The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square traces its origins to the arrival of Brigham Young and his Latter-day Saint followers in the Salt Lake City region, where the ensemble gave its debut performance on August 22, 1847, a mere 29 days later. Initially modest in scale, the group expanded under its first official conductor, John Parry, reaching 150 members by the 1867 opening of the present Tabernacle, then the largest such body in the United States. Further growth occurred after George Careless assumed the directorship in 1873. A 300-voice contingent produced the first of the choir’s hundreds of recordings in 1910, and the ensemble continues to rank among the world’s largest regularly constituted vocal organizations. Its weekly broadcast, Music and the Spoken Word, began on Salt Lake City’s KSL radio in 1929 and persists today as one of the longest-running radio programs anywhere.

More than 300 voices strong and drawn exclusively from members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who receive temple recommendations in Salt Lake City and reside within 100 miles of that city, the choir has long held an international reputation. By the 1950s its activities extended beyond weekly services to a regular concert season. The 1959 release The Battle Hymn of the Republic captured a Grammy Award, while numerous other recordings achieved prominent chart positions along with gold and platinum certifications. National and international tours have taken the choir to 28 countries and 13 world’s fairs; it has also supplied music for national radio broadcasts following the deaths of presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy and has appeared at multiple presidential inaugurations, including that of Donald Trump in 2017. The ensemble established its own label in 2003 and has adapted readily to newer platforms, evidenced by a 2020 video of the hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing that exceeded 10,000,000 views.

The choir performs with both symphony orchestras and popular artists, and its annual Christmas concerts have included such guests as Gladys Knight, Kristin Chenoweth, and Renée Fleming. Its recorded repertoire encompasses patriotic selections, classical works, and sacred music. Although contemporary pieces appear infrequently, the choir recorded the Requiem by its current music director, Mack Wilberg, in 2009. In keeping with Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints policy discouraging the word “Mormon,” the ensemble adopted its present name in 2018. Church leaders have long maintained that the full name was divinely revealed to founder Joseph Smith, making its consistent use essential. The new designation highlights the Salt Lake City Tabernacle and the group’s location on Temple Square. Under that name the choir issued the album Angels Among Us in 2019.