New Choir Album Prompts Contest for "Greatest Teacher"
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s newest album, Teach Me to Walk in the Light and Other Children’s
Favorites, prompted Deseret Book, distributor of the Choir’s recordings, to create a contest for
the “Greatest Primary Teacher in the World.” (Primary is the class for children in Sunday services
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). People submitted nominations to Deseret Book
stores and on line for their greatest teacher.
The tie to Primary is a strong one: all of the music for this latest album came from songs written
for the Primary organization. Primary teachers around the world have taught the songs on the new
Choir album to their students, including titles such as “If the Savior Stood Beside Me,” “Tell Me
the Stories of Jesus,” “I Am a Child of God,” "'Give,' Said the Little Stream," and “Love One Another.”
Nominations for the “Greatest Primary Teacher” came in from across the United States, Canada, and
even Brazil. Each week, a winner was named at each Deseret Book Store and online; more than 100
winners were selected, and each received two copies of the Choir’s new children’s CD and a special
certificate.
The nominations were stirring tributes. Some examples:
“Teresa Garcia Viuda De Aguirre (Brazil) has been teaching in Primary since 1982. Many of her
children have served missions and always remember their teacher.”
“Sister Hellen Abbott (Oklahoma) has been teaching Sunbeams [the 3-year-olds’ class] for 40+
years. My daughter and grandson have had her as a teacher.”
“Ralph and Bonnie Sharp (Wyoming) They are wonderful storytellers and keep the children’s
interest.”
Terfel and Choir Record for Deutsche Grammophon
Bryn Terfel, acclaimed Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer, walked out onto the stage of
the Tabernacle on Tuesday for the first night of recording to an enthusiastic ovation from the
members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. He hadn't yet sung a note,
but with two previous appearances with the Choir, he was back among friends.
And so it went.
Terfel, who has performed for audiences all over the world in the most prestigious concert halls,
came to Salt Lake to record a fall 2013 album with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at
Temple Square for Deutsche Grammophon. As of press time, Terfel and the Choir were halfway through a
week of recording sessions (four nights and all day Saturday), with 10 new arrangements by Mack
Wilberg in the mix. Many of the songs have a distinctly Americana feel, including "Shenandoah,"
"Homeward Bound," and "Deep River."
A film crew accompanied Terfel to make a documentary about the recording and the Welsh ties to the
Choir. The shared Welsh connection between the Choir and Terfel was one of the draws for the
recording collaboration. Not only do many of the Choir members have Welsh ancestors, but the
beginnings of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are traced to Welsh immigrants, who settled in the Salt
Lake Valley in the mid-nineteenth century. The recording will also explore the Welsh connection,
with two tracks sung in Welsh.
Editor's Note: The news item from two weeks ago (see below) mentioned the long service as
historian to the Choir organization by Josephine Foulger. We note with sadness her recent passing
and express our condolences to her family. "God Be with You Till We Meet Again."
Bryn Terfel and Choir to Team Up On CD, Mother’s Day Broadcast
Internationally acclaimed baritone Bryn Terfel and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are recording an
album together in May for Deutsche Grammophon, the leading classical recording label in the world.
This CD–to be released in September 2013—will have an Americana feel with a touch of the Welsh
heritage shared by Terfel and the Choir.
In addition to the landmark recording session, Terfel will join the Choir for the Mother’s Day
broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word on May 12. The public is invited to attend the Sunday
morning performance in the Salt Lake Tabernacle; no tickets are required.
“We are honored to be recording with this prestigious label and delighted to work again with our
dear friend, Bryn Terfel,” said Mack Wilberg, music director of the Choir. Terfel performed with the
Choir in the 2003 Christmas concert and again in 2007 for the reopening of the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
He also sang the baritone solo on Wilberg’s Requiem, released on the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir® recording label in 2008.
