Mormon Tabernacle Choir
From MormonWikia
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a group of 340 talented members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Once dubbed, “America’s Choir” by Ronald Reagan, the Choir is comprised entirely of volunteers between the ages of 25 and 60. These members perform at General Conference, Music and the Spoken Word (the longest running American radio broadcast), and various other events, including several presidential inaugurations and the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Olympics.
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[edit] Mormon Tabernacle Choir: "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing"
[edit] History
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir formed shortly after members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stopped their flight in the safety of the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. The choir’s first performance was at the first General Conference in the valley, only 29 days after their arrival.
The first tabernacle to house the Choir was built in 1851, but the current dome-shaped tabernacle was not completed until 1867. This tabernacle included the famous Ridges pipe organ, at the time the largest in America with 2,000 pipes. The organ has long been a symbol for both the Choir and the music of the Mormon Church. It is still functioning today. In the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir won 2nd place in the competition for the Eisteddfod International Prize.
The Choir has only grown in popularity and renown since, recording its first album in 1910 and continuing to record and perform all over the nation.
[edit] Current Choir
The Choir is directed by Craig Jessop with associate director Mack Wilberg. The Choir president is Mac Christensen.
The Choir has recorded many popular songs, including “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” which won a Grammy. The Choir doesn’t only sing Mormon Church music. They recently released an album of Hollywood hits. The Choir often performs with orchestras, including the Orchestra at Temple Square, another volunteer music group affiliated with the Mormon Church.
Members of the Choir meet together to practice every Thursday evening, and they perform every Sunday morning for Music and the Spoken Word. They also travel continually to perform in many locations. Belonging to the choir requires quite a bit of commitment.
[edit] Joining the Choir
Joining the choir is a six-month-long and quite thorough process. Those who want to join the choir must first be recommended by their bishop. They must live within 100 miles of downtown Salt Lake City and be between 25 and 55 years of age. At the beginning of January or July, they may send in an audition tape. The song for the audition tape is an a capella solo selected by Craig Jessop, and he and Mack Wilberg listen to the tapes themselves.
Those whose tapes are approved then take a written musical skills test. With an 80% or better, candidates can move on to in-person auditions. This consists of a solo and several tests in front of Craig Jessop and Mack Wilberg. At the end of six months, the final candidates will be selected. They will then spend three months singing in the Temple Square Chorale and taking music lessons, and then they will get to join the choir. They can stay on for as long as twenty years.
