In a thrilling announcement, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has revealed the upcoming Spanish release of their beloved broadcast Music & the Spoken Word throughout all of Latin America. It is scheduled to debut on June 25, 2023, and marks a historic moment as the program will be available weekly for Spanish-speaking audiences for the very first time. This expansion signifies the Choir’s commitment to reaching more people and spreading the gospel and light of Christ to diverse cultures and communities.
Prepare to be swept away by the harmonious blend of two musical powerhouses, The Piano Guys and Richard Elliott from The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Starting today, May 26, 2023, music enthusiasts around the world will have the opportunity to witness the breathtaking collaboration of a special piano and organ duet of Jon Schmidt’s mesmerizing original composition, “Waterfall.” This highly anticipated single promises to immerse listeners in a cascade of musical beauty and transport them to a realm of serenity and wonder.
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square is an all-volunteer choral ensemble of 360 individuals who provide artistic expressions of faith from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These singers have the unique musical experience of performing publicly each week on Music & the Spoken Word, a live 30-minute program broadcast worldwide on radio and television and also streamed over the internet. Including these weekly broadcasts plus concerts, tours, and recordings, Choir members average 75 scheduled performances per year. The opportunity to share their love of music and love of God with others inspires Choir members to dedicate between five and 20 hours each week in this volunteer musical service.
The Bells at Temple Square will soon present their annual spring concert “Bells in Motion” on June 9, 2023, at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. This talented 33-member handbell choir, led by conductor LeAnna Willmore and associate conductor Geoff Anderson, will showcase their versatility on two sets of English handbells, two sets of hand chimes, and two octaves of English handbells.
The Bells at Temple Square was established in 2005, adding a new dimension to the musical tradition of Temple Square. All members of the bell choir, like those of The Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, and Chorale at Temple Square, are volunteer musicians. The bell choir rehearses every week for various performances, including two yearly concerts that showcase the broad spectrum of the handbell repertoire.
Today is the 20th anniversary of the album Consider the Lilies, widely considered to be one of the most popular albums ever released by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Originally released in 2003, the album features 13 tracks of hymns and spiritual songs, all performed with the choir’s signature blend of rich harmonies and powerful voices. You can listen to a special remastered edition of this album wherever you stream music or simply by clicking on the link here.
Over the next four years, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square will conduct a world tour with stops around the globe and a message of hope. The Choir’s first stop will be in Mexico City, Mexico, from June 13–19, 2023, where it will perform two concerts at the National Auditorium on June 17 and 18. Future locations of the world tour will be announced later.
The Choir last performed at the National Auditorium in 1972 and will return to this rich and culturally diverse city as part of its historic tour. In 1968 the Tabernacle Choir went to Mexico City and sang at the dedication by President N. Eldon Tanner of the El Centro Escolar Benemérito de Las Américas school. It is now the site of the Mexico Missionary Training Center. The Choir also sang in concerts that were part of the International Festival of the Arts, or Cultural Olympics XIX. While at the Pyramid of the Sun, it “sang short groups of songs” that were filmed for Mexico City television shows, according to the Church News archives.
The 2023 Tabernacle Organ Virtuoso Performance Series presents James O’Donnell, the Professor in the Practice of Organ at Yale School of Music and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, as the featured performer on May 19, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. in the Tabernacle on Temple Square. The series, inaugurated last year, was created to showcase the Tabernacle organ and organists at the top of their field.
Few organs anywhere have such a storied history as the Tabernacle organ on historic Temple Square. This world-renowned pipe organ with five manuals (keyboards) and 206 ranks of organ pipes is among the world’s largest instruments—and one of the most heralded. Its famous golden pipes, made of wood staves fashioned from Utah timber, still add to the sound of the famous instrument even today.
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, one of the most celebrated choral ensembles in the world, has collaborated with The Piano Guys, an American music duo, to release a single of the beloved hymn “Wayfaring Stranger.” The collaboration is a groundbreaking musical feat, which brings together two beloved and renowned musical groups.
“Wayfaring Stranger” is a traditional American folk hymn, which has roots in the Appalachian region of the United States. The origins of the hymn are unknown, but it is believed to have been written in the nineteenth century, during a time of great social and cultural upheaval in America. The hymn’s lyrics speak to the struggles and hardships of the journey through life and the hope and comfort that faith can bring in times of darkness and adversity.
Music is a universal language that connects people from all walks of life, transcending language barriers and cultural differences. In the past, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has often been referred to as “America’s choir.” However, despite being based in the United States, the Choir has a global reach. This coming April, The Tabernacle Choir will perform at the general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an event that brings together members from all over the world to hear messages of inspiration and hope. For this performance, the Choir will no longer be just “America’s choir” but will represent people from all over the world.
To reflect the worldwide mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, plans have been made for qualified Latter-day Saints from selected areas of the Church to sing with the Choir as global participants during the April 2023 general conference. Individual singers were recommended by their Area Presidencies and invited to audition.
Handel’s Messiah is one of the most beloved and widely performed choral works in the world. The oratorio, composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, tells the story of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death, and Resurrection through music and lyrics drawn from the Bible. Its popularity has endured for over two centuries, and it continues to be performed by choirs and orchestras around the globe.
One of the most celebrated performances of Handel’s Messiah is by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since its founding, the Choir has become an icon of American choral music and has performed for countless dignitaries, presidents, and audiences worldwide.
