Nine soloists selected to sing National Anthem
Jacque Sorenson
Kristin Briggs
Nathan Osmond
Brianne Benson
Dave Green
Karl Christensen
Joe Liddell, sons
Marilou Dyreng Myers
Each night before the Mormon Miracle Pageant presentation, a soloist will perform the National Anthem. There are many talented individuals who dream of being selected as a soloist for the pageant. Nine have been selected from a number of auditions.
Chairwoman of the music selection, Barbara F. Barton and Co-chairwoman Gay Bastian, work diligently throughout the year to prepare and carefully select from some of the best talent in Utah and throughout the country.
Jacque Sorenson will sing the anthem for the dress rehearsal Wednesday, June 18. Kristin Briggs will perform at the first performance, Thursday, June 19; Nathan Osmond, Friday, June 20; Karl Christensen, Saturday, June 21; Brianne Benson, Tuesday, June 24; Dave Green, Wednesday, June 25;
Melanie Douglas, Thursday, June 26; Marilou Dyreng Myers, Friday, June 27 and Joe Liddell and sons, John, Jess, Joe Jr. and Mike will perform on the final night, Saturday, June 28.
Jacque Sorenson
Jacque Sorenson has loved the Mormon Miracle Pageant since she was a child living in Manti and is honored to be a part of this presentation. She earned a degree from Utah State University and is a life-long learner.
Sorenson currently works as a holistic health coach at Lioness at the Door to support families in creating systems of support for their health and parenting success. She loves music and welcomes opportunities to sing about faith and family.
Sorenson resides in Manti with her husband, Garth, where they raise chickens, dogs and bees. They love spending time with their three adult children and their spouses and one grandson.
Kristin Briggs
Kristin Chamberlain Briggs completed her master’s degree in voice performance at ASU in 2010. She teaches voice, music theory and aural perception at Mesa Community College. She teaches tap, Zumba and Triple Threat for the Copperstar Repertory Company.
She is a section leader and soloist with the Scottsdale Chorale Artists and sings with Vocal Fix, a vocal jazz qaurtet. Briggs and her husband, Andrew, perform together throughout Arizona and Utah including performing at the Mesa Temple Christmas lights.
Some of her favorite roles include the narrator in ‘Joseph and The Dreamcoat,’ Anna in ‘The King and ‘I (Copperstar Rep), Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Mercedes in Carmen (ASU), and Millie in ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.’ She has choreographed and directed children’s choirs in Mesa and Scottsdale, AZ; and throughout Utah.
Briggs is originally from Richfield, and received her BS degree from Southern Utah University in music education with a minor in dance. She taught choir at Carson Jr. High school.
She and her husband have three boys, Nathan, Carson and Michael. The family lives in Mesa, AZ.
Nathan Osmond
With four consecutive number one hit singles, Nathan Osmond is making a name for himself in the country music world. The singer-songwriter is no stranger to the business. Most of his entire life has been dedicated to writing and performing music. Raised around television and recording studios, he knew at an early age that music was his destiny.
On top of his country career, Osmond toured with the musical, ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ and cast in the lead role in ‘You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown.’ He’s toured to over 15 countries, singing in many of their languages, and had three songs in the top 40 in the U.K. with his brothers, The Osmonds 2nd Generation.
He is actively involved with Children’s Miracle Network, a foundation started by his grandmother, Autism Speaks and Operation Smile. He believes in giving back.
“I hope to be more than just another country singer,” said Osmond. “I hope to create a legacy of solid entertainment. I hope to be a positive role model, to both young and old alike, proving that anything in life is possible, so long as you have a dream and are willing to put into action what it takes to achieve that dream.”
Osmond stresses the importance of family in achieving success. “I have the been blessed with the greatest, most patient and supportive wife on earth. She is the inspiration for a lot of my songs. He is the father of three boys, Zachary, Corbin and Samuel and one on the way.
Karl Christensen
Karl K. Christensen will sing the National Anthem for the Saturday, June 21 performance of the Mormon Miracle Pageant.
He was raised in Overland Park, KS; by parents who taught him to love music by encouraging him to take piano and sing in school choirs starting in the third grade.
Christensen graduated in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University and later got his masters in business administration from the University of Utah.
He took piano lessons for eight years and often wishes he hadn’t quit to play basketball, but the musical knowledge and experiences gained through choir and piano have opened many musical “doors.”.
Christensen has had the privilege of singing at two NATS winner’s concerts and has had several opportunities to perform on Temple Square, including Dec. 31, as part of the annual New Years Eve Celebration.
He has been a guest performer for the Harmonie German Choir, for the German – American Society of Utah and had the privilege of performing the role of Columbus in Lex de Azevado’s premier of ‘Hymn to America.’
Christensen recorded for Highway 89, which airs on KBYU Radio and BYU Satellite Radio and was the featured tenor soloist at Weber State University’s performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (Ode to Joy).