Mark Wilkinson, president of Deutsche Grammophon, praised the collaboration saying, “We are
privileged to be able to help bring together two true giants of the music world like Bryn and the
Choir. This is Bryn’s first studio album in three years, and we are very excited at the prospect of
bringing the Choir, its special sound, and its unique story to an international audience. This is
turning into a real ‘event’ and will be one of the company’s key priorities this autumn.”
Behind The Scenes at The Choir—A New Historian At Work
“We are a history-keeping people,” Tam Wood explains as she describes her new calling as historian
of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. “We like records; we keep things so we can go back to them if we
need them.” She is essentially the “memory bank” for the Choir when a question comes up about who,
what, when or where.
She takes over from a long line of Foulger-family volunteers. Marene Foulger has served as assistant
historian from 1999 to 2003 and then for past ten years to 2013 as the historian. She took over from
her mother who served as Choir historian from 1976 to 2002. Her father who also sang with the Choir
kept track of all the recordings for 26 years.
A former second soprano in the Choir, Wood was surprised when President Mac Christensen asked her to
step in as the assistant historian following her retirement from the Choir. She is a music teacher
by training but every bit a Choir enthusiast and was willing to take up a new assignment. She
officially becomes the Choir historian this month, following the official retirement of Marene, who
was feted at a luncheon in her honor given by the Choir leadership.
There is always much to be done. Tam will follow the pattern established by Marene: she will keep a
day-to-day record of the current activities of the Choir, the minutes and announcements at Choir
rehearsals and performances and a chronology for all the year’s events including guests, guest
artists, special commemorations, participation in funerals of Choir members, tour venues and special
awards. She will maintain a compilation of programs for concerts—many signed by guests like news
anchor Tom Brokaw, a 2012 guest narrator for the Christmas program—and other special documents like
the signed score of the original 2002 Olympics music composed by John Williams. And she will also
work with the archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where a repository of
Choir historical materials is being made available.
Get Tickets Early for Bells Concert!
The Bells on Temple Square will present its annual spring concert, "Bells in Motion," on Friday, May
31, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Last year, tickets for this very popular spring
concert were all distributed in one day!
"It's a concert for eyes and ear," said LeAnna Willmore. "It's magnificent to see the dance-like
movements of arms and hear the bells collaborate to make a unity of sound."
The concert will showcase a broad variety of hand bell repertoire, opening with "Allegro con moto,"
a fast, lively piece by Jason W. Krug. The program continues with two pieces-"Syncopated Clock" and
"The Typewriter-by Leroy Anderson, arranged by Martha Lynn Thompson. The evening will conclude with
two familiar pieces: "You Raise Me Up," a popular song recorded both by Josh Groban and the men of
the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and "Flight of the Bumblebee" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, which
challenges the bell ringers because of the speed of the changing bells.
The bell choir, a volunteer ensemble like the Choir and Orchestra, was established in 2005. LeAnna
Willmore has directed the Bells since June 2011, with Larry Smith as associate conductor.
Tickets can be obtained with a limit of four per request by clicking here, or by phone at 801-570-0080, or in person at the Conference
Center ticket office.
YouTube Milestone; Choir Retirements; Chorale Concert Tickets Available
You Tube Views Reach 2 Million
The “Hallelujah Chorus” maybe in order for the Mormon Tabernacle’s latest milestone. On April 6, the
Choir surpassed 2 million views on its YouTube channel in less than six months. And this is just the
beginning. Anyone, anywhere, can now hear the Choir in weekly Music and the Spoken Word
broadcasts and in special concerts. View/visit/subscribe to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir YouTube
channel at http://www.youtube.com/MormonTabChoir.
Choir Bids Farewell and Welcome to Singers
You won’t be seeing all the same faces on You Tube posts. This month the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
bids farewell to 28 members who are have reached either 60 years of age or 20 years of service and
welcomes 56 new members to the loft. The transition is seamless but not without emotion. The
changeover is either exhilarating and tender depending on whether you are coming or going. Those
retiring from the Choir—13 women and 15 men—will be spotlighted individually in the once-a-year
tribute following the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast on April 21, 2013. Few, if any,
members of the Choir look forward to that last performance. Many, who have sung with the Choir for
from 5 to 20 years, leave friends, tour memories and singular music and missionary experiences never
to be forgotten.
