America's Choir (Music CD)
Dubbed "America's Choir" by President Ronald Reagan, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir celebrates 75 years of continuous weekly radio broadcasts in July 2004, the longest such run in broadcast history. Evolving from its humble beginnings in the barren Salt Lake Valley in 1847 as a choir singing to sagebrush to its spectacular performances at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, the Choir is now courted by the most sophisticated concert halls in cities across the globe. They have sung at the inauguration of five U.S. presidents, twice received the prestigious Freedom Foundation Award for promoting patriotism and pride in America, were awarded the prestigious National Medal of Arts, and have been inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Please join Walter Cronkite for an amazing look at an American institution and a national treasure.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The 360 members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir represent men and women from many different backgrounds and professions and range in age from 25 to 60. They reflect a medley of unique lives and experiences and are brought together by their love for singing and their faith. Their incomparable voices are the common chord that unites to form the choral group known all over the world as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir originated in the mid-19th century in Salt Lake City. As the Latter-day Saints moved west, Church President Brigham Young included musicians among members of the advance parties. Consequently, a small choir first sang for a conference of the Church in the Salt Lake Valley on August 22, 1847, just 29 days after the first group arrived. The origins of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir may be found in the desire and commitment of early converts to include appropriate music in both sacred and secular events.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has appeared at 13 world's fairs and expositions, performed at the inaugurations of five U.S. presidents, and sung for numerous worldwide telecasts and special events. Five of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's recordings have achieved "gold record" and two have achieved "platinum record" status. The most popular was the Grammy-Award-winning 1959 release of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" with the Philadelphia Orchestra.