He loves to share his talent whenever he can and is grateful for the opportunity to work with his voice coach Larry Gee.
Brianne Benson
Brianne Benson is an accomplished vocalist and graduate in vocal performance from the University of Utah. She has performed many roles including roles from Mozart’s Magic Flute, Nicolai’s Merry Wives of Windsor and Kurt Weil’s Street Scene.
Benson has also enjoyed performing as a concert soloist, a recitalist and has been featured with Legacy chorale, Murray Symphony, Southwest Symphony and the Gilbert AZ Symphony.
She is enjoying her rising career as one of three sopranos in the “Belle Trio” and has had several opportunities to sing on the Temple Square Concert Series as well as other venues.
Benson a mother of three and enjoys spending time with her husband and kids while still enjoying a thriving vocal studio in Riverton.
Dave Green
Dave Green has been performing since his debut public performance singing at church with a trio at the age of five. Since then, he’s sung with choirs including Dixie College Concert Choir, University Singers at the University of Utah, Mormon Youth Choir and Utah Choral Artists.
He was a soloist with the American West Symphony’s December 2013 “Holiday Festival.” He’s performed on stage including recent UNIPAC productions of Hansel and Gretel (Father), and The Pirates of Penzance (Samuel).
Green also performed in local productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Potiphar), Saturday’s Warrior (Tod), Music Man (Oliver Hix), Tom Brown’s School Days, Paint Your Wagon, Irene, and Joseph. He studies with vocal coach and concert pianist Larry Gee.
He is married to a soprano, Leah, and the pair has five musical children and a potentially musical grandson and granddaughter.
Melanie Douglas
Melanie Douglas is a graduate of Richfield High School and a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Southern Utah University (SUU). She received a BS Degree in elementary education and music.
At SUU, she sang with Opus Chamber Choir, Concert Choir, and The SUU Opera Company. She was also a member of the SUU Waukeenyan Drill Team and Orchesis Dance Club. Melanie performed Mozart’s “Requiem” with the Opus Choir at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and sang the soprano solo for the performance at SUU.
In Cedar City, Douglas was an elementary school teacher and co-conducted the school choir. She and her husband, Colton Douglas, then moved to Louisville, KY; where her husband attended dental school.
In Louisville, she was a member of the semi-professional choir, Voces Novae, and sang in the choir for the professional opera ‘Samson and Delilah’ and also taught private voice lessons.
In 2010, their family moved to Ephraim, where her husband opened his dental practice. Douglas continues to enjoy singing in the community and performed a solo in the Snow College Production of the Messiah. She enjoys spending all of her time with her four children, Kayson, Kamrie, Adelie and Brody.
Marilou Myers
Marilou Dyreng Myers, a native of Manti; began singing before she could talk and won her first talent show at the age of three. She performed with small groups and choirs and received top honors in the state as a soprano soloist.
She has played the leading roles in operettas and musicals as well as motion pictures and was featured on the Snow College Young Artist Concert Series and is a graduate of Brigham Young University (BYU).
While at BYU, Myers performed and toured with the Acapella Choir and Program Bureau. She represented the U.S. as a soprano soloist at the Eisteddfod International Music Festival in Llangollen, Wales and has appeared locally on the Eugene Jelesnik television show and the nationally televised All American College Show.
She was first attendant to the Days of ’47 Queen, Delta Phi Kappa Dream Girl and a member of Cougarettes. She recorded music for Janice Kapp Perry, was a soloist on the Provo Community Concert Series and was a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for seven years.
Myers has served as president of several state and community organizations and was appointed to the Provo City Arts Council. She has served in numerous leadership positions in the LDS Church including the Primary General Board.
She is the owner of Marilou’s, an interior decoration firm in Provo, and is married to Thomas E. Myers, M.D. They are the parents of three sons and a daughter and the grandparents of 11.
Joe Liddell, sons
Joe Liddell and sons, John, Jess, Joe Jr., Bert and Mike will perform the National Anthem at the final night of the Mormon Miracle Pageant Saturday, June 28.
Joe and his wife, Eloise, live in Manti. Through the years, Liddell has been a supporter of the pageant, including his years as a counselor in the pageant presidency.
Their family grew up singing, and performed often in the Sanpete Valley.
John lives in St. George with his wife, Joanna. and three children. He performs with two bands in the Dixie area. He is employed by SkyWest Airlines.
Jess lives in Magna, with his wife Jeanette. They are the parents of five children and Jess is employed by Select Health.
Joe Jr. is a language specialist in the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife, Ruth, and four children, in the coming months will be transferred to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany.
Bert is a captain in the U.S. Air Force and is an instructor at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH. He lives there with his wife, Adreann, and five children.
Mike and his wife, Amber, have recently moved to Salt Lake City, where he is an intern as a Doctor of Psychology at the Veteran’s Hospital.