Those joining the Choir—35 women and 21 men—will sing with the Choir that same morning for the first
time. They were selected from 138 applicants and have been participating in the Choir Training
School and Temple Square Chorale since January.
Temple Square Chorale Concerts Still Available
The Temple Square Chorale accompanied by the Orchestra at Temple Square will present its annual
concert April 19-20, 2013 in the Tabernacle at 7:30 p.m.
The first half of the program will feature Gloria by Francis Poulenc, a major work with
soprano soloist Elizabeth Pike Murdock under the baton of Ryan Murphy, associate conductor of the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir and conductor of the Temple Square Chorale. The second half of the concert
will offer a variety of sacred anthems, including new compositions by Murphy, as well as music by
John Rutter and Edgar Bainton. Click here for free tickets or call 801-570-0080.
Orchestra Member and Her Family Featured in New Choir Video
When the Mormon Tabernacle Choir wanted to showcase in video the messages of songs from its recent
recording Teach Me to Walk in the Light, they looked close to home for casting
The Gardner family is a good example. Melodie Gardner joined the Orchestra at Temple Square when it
was first organized in 1999. Her husband, Josh, sang with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for seven
years. Little did she expect that not only would she be featured on weekly broadcasts as the cameras
spanned the violin section, but their family of six children would be featured in a Music and the
Spoken Word broadcast portraying principles of charity and love from the song "Teach Me to Walk
in the Light."
The whole purpose of spotlighting Choir and Orchestra members on the broadcast and in videos posted
on YouTube and other media is to acquaint viewers and friends with the performers, Ed Payne,
executive producer of Music and the Spoken Word, explains. "These are people who live the
values about which they sing. They live them in their homes and they teach them to their families."
The song "Teach Me to Walk in the Light" was featured on the March 17, 2013 Music and the Spoken
Word broadcast. Interspersed with the Choir and Orchestra performance, the Gardner family is
shown talking about "What would Jesus do?" in certain settings. Their son Adam (age 9) is then seen
applying the importance of reaching out to a classmate with kindness and sensitivity. "Hopefully
many will be touched by the lesson," Melodie explains, "and hopefully when Adam looks back in the
years ahead, he will remember what he represented in this video." Click on the video above or go to
http://youtu.be/kK7XnmUzUUA to watch.
We intend, Payne explains, in the next few years to spotlight everyone in the Choir and Orchestra in
videos or song announcements on Music and the Spoken Word to elaborate our themes. "We want
our viewers to think to themselves as they see them on camera: 'That's the violinist with the cute
family who showed how to apply teachings of kindness and compassion.'"
New "Behind the Scenes" Video on Teach Me to Walk in the Light Ad
Teach Me to Walk in the Light, the latest Mormon Tabernacle Choir recording, is quickly
becoming a favorite. This unprecedented collection of familiar Primary hymns-with all new
arrangements-includes "If the Savior Stood Beside Me," "Give, Said the Little Stream," "Love One
Another," and "I Know that My Savior Loves Me."
Deseret Book, the Choir's partner in distributing its recordings since 2003, produced an engaging
commercial for the new album. It featured a local children's choir "preparing" for a big concert in
the Tabernacle. Footage for the commercial was shot in the dressing rooms and backstage areas the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir uses each week for their broadcasts. Click here to see the full length commercial on YouTube.
While the Deseret Book crew was filming the commercial, Ed Payne, executive producer for the Choir's
Music and the Spoken Word program, was filming the children who were participating. The
result was magic! "I talked to the children about what the songs say to them. You couldn't craft
answers more engaging, more fresh, more endearing." This "behind the scenes" video ends with an
adorable young girl saying matter-of-factly, "I love to sing! I just love it!" Click on the video
above to see the "Making of the Teach Me to Walk in the Light Commercial" or find it on YouTube at
http://youtu.be/IRhuVle1YiE.
