Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square are ambassadors of music
They have gold and platinum records, have been awarded Grammys, an Emmy and a Peabody award. They have toured throughout the world and have been dubbed “America’s Choir.” The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square is a musical force to be reckoned with.
To be in the choir can be arduous. Wishful members go through strenuous music theory testing, harmonizing skill tests and a training choir before they are selected to join the 300-plus voice Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.
Choir members must be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be worthy to hold a temple recommend and are called as missionaries for the church. They may serve for 20 years or until they are 60 years old, whichever comes first.
In all, there have been 15 directors for the choir and numerous organists. In more recent times, the directors have included:
- Richard P. Condie (1957-’74).
- Jay E. Welch (1974) founded the Mormon Youth Symphony and Orchestra. He directed the choir for six months.
- Jerold Ottley (1974-’99).
- Craig Jessop (1999-2008).
- Mack Wilberg (2008-present).
In 1999, the Orchestra at Temple Square was established as a companion ensemble to The Tabernacle Choir. The Orchestra offers an opportunity for instrumental musicians to also serve as goodwill musical ambassadors.
“To have your own orchestra created a new genre of music. You can see the added strength,” said Heidi Swinton, choir historian and biographer.
The history
The history of the choir stems from the 1836 dedication of the Kirtland Temple in Ohio. That is when a small choir was organized to provide music for the dedication services.
“The choir of singers were seated in the four corners of the room, in seats prepared for that purpose. … An excellent choir of singers, led by M. C. Davis, (sang),” according to the “History of the Church” volume II.
A choir performed at a special conference on Aug. 22, 1847, just one month after the Saints entered the Salt Lake Valley. A choir was also organized and sang for the conference in the first bowery under the direction of John Parry. This choir became the Salt Lake Tabernacle Choir, Swinton said.
They began singing for general conference Oct. 6, 1848.
“The importance of music in church meetings lead to the Salt Lake Valley Choir, the ‘Old’ Tabernacle choir, The Salt Lake Tabernacle choir and then the Mormon Tabernacle Choir,” Swinton said. On Oct. 5, 2018, the choir changed its name to The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.
Music has been an important part of the Restoration, according to Swinton. The choir and its members have proclaimed the gospel through song since its inception.
The future
Now, through modern technology and a new focus on a worldwide audience and participants, the Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square are moving in a new direction.
On Aug. 6, 2021, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the call of Michael O. Leavitt as the eighth president of the choir, succeeding Ron Jarrett, who has served since August 2012. The First Presidency also announced a new structure for choir leadership.
“I have grown up with the choir but didn’t understand the depth of devotion of the choir,” Leavitt said. “I didn’t appreciate the unique language of music — it’s universal.”
“I was a musician growing up and came to understand more thoroughly the sacredness of music and its peace,” he added.
In November 2022, the choir put out the following statement:
“The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square is making significant changes to broaden the reach of its music and influence. To that end, the Choir is clarifying its mission and instituting pilot programs to better reach all of God’s children.”
In a meeting with the entire choir membership, President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints addressed his outlook for the choir. He said, “The Church will continue to grow. It will fill the world. It will continue to bless more and more nations, tongues and people. The Lord is hastening his work in the promised global gathering of Israel. You can be sure that the Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra and Bells at Temple Square will be a pivotal part of that era.”
The expanded mission statement now reads, “The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performs music that inspires people throughout the world to draw closer to the divine and feel God’s love for His children.”
The new choir presidency further outlined three pilot projects aimed at fulfilling this more global approach. They include expanding access to “Music & the Spoken Word” throughout the world, increasing the mission impact of choir travel throughout the world and reflecting the worldwide membership of the church in choir performances.
“Count on us doing four main things,” Leavitt said. Those include cultivating a choir that highlights a worldwide nature; helping the church be more visible; increasing the choir’s social media presence; and go on more frequent, but shorter tours.
“We used to spend a lot of travel time,” Leavitt said. “Now we will work out of one location and use social media. The tours will resemble more like (church) Christmas concerts.”
For instance, when the choir tours to Mexico, it will be for two to four days and they will stay in one location but broadcast via social media platforms, in Spanish, to areas throughout Mexico.
Not only will tours change, but the weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” will be reaching out to a more global listenership. The first will be in Spanish and Portuguese.
“These are pilot episodes that will be out in the second quarter of the year,” Leavitt said. “This will be a collaborative process and we’ll be doing a thing we haven’t done before. We want content in their language and culture.”
“The internet carries a message that is more targeted,” he added. “As we get better, we will work to expand languages.”
As for the music, well that could be changing a bit too. “Sacred music is different in different parts of the world,” Leavitt noted. “We are looking at a younger, more diverse group.”
To better reflect the global membership of the worldwide church, plans are being made for qualified Latter-day Saint singers from Mexico, Central America, South America, West Africa, the Philippines and Asia to audition for opportunities to sing with the choir during the April general conference.
Leavitt explained that this is a pilot aimed at building a deeper sense of kinship and attachment with the church and the choir among members and non-members of the church in these countries.
“It is possible this will be a onetime event. Or perhaps it will be something we will do periodically. The most likely outcome, however, is that through this pilot project we will gradually see new options and possibilities that will help the choir better represent the worldwide church,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt said the choir will move forward in faith, one step at a time, as it takes steps to “inspire people throughout the world to draw closer to the divine and feel God’s love for His children.”
“The choir is an important symbol of the church. The choir is a beautiful musical instrument. I am deeply privileged to be called to this position,” he said.
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- The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performs during the morning session of the 188th semiannual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, at the church’s Conference Center in Salt Lake City.
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- President Michael O. Leavitt, center, stands with his new counselors, L. Whitney Clayton and Gary B. Porter, on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021.
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- The Tabernacle Choir sings at Black River Falls, Illinois, during the 2010 tour.
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- Richard Elliott finishes with a flourish, playing at the Tabernacle Choir’s concert in the Milwaukee Theater. Elliott has been a full-time Tabernacle organist since 1991 and the principal organist for the choir since 2007.
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- The Tabernacle Choir sings at President Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017.
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- The Tabernacle Choir prepares to sing at President Lynden B. Johnson’s inauguration in 1965.
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- President Ronald Reagan was a fan of the Tabernacle Choir. He requested the choir to take part in his first inauguration as president of the United States in 1981.
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- The Tabernacle Choir sings the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” on its float to President Ronald Reagan during his 1981 inauguration parade.
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- The Tabernacle Choir sings at the 1989 inauguration for George W. Bush.
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- Historical photo of the Tabernacle on Temple Square. The Tabernacle is considered the recording studio for the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. On Sept. 10, 2020, the choir celebrated 110 years of choir recordings.
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- This archival photo shows the Tabernacle Choir singing in the Provo Tabernacle before the building burned down in December 2010.
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- “Sesame Street” character Big Bird gets a lesson on how to be a conductor from Tabernacle Choir conductor Mack Wilberg during the choir’s annual “Christmas Concert” at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Dec. 14, 2017.
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- Archbishop of Milwaukee Jerome E. Listecki was guest conductor of the Tabernacle Choir during the 2010 concert tour.