May 17, 2026
SONGS OF HOPE
MACK WILBERG AND RYAN MURPHY
Conductors
ANDREW UNSWORTH
Organist
DERRICK PORTER
The Spoken Word
WITH JOYFUL VOICES RINGING
Music: Irish folk song
Text: William G. Tarrant
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg
VINDE, FILHOS DO SENHOR
(Come, Ye Children of the Lord)
Sung in Portuguese
Music: Spanish melody
Text: James H. Wallis
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg
LET US ALL PRESS ON
Music and Text: Evan Stephens
Arrangement: Richard Elliott
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
Music and Text: George David Weiss and Bob Th iele
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg
THE SPOKEN WORD
“Songs of Hope”
MY GOD IS SO HIGH
Music and Text: African American spiritual
Arrangement: Ryan Murphy
THE SPIRIT OF GOD
Music: Anonymous
Text: William W. Phelps
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg
SONGS OF HOPE
The Spoken Word
May 17, 2026
By: Derrick Porter
FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has been touring the globe—seeking to bring joy, peace, faith, and hope to all who listen.
This tour has been unique. Using technology, these songs of hope were shared not only with those attending in a concert venue but also, with tens of thousands more watching by live stream from far away, even in different countries.
For one performance, my wife and I traveled to Bogotá, Colombia, where we gathered with hundreds of others to watch the live concert taking place more than 1,800 miles to the south in Lima, Peru.
During the concert, a guest artist began to sing the hymn “I Am a Child of God.” As he sang, something unexpected happened: Nearly the entire audience of 35,000 strong began to sing along—so fervently that the artist reverently lowered his microphone and allowed the audience to carry the music.
As we watched the live stream, we marveled at what we were witnessing. And then, suddenly, the 500 or so people gathered with us in Bogotá also began to sing along.
In that moment, a feeling—one of hope and trust in God—transcended miles and borders and found its way deep into our hearts as we sang.
While this unfolded, we noticed a young man quietly remove his hat, take out his phone, and begin recording what was happening. When the concert ended, my wife and I approached him and asked what he had felt in that moment. He shared that he had felt direction from God—clarity about what his next step in life needed to be.
His eyes were bright. His heart was filled with hope.
Through the music, the Spirit of God had simultaneously touched the hearts of a multitude in Lima and of a young man in Bogotá—even though they were thousands of miles apart.
Songs of hope. Music that inspires. Lyrics that lift. The Spirit of God at work.