To help publicize the Teach Me to Walk in the Light CD, the Choir and Deseret Book have
teamed up to recognize beloved Primary teachers everywhere! Simply click here or visit www.greatestprimaryteacher.com to
nominate a favorite Primary teacher. Weekly winners will be drawn from the nominations and will
receive the new recording, Teach Me to Walk in the Light-one for the teacher, one for the
person nominating-and a certificate to honor the Primary teacher.
A grand prize of concert tickets to a Choir performance will be given at the end of the contest.
Nominations will be accepted until April 10th, so don't delay.
Annual Temple Square Chorale Concert Features Gloria by Poulenc
Each spring, the Temple Square Chorale accompanied by the Orchestra at Temple Square
presents a concert featuring a major choral work. This year is no different. The program will
feature Gloria by French composer Francis Poulenc; it is one of his most celebrated works.
Scheduled Friday and Saturday, April 19-20 in the Tabernacle on Temple Square at 7:30 p.m.,
the concert will be under the direction of Ryan Murphy, conductor of the Temple Square Chorale
and associate music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Joining the Chorale will be soprano
soloist Elizabeth Pike Murdock, a graduate of the Brigham Young University School of Music
and a noted concert musician.
Poulenc’s Gloria, written near the end of his career and premiered on January 21, 1961 in
Boston, is a setting of Gloria in excelsis Deo familiar from its use in mass liturgy and other
prominent compositions. The Koussevitzky Foundation commissioned the work in honor of
Sergei Koussevitzky, music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for a quarter of a
century. In the past, the Chorale has performed such works as St. Matthew Passion by Bach,
Requiem by Mozart and Saul by Handel. The second half of the program will include a
variety
of sacred anthems including two new compositions by Ryan Murphy and others by John Rutter
and Edgar Bainton.
The Chorale, in its 14th year, is the training ensemble for the Choir and this year has 120
singers—those completing the audition process for the Choir, those who joined the Choir last
year, and a group of seasoned Choir members. All are volunteers.
Tickets for the traditionally sold-out event will be available March 19, 2011, online at lds.org/events, by
calling 801-570-008 or visiting the Conference Center Ticket Office.
Choir Leaders Reach Out to Peers and Friends
Mack Wilberg, music director of the Choir, recently returned from two “power-packed” days in
Minneapolis where he met with the Minnesota choral community in advance of the Choir’s visit in June
as part of its Upper Midwest Tour.
The area is known for its strong choral tradition so Wilberg felt right at home among friends and
peers as he met with Classical Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) officials, radio personalities, and
choral directors. “Every event was a home run,” he said. He was the featured guest at a discussion
breakfast with the state’s choral leadership which included a robust question and answer period
where he admitted that his well-known arrangements are made at home on an old out of tune spinet
piano with four keys that don’t work.
During his visit, Wilberg also conducted a choral workshop for over 100 community choir directors at
a local LDS chapel. The workshop focused on his guidelines to successfully rehearse a choir. In the
hands of Mack Wilberg, a choral rehearsal literally has a beat and rhythm of its own not just in the
music but in the way a director gives instruction, correction, and praise.
The trip would not have been complete without spending time at Minnesota Public Radio, one of the
premier radio stations in the country, where Wilberg met with President Jon McTaggart, had lunch
with MPR luminaries such as “Pipedreams” Michael Barone and participated in an interview himself
with Brian Newhouse, an MPR personality.
Wilberg along with Ryan Murphy, associate director, and Richard Elliott, principal organist, are
ambassadors for the Choir. Each of them has an outreach schedule, which they fit in—here and
there—in their busy schedule. This outreach includes classes, workshops, guest conducting and
performances for audiences around the country.
Earlier this month, Murphy was at St. Boniface Episcopal Church in Sarasota, Florida giving a
lecture on “Music at the Tabernacle.” The next day at that magnificent church he conducted a
200-voice combined choir formed from many choirs in the community.
