What’s New with The Tabernacle Choir
Richard Elliott has been an organist for The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square since 1991 and has been wowing audiences with his skills ever since. Elliott performs for Music and the Spoken broadcasts, recordings, and tours but is perhaps most well-known for his incredible organ solos from the annual Christmas concerts on Temple Square.
The Bells on Temple Square celebrate the beginning of the holidays with “Prelude to the Season,” their annual concert on Friday and Saturday, November 17–18, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square.
As the principal flute in the Orchestra at Temple Square, Jeannine Goeckeritz sits behind the violin and viola string sections as they play and in front of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square members as they sing. “I am enveloped in this amazing sound,” said Jeannine. “Being in the middle of this musical language that is being spoken has lifted me up when I’ve needed it. It’s given me peace and the strength I’ve needed to continue moving forward in my life.”
In a lively Sound of Music home video, Luis Miranda Jr. had the last words, saying, “Bucket list. Check. Done!” Miranda can now make a check mark next to another bucket list item: Sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Former Mormon Tabernacle Choir guest artist David Archuleta just released his first full-length album since 2012’s Begin. His new album, Postcards in the Sky, was released on October 20, 2017, and features 16 introspective tracks.
The Bells on Temple Square just released three new videos from their June 2017 concert. If you have never experienced the Bells live, these videos will give you a great sense of what it’s like to watch a concert.
On October 30, 2012, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir officially launched its YouTube channel. The announcement included congratulatory videos from Thomas S. Monson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Brian Stokes Mitchell; Tom Brokaw; Dallyn Vail Bayles; the Piano Guys; Lindsey Stirling; and more. Five years later, the Choir has reached the enormous milestone of 100,000,000 YouTube views!
Tickets were gone in less than an hour for The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square’s Christmas concert with award winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth. When Chenoweth was announced as the guest artist, social media lit up with fans sharing their approval in comments such as, “The greatest singer with the greatest choir!” “A winning combination!” “Perfect guest artist!” and “She is amazing!” There were hundreds of thousands of ticket requests from eager fans.
The Choir received requests for hundreds of thousands of tickets for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square’s Christmas concerts this year. If you were not successful getting tickets, here are some other suggestions for you.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, and Bells on Temple Square are thrilled to have Sutton Foster, award-winning actress, singer, and dancer, and Hugh Bonneville, British stage, television, and film actor, join them for their annual Christmas concerts on December 14, 15, and 16, 2017.
Did you love when the Choir performed “God Bless Our Prophet Dear,” “Faith in Every Footstep,” “Consider the Lilies,” or “If the Savior Stood Beside Me” during the October General Conference? Then you’ll love our Sacred Music Library!
June 1875 was the first performance of Handel’s Messiah in Utah and the first Messiah production between Chicago and San Francisco. (The first West Coast performance of Messiah had been in San Francisco the previous November.) Performed by members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir combined with community members of other faiths, it was perhaps the crowning event in the musical history of Utah up to that time. That Messiah performance was directed by George Careless, then the music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and produced by the new Handel and Haydn Society, an “inter-denominational musical organization” created by Careless. The performance was given in the Salt Lake Theatre by two hundred singers and a full orchestra to a capacity audience.
Since 1929, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has been performing a weekly broadcast, Music & the Spoken Word, which has become the longest-running continuing broadcast in the world. Week after week, the Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square fill the airwaves with glorious music—for 27 minutes and 56 seconds to be exact.
Award-winning actress, singer, and dancer Sutton Foster and acclaimed British actor Hugh Bonneville will be the featured guest artist and narrator at this year’s Christmas concert. This annual event by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, and Bells on Temple Square will take place on December 14, 15, and 16 in the Conference Center.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir lost a dear friend as Elder Robert D. Hales passed away in an area hospital on Sunday afternoon October 1 following the morning session of the 187th General Conference. Elder Hales had served as a General Authority since 1975. He was 85.
During general conference, we shared a series of memes on our social media channels. Here is the complete collection of all general conference images in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, from the October 2017 session.