Like varying recipes of plum pudding, each annual Christmas concert of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square bears a unique flavor, and this year, the flavor was distinctly international.
The blend is greatly influenced, of course, by the guest artists invited to participate from year to year. At this year's event, presented Dec. 11-13, the two artists were:
• Frederica von Stade, whose career has included performances with every leading American opera company, and stages in Europe as well as the United States, including two previous appearances with the Tabernacle Choir, the most recent being the Cultural Olympiad of the 2002 Winter Games.
• Bryn Terfel, a celebrated Welsh baritone who has appeared in all the major world opera houses, but whose repertoire is diverse enough to include Rogers and Hammerstein show tunes, folk songs from his homeland and an album that, as of his Salt Lake City appearance, was at number 5 on the popular music chart in the United Kingdom.
Introduced by choir director Craig Jessop to a gathering of news reporters as "two of the world's leading superstars," the two reciprocated the admiration, Miss von Stade calling the chance to appear with the choir "a great Christmas present," and Mr. Terfel saying, "If there's a Cloud 10, I'm floating on Cloud 10 at the moment. It's wonderful to be here and to sing with such fantastic musicians that give their work, their hearts and everything freely."
The international aspect to the concert included a section dedicated to "Christmas around the World" drawing upon the Pan Jam Steel Drum Band for a Caribbean carol, "The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy;" and a show-stopping Nigerian carol, "Betelehemu." The Utah Pipe Band, a bagpipe aggregation, lent a Scottish spirit to the English carol "Rejoice and Be Merry," and a Cape Breton hymn, "Hasten and Come unto Me."
Miss von Stade sang a Czech Carol in French, "A Bethleem allons