Elliott squeezes in about six outside performances a year in some of the grandest cathedrals and
concert halls in the nation. Just recently, he performed at St. Marks Episcopal Cathedral in
Seattle, Washington. “I love everything about it,” he is quick to say. While most musicians take
their instrument with them, obviously Elliott doesn’t. He sits down at the organ and spends a couple
of days getting familiar with it before he performs.
Jarrett Looks Back on First Six Months as Choir President
Six months into his administration as president of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Ronald Jarrett sees
his role as “keeping the choir moving forward in its mission to bring joy and peace to its listeners.”
That very message was communicated in the January 6, 2013 Music and the Spoken Word broadcast
dedicated to the 26 children and 2 adults who lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown,
Connecticut. The program was recently posted on the Choir’s YouTube channel. Click here or on the video above. (Also available in Spanish and Portuguese.)
No question, President Jarrett has been busy. In addition to his emphasis on “lifting people’s souls
through music,” he has emphasized reaching out to a larger international audience and engaging
younger listeners through social media. In late October, the Choir launched a YouTube channel and
success in that new arena was immediate. The Choir also has strengthened its presence on Facebook
and Twitter. He is preparing to take the Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square on tour to the Upper
Midwest June 12 through June 20, 2013 while keeping the Choir on its schedule of weekly broadcasts,
rehearsals and concerts.
He is quick to acknowledge that he misses singing in the Choir but he now concentrates on helping
the choir members feel totally successful in their work. His attention, affection and interest in
the choir members may well stand as the hallmark of his presidency. “I know what it’s like to sit in
those choir seats and give of yourself through your music,” he has said. “I have felt the fatigue of
a long choir tour. I know how it drains you physically, spiritually and emotionally. I want to make
sure everything we do helps the choir members use their talents to reach out to our audience. I
never want to lose touch with what choir members are experiencing. I never want to take for granted
the sacrifice they are making to be in the Choir.”
Called by the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jarrett, a retired
elementary school principal, is the first former choir member to serve as President of the Choir.
And he is a volunteer like the 360 serving in the Choir and the 110 in the Orchestra. He sang with
the Choir from 1999 to 2008 and then served as an assistant to Choir President Mac Christensen for
nearly two years before accepting an assignment to as a Public Affairs missionary in Europe with his
wife, Lucie. They came home early when he was called to work with the Choir.
Guest Conductor Charms the Choir and Audience
“What a rush,” Justin Lewis, winner of the “Conduct the Choir” contest on Facebook, said of
directing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square following a Music and the
Spoken Word broadcast. “It was like driving a sports car you can’t afford!”
Last June, the Choir invited fans to enter a "Conduct the Choir" video Facebook contest. Applicants
submitted videos of themselves conducting Beethoven’s famous “Ode to Joy.” Thousands of fans voted,
Choir leadership made the final selection and Lewis, an Air Force officer, won the competition which
was scored on conducting skill, creativity and number of Facebook fan votes received.
Military commitments delayed his picking up the baton but when he finally did, February 17, 2013, he
looked very much the part of the conductor. A cello major in college, he was living the dream.
Cheering him on were his wife and two children, his mother and in-laws who play in the Orchestra at
Temple Square. (Justin’s mother sang in The United States Air Force Singing Sergeants ensemble
conducted at the time by Craig Jessop, who later become Music Director of the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir. Jessop was also in attendance Sunday morning.) Enthusiastic, energetic, assured, Lewis
received a standing ovation from Choir members and the audience in the Tabernacle following his
conducting of Beethoven’s "Hallelujah Chorus" from Christ on the Mount of Olives.
Lewis can’t remember when he wasn’t a conductor. As a young lad, he had a stick in his hand at
concerts in the park. He stood just steps away from The Singing Sergeants in concert waving his
arms at the musicians while his mother sang. Today he serves as associate conductor of the United
States Air Force Heritage of America Band.
