September 2020 marks 110 years since the first audio recording was made of The Tabernacle Choir. This notable event was celebrated with a mini press event in which Ron Jarrett (Choir President), Mack Wilberg (Music Director), and Richard Turley (Church Historian) spoke about the Choir and this significant milestone (hosted by Daniel Woodruff--Church Spokesman and Assistant Choir Publicist).
You can read about all about this HERE and HERE, and watch it HERE.
Being in the Choir only six years, I don't have a whole lot to say about 110 years worth of recordings, but I can tell you most of what the Choir does today is recorded and we often have two to three official recording sessions every year--recordings that are used for an upcoming album release. I've spoken at length about how such sessions are never easy and take an enormous amount of time, patience, and perspective. But the results are always worth the pain and go on to bless the lives of many.
Speaking of recordings, I tried to think back to the first memory I could recall of listening to the Tabernacle Choir. The one that comes to mind is associated with a 1980 video that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints produced called Mr. Krueger's Christmas. As a youngster of nine years old, and one who loved music even at that young age, I fell in love with the story of a kind old man (Jimmy Stewart) who has several day dreams of conducting the choir and accompanying them on a winter adventure involving slay rides and decorating a huge Christmas tree. This man also imagines himself visiting the infant Jesus in a stable and professing his love for the baby King. I remember specifically feeling a warmth and admiration for all of the music that the Tabernacle Choir had recorded for that film and how it aided me in planting a seed of love in my heart for my Savior Jesus Christ.
Fast forward to today and over 200 official recordings later, including the most recent video recording release of "Duel of the Fates", as heard in Star Wars, Episode 1. While I didn't get the chance to be a part of this particular recording (I had some family event going on that day that I didn't want to miss), it's certainly a very cool one! Check it out if you'd like. The Choir has actually been waiting a long time to have this released (we recorded it several years ago and always wondered if it would ever see the light of day), so we're happy that the public finally gets to see it.
Shifting gears, it's now been six months since the Choir met together to record another episode of Music & the Spoken Word. We all miss the ability to fulfill our musical missionary callings, but we take heart in the words of our Church leaders--several of which have assured us that this pandemic situation will eventually come to an end. When we do get to sing again, I think we will be a different choir. The subtle differences may not be heard by most, but this pandemic has changed each of us, just as it has changed each of you, and those changes will most definitely be reflected in our singing.
Until that time, we are grateful that past recordings of the Choir can continue to uplift and inspire. You're invited to make such recordings a part of your week, every week.
May God be with you.
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