Thanks for making 2016 a great year! As we roll full steam ahead into 2017, let’s take a quick look back at some of the highlights of 2016.

Multiple Reasons to Sing Hallelujah!

Messiah Album

In early 2016 the Choir released the highly anticipated album Handel’s Messiah—the Complete Oratorio. It and its companion album, Messiah—Highlights, reached Nos. 1 and 2 on Billboard’s Traditional Classical Albums chart. This new Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square recording of Handel’s Messiah relies on historical research and Baroque musical tradition to create a new landmark Messiah for our time. This Complete Oratorio version contains every movement on two compact discs and comes with a DVD with over 40 minutes of bonus content. It features Villazón (Tenor), Bryn Terfel from Wales (Bass), Sonya Yoncheva from Bulgeria (Soprano) and Tamara Mumford from Canada (Mezzo-Soprano). Listen and purchase the album.

Hallelujah! Album

“Hallelujah!”—in just one word it sums up superbly all the enthusiasm, joy, and hope of Christmas. The album features Broadway star Laura Osnes, British actor, Martin Jarvis and four soloists from the Metropolitan Opera. Preview and purchase the album. 

World’s Largest "Hallelujah Chorus"

300+ members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir combine with over 2,000 voices worldwide in an incredible musical tribute to Jesus Christ. Watch this:

Music & the Spoken Word in over 40 Languages

Twice each year the Mormon Tabernacle Choir episode that is broadcast just prior to the Sunday morning session of the general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is translated into a much larger number of languages. These episodes are now available on YouTube for international audiences to enjoy. See the list of languages. 

Music & the Spoken Word Broadcast from Eccles Theater

The Choir performed at the George S. and Delores Doré Eccles Theater—Salt Lake City’s newest performing arts center—as part of the theater’s grand opening weekend events in October 2016.

It marked the first time the Choir had performed in a Salt Lake venue other than the Conference Center or the Tabernacle on Temple Square.

Guest Artists from around the Globe

Each year the Choir welcomes performers from various parts of the world and this year was no exception. See our guest artist page. 

The King’s Singers – England’s King’s Singers performed for the Pioneer Day concerts, which would be the last United States performances for retiring member David Hurley. The group also left quite an impression on audiences by performing a heartfelt Primary song medley featuring “He Sent His Son.”

Rolando Villazón – Rolando Villazón doubled as singer and narrator for 2016’s Christmas concerts and was a huge hit with fans. Villazón was born in Mexico but now lives in France. Watch this hilarious behind the scenes video of Villazón during rehearsals for the Christmas concert. 

European Tour

For the first time in almost 20 years, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra on Temple Square toured internationally, making stops in Berlin, Nuremberg, Vienna, Zurich, Frankfurt, Brussels, Rotterdam, and Paris. 

Christmas Song Collaboration with "The Voice" Winner

The most popular track of Jordan Smith’s album ‘Tis the Season—according to iTunes downloads—was “O Holy Night,” which featured the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Listen on our blog article.

"The Wexford Carol" Music Video 

This beautiful Christmas music video depicts the parable of the prodigal son and also references the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin as told in Luke 15 of the New Testament.