Orchestra Announces Spring Concert and First-Ever YouTube Concert Post
The annual spring concert of the Orchestra at Temple Square will be an evening of the great masters
featuring Mozart, Beethoven and Dvořák. The concert March 22-23 under the direction of Igor
Gruppman
begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square.
The Orchestra, first formed in 1999 as a companion ensemble to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, will
perform Overture to The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concerto no. 5 by
Ludwig von
Beethoven and Symphony no. 8 by Antonín Leopold Dvořák. These are well known and much-beloved
pieces. Scientist Albert Einstein said of Mozart’s Magic Flute, “It was his bequest to
mankind, his
appeal to the ideals of humanity.”
Guest pianist Mykola Suk, former professor of piano at the Kiev State Conservatory and Moscow State
Conservatory who also has taught Masters classes at the New England Conservatory, Manhattan School
of Music and Columbia University, will join the Orchestra for the Beethoven concerto. Mr. Suk has
performed once before with the Orchestra on their 2005 concert.
The event requires tickets, which are available free of charge beginning February 19 at
lds.org/events, by calling 801-570-0080 or at the Conference Center Ticket Office. Admission to
this
event is limited to those ages eight and older.
The Orchestra is also pleased to announce the first posting of one of their full concerts on the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir YouTube channel. The concert, entitled “A Night in Vienna,” was performed
in October, 2012 and features the music of Haydn, Mozart, and Strauss. Maestro Gruppman and his
wife, Vesna Stefanovich-Gruppman, performed on the violin and viola respectively during the
concert,
with
soprano, Melissa Heath, adding her talents later in the program. Click
here or on the video above to watch this fabulous concert program.
Get Tickets for Choir Tour Before They Are Gone!
Waiting to get your tickets for the upcoming Mormon Tabernacle Choir tour in the Upper Midwest June
12 through June 20, 2013? Don’t wait long. Tickets are almost sold out in Madison, Wisconsin, and
Minneapolis, Minnesota! In Columbus, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Milwaukee there are still good
seats
available. But they are going fast.
Every other year, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square take their concerts on
the road, and appreciative audiences are on their feet time and again as they hear everything from
Bach to Broadway, hymns to folk music and spirituals. “There is nothing like going on the road to
connect with our audiences,” states Choir President Ron Jarrett. There is nothing like “the pure
joy
music can bring to the hearts and minds of its listeners.”
Tickets are on sale for all performances, though for two, they are nearly gone. Those who attend
a tour performance leave raving about the Choir as one of the world’s finest, and they only wish
they
had brought all their friends. Don’t miss the opportunity! Click
here for ticket information.
Choir's YouTube Channel Features a New Video of "'Give,' Said the Little Stream"
“‘Give,’ Said the Little Stream” is a beloved children’s song most everyone remembers from
childhood
and still can hum or sing today. This popular tune written by Fanny J. Crosby and included in
hymnals of many faiths since the 1870s has been a reminder for more than a century to give to
others-“Give, oh, give.” The song is included in the recently released Choir album Teach Me to
Walk
in the Light and Other Children’s Favorites and is now featured on a video on the Choir’s
YouTube
Channel.
The new video is what Ed Payne, producer of Music and the Spoken Word, calls the “back
story.”
Cameras followed six choir members into their homes to see just how they give of themselves. “It’s
one thing to see Choir members in the loft,” Payne explains, “but when you see them living the
words
they sing, the music takes on new meaning. The words suddenly have faces, and that integrity is
what
makes the video more than just pictures and a song.” The video features Choir members working with
their children, visiting the sick, helping an aged mother, and fixing a faucet among other things.
This is not the first-nor the last-Choir video adding a new depth to the “repertoire.” With the new
YouTube channel, the Choir is able to reach anyone and everyone across nations and languages.
Posting videos on YouTube like “‘Give,’ Said the Little Stream” and the recent “I Want Jesus to
Walk
With Me,” featuring Alex Boyé, gives a whole new dimension to the Choir’s music and message.
New CD Featured on Mormon Tabernacle Choir Premieres, YouTube
(To listen to this interview on the Mormon Channel, click here.)
