah at Dixie State College for its Centennial Celebration and at the Joseph Smith
Memorial Building for its 100th Anniversary Event. The Choir and Orchestra presented an annual
Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert, a mini concert for United States Governors, a concert for LDS
Temple Presidents and a televised concert “Rising Above” with news anchor Tom Brokaw in honor of
9/11. The Choir joined with the Utah Symphony for the Tanner Gift of Music and concluded the year
with the Christmas Concerts featuring acclaimed baritone Nathan Gunn and Emmy-award winning actress
Jane Seymour. The special Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir aired on PBS across the
nation. In addition there were fifty live broadcasts and two recorded broadcasts of Music and the
Spoken Word. The Orchestra presented two concerts of major works and the Bells on Temple Square
followed suit with two programs as well.
The Choir went on tour to five cities -- Norfolk, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; Chautauqua, New York and Toronto, Ontario, Canada—with 600 people in tow. In those
five venues the Choir presented 7 concerts. It took 3 airplanes to move them from Salt Lake to the
Eastern Seaboard and 11 busses to cart them from one location to another. There were 4 trucks just
for luggage and 4 large semi-trucks for all the equipment.
Organists Richard Elliott, Clay Christiansen, Andrew Unsworth, Bonnie Goodliffe and Linda Margetts
plus special guest organists gave 470 organ recitals in the Tabernacle and Conference Center.
The Choir released three CDs under its own Mormon Tabernacle Choir® label, including Men of the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir, This is the Christ and Glad Christmas Tidings with David
Archuleta and Michael York and two DVDs—One Voice: On the Road with the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir and Glad Christmas Tidings.
Tom Waldron retired as director of the Bells on Temple Square; 18 Choir members retired; and 2
Orchestra members. New members in the Choir totaled 29; new orchestra members, 12; and new bell
ringers, 4. Perhaps the most stirring event was the Choir’s singing at the funeral services of
former and beloved Choir President Wendell Smoot who served seventeen years from 1984 to 2000.
Choir Opens “Boot Camp” for Singers
The Temple Square Chorale, the training ensemble for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, begins rehearsals
January 10 pointing to an Easter weekend concert. The Chorale is in session every winter as the
final step to admittance to the Choir.
The intent of the Chorale, conductor Ryan Murphy explains, is to “accomplish preparation and
assimilation” into the whole Choir. As a result, the Chorale members are trained in “laser-like
intonation,” the standard for the Choir, says Murphy. What they learn is that “every chord has to
lock in like a barbershop quartet.”
This year, 39 singers—22 men and 17 women--will make up the nucleus of the “new” Chorale membership.
Singers who were new last year will also sing again this year as well as other current Choir
members who volunteer to round out the ensemble at about 120 singers.
In addition to the Chorale, those admitted to this final stage of the auditioning process also
attend Choir Training School. Cherilyn Worthen, director the Choir Training School, describes it as
a “boot camp” for singers focused on vocal technique, sight reading skills, and music theory.
Worthen is assisted by Choir vocal coach Rebecca Wilberg and Temple Square Organists Bonnie
Goodliffe and Linda Margetts.
The Training School meets every Thursday evening; the Chorale every Tuesday. In addition to those
new to the Choir program, an abbreviated version of the Training School is now held in October each
year for existing Choir members. The combined impact of this focused training is an increase in the
level of musicianship of Choir members which enables them to meet the demands of their calling to
serve in the Choir.
Choir auditions will begin again in July. Click here for details.
Choir Institutes a Refresher Course For Long-Time Members
Every instrument needs tuning – even the voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
This fall the Choir leadership instituted a “refresher course” for members conducted by Ryan Murphy,
Associate Music Director of the Choir, and Cherilyn Worthen, director of the Choir School.
Seventy-nine singers who have been in the Choir—some for more than 10 years—took part in a four-week
blitz through what is normally a sixteen-week curriculum specially designed as part of the
auditioning process. Worthen, who recently was named to a choral music position at Utah Valley
University, helped shape the curriculum now being used for both new and seasoned members.
“We carved out a little more than an hour before Thursday evening rehearsals in this new in-service
program,” Worthen explains. “The Choir members focused on basic choral habits and techniques with
the intent to make each individual a little more accountable.” Each fall another 80 members of the
Choir will be asked to participate.
With such discipline and dedication, it is no wonder that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is
world-renowned for its musicality and professionalism. The in-service program is indicative of the
constant desire for excellence and peak performance.
Music from "9/11: Rising Above" now available as digital album
On Sunday, September 11, millions of households around the country saw an amazing 9/11 tribute by
the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square on their Music and the Spoken Word
broadcast. Narrated by veteran newsman, Tom Brokaw, the special entitled "9/11: Rising Above" was a
salute to the indomitable American spirit in rising above the tragedy of September 11, 2001.
Music from that special Music and the Spoken Word broadcast is now available as a digital
download from iTunes and deseretbook.com. "We know
that many people will be moved by the Choir’s 9/11 tribute," said Choir President Mac Christensen
prior to the broadcast. Although full video of the special will not be available, Christensen said,
"We know from experience that many people will want to hear the music over and over. This
digital-only album—a first for the Choir—will enable our listeners to have this music so they can
experience the feelings of the broadcast again."
Music from 9/11: Rising Above features the six musical selections performed by the
world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square on the broadcast. (Brokaw’s
narration is not included.) The six-track digital album (EP) includes:
- Shenandoah
- For the Beauty of the Earth
- Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
- Homeward Bound
- Amazing Grace
- God Bless America
Click here to purchase
at deseretbook.com. Click
here for the iTunes preview page.
Historical Roster:
Click here for a
comprehensive list of all who have served in the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple
Square.
Check this site often for information about all
the activities of the Choir,
the Chorale and the Orchestra. You'll find
details about performances, rehearsals,
recordings, auditions and tours and much more.
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Mormon Tabernacle Choir Performing Arts Family Internet Resources Site (an internal administrative
website for members of the Choir, Orchestra, and Bells on Temple Square only).
Bells on Temple Square Herald in Summer with June 22 Concert
First Ever “Conduct the Choir Facebook Contest”
Retirements from the Choir Are a Bitter-Sweet Passage
Choir Announces Guests on Broadcast and 2013 Tour
Easter Concert Reflects on Christ’s Last Week
The Choir Sings “Heavenly Music” for General Conference
New CD Glory! Enchanting
Listeners
Many New Stations Tuning into Music and the Spoken
Word
Organ Recitals Fill the Tabernacle and Conference Center with Magnificent Music
Chorale and Orchestra to present “Easter Reflections”
Choir Sings to More than 20,000 in Arizona
Orchestra at Temple Square Goes “Romantic”
The Choir Has a Closet of 2,000 Dresses!
Looking Back at 2011
Choir Opens “Boot Camp” for Singers
Choir Institutes a Refresher Course For Long-Time Members
