TheTabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir that is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for over 100 years. The Tabernacle houses an organ, consisting of 11,623 pipes, which usually accompanies the choir.
Temple Square is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately adjacent to Temple Square. Contained within Temple Square are the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, the Seagull Monument, and two visitors' centers. The square was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964, recognizing the Mormon achievement in the settlement of Utah.
Music & the Spoken Word is a religious radio and television series. Broadcast weekly from the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah, the program primarily features performances of music by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square—often accompanied by the Salt Lake Tabernacle organ and the Orchestra at Temple Square, accompanied by spiritual messages and passages related to a specific episode's theme.
Craig D. Jessop is an American academic, musician and singer best known for his tenure as the music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from 1999 to 2008.
Merrill Boyd Jenson is an American composer and arranger who has composed film scores for over thirty films including Emma Smith: My Story, Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration, The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd, Legacy, Harry's War, and Windwalker. Many of the films Jenson composed music for were directed by Academy Award-winning director Kieth Merrill. Jenson has also composed several concert productions including a symphony that premiered at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, he has composed music for many television commercials including the acclaimed Homefront ads, music for three outdoor pageants, and several albums. Jenson lives in Provo, Utah with his wife Betsy Lee Jenson.
Laura Ann Osnes is an American actress and singer known for her work on the Broadway stage. She has played starring roles in Grease as Sandy, South Pacific as Nellie Forbush, Anything Goes as Hope Harcourt, and Bonnie and Clyde as Bonnie Parker, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She also starred in the title role of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway, for which she received a Drama Desk Award and her second Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
The Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus (MYSC) was an official musical organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1969 to 1999, composed of young musicians aged 18 to 33. In its 30-year history, MYSC was credited with many television specials, numerous recordings, concerts, and several major tours throughout the U.S. The group was disbanded during the 1999 reorganization of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and resulting creation of the Orchestra at Temple Square. The choral arm of the group provided music for the church's annual and semi-annual general conferences, usually during the Saturday morning sessions.
The Wonder of Christmas was recorded during the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's 2001-2005 Christmas shows in the LDS Conference Center with special guests Angela Lansbury, Bryn Terfel, Audra McDonald, Frederica von Stade, Renée Fleming, and Walter Cronkite. The album was released in 2006.
Alex Boyé is a British-American singer, dancer, and actor. He was named the "2017 Rising Artist of the Year" in a contest sponsored by Pepsi and Hard Rock Cafe.
Robert Breault is an American operatic tenor. Born in Michigan, he holds a B.M. degree from St. Norbert College (1985) from which he received a distinguished alumni award in 1997. In addition, he holds a M.M. (1987), and a D.M.A. (1991) from the University of Michigan where he studied voice with soprano Lorna Haywood. His early training also included two years of study at the San Francisco Merola Opera Program, and an internship with Michigan Opera Theatre. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah where he teaches voice and serves as Director of Opera at the University of Utah School of Music.
Robert Milton Cundick Sr. was a Latter-day Saint composer. He also served for many years as an organist at the Salt Lake Tabernacle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This included accompanying the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and playing organ solos on the weekly broadcast, Music & the Spoken Word.
Rejoice and Be Merry!: Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square featuring The King's Singers was recorded during the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's 2007 Christmas shows in the LDS Conference Center with special guests The King's Singers. The album was released on September 30, 2008 and a concert DVD was released on October 21, 2008.
Spirit of the Season was recorded during the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's 2006 Christmas concert "The Spirit of the Season," with special guest Sissel, joined by the Mormon Tabernacle orchestra and bells, conducted by Music Director Craig Jessop. The album was released in 2007 along with a concert DVD and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical chart within five weeks of its release and remained there for nine weeks. The album was also nominated for two Grammy Awards, Best Classical Crossover Album and Best Engineered Album - Classical. The recorded concert was also broadcast on PBS stations in December 2007 to more than 4 million Americans.
Once Upon a Christmas was recorded during the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's 2011 Christmas shows in the LDS Conference Center with special guests Jane Seymour and Nathan Gunn. The album was released on September 4, 2012 along with a concert DVD. A book titled Good King Wenceslas illustrated by Omar Rayyan and accompanying DVD featuring Jane Seymour introducing and narrating the story also released in conjunction with the album release. The recorded concert was broadcast on PBS during December 2012 to more than 4 million Americans.
Heavensong: Music of Contemplation and Light is a compilation album released by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.
Home for the Holidays was recorded during the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's 2012 Christmas shows in the LDS Conference Center, with special guests English tenor Alfie Boe, former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, and Retired Col. Gail Halvorsen aka "Candy Bomber". An album and concert DVD were released on October 15, 2013 along with a companion book titled Christmas from Heaven: The Story of the Berlin Candy Bomber. The recorded concert will be broadcast on PBS premiering December 10, 2013. The Salt Lake Tribune said concerning this performance that "this year's edition may have topped them all."
The O.C. Tanner Gift of Music is a series of free concerts presented in Salt Lake City by the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, with soloists, conductors and other choirs as guests. The concerts have been hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square since 1983. The thirtieth anniversary gala concerts were held September 6 and 7, 2013.
Keep Christmas with You is an album recorded during the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's 2014 Christmas shows in the LDS Conference Center, with special guests actor Santino Fontana and The Muppets from Sesame Street. The album and concert DVD were released on October 16, 2015. The recorded concert premiered on PBS on December 21, 2015.
The Portland Choir & Orchestra is a non-profit musical organization that consists of 120 volunteer singers and 45 musicians from the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Many members travel up to 100 miles to participate in rehearsals and performances.
O Come Little Children was recorded during the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's 2016 Christmas shows in the LDS Conference Center, featuring Rolando Villazón. An album and concert DVD was released on October 7, 2017. The recorded concert premiered on PBS on December 15, 2017.