When Mack Wilberg, music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, determined to make a recording of
children’s songs-Teach Me to Walk in the Light and Other Children’s Favorites-his thoughts
went back to an experience he had as a teenager. With his mother and grandmother, he made the
two-hour car ride from their home in Castle Dale, Utah, to Provo. It was an event. A few blocks
from
the BYU campus, the car stopped and Mack’s mother went to one of the homes to get help. She soon
came back to the car to usher her son, Mack-already an accomplished musician-into the home. They
had
happened on the residence of Mirla Greenwood Thayne who had written and composed the much-beloved
child’s hymn, “When He Comes Again.” Learning of Mack’s interest in and gift for music, Thayne sent
him off, when the car was repaired, with a signed copy of her song and others as well.
He has held on to that music and that memory for years. When he and associate director, Ryan
Murphy,
began to shape the new CD of children’s music, Wilberg pulled out his signed copy of Thayne’s
precious song and the work began. The newly released recording includes 15 children’s classics,
ideal for every age, including Thayne’s “When He Comes Again.”
This story, along with many others behind the selection and recording of the new CD, is contained
in
a delightful interview of Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy by Ruth Todd. It can be found on the Mormon
Channel’s Mormon Tabernacle Choir Premieres program (click here) as well as posted on the Choir’s YouTube channel (click here). Adults have favorite songs
from
their childhood, as do children, said Wilberg in the interview. This recording had to engage both
children and adults in singing along as well as listening. Wilberg and Murphy describe the music as
“serene” but “up-tempo” with powerful messages in simple songs.
The recording, with many new arrangements by Wilberg, Murphy, and others including Tabernacle
organist Richard Elliott, opens with “I Think the World Is Glorious” and also includes such
favorites as “‘Give,’ Said the Little Stream,” “As I Have Loved You,” “Tell Me the Stories of
Jesus,” “If the Savior Stood Beside Me,” “Holding Hands Around the Word,” “I Am a Child of God,”
and
more.
Billboard Magazine Names Mormon Tabernacle Choir
the #1 Selling Classical Artist of 2012
The latest year-in-review issue of Billboard Magazine features year-end charts for 2012.
Topping one
of those charts, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was named the #1 Traditional Classical Albums Artist
in
2012. Click here to read the
news release!
Choir Releases New Recording of Children’s Songs
Hopeful. Heartfelt. Faith-filled. Nostalgic. The new CD by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and
Orchestra
at Temple Square, Teach Me to Walk in the Light and Other Children’s Favorites, is a
recording like no other. Promising to bring inspiration, comfort and peace for the New Year, the CD
is available for purchase by clicking here.
While the Choir is known for its anthems, Christmas music, hymns and masterworks, it is also right
at home with songs of the heart—the tender, simple, and heart-warming favorites of children of all
ages.
This new CD features new arrangements by Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy of such favorites as “Teach
Me
to Walk in the Light,” “’Give,’ Said the Little Stream” and “I Am a Child of God,” sacred songs
like
“If the Savior Stood Beside Me” and “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” and the popular “Holding Hands
Around the World” and “I Think the World is Glorious.” The songs are all from The Children’s
Songbook used in the Primary program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or in
one of the supplements to it.
No question this CD is one that will bring back childhood days, one that you will sing along with,
share with friends everywhere, and play to tuck your children in at night. It’s music for the
Sunbeam in all of us.
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).
New Choir Album Prompts Contest for "Greatest Teacher"
Terfel and Choir Record for Deutsche Grammophon
Bryn Terfel and Choir to Team Up On CD, Mother’s Day Broadcast
Behind The Scenes at The Choir—A New Historian At Work
Get Tickets Early for Bells Concert!
YouTube Milestone; Choir Retirements; Chorale Concert Tickets Available
Annual Temple Square Chorale Concert Features Gloria by Poulenc
Choir Leaders Reach Out to Peers and Friends
Get Tickets for Choir Tour Before They Are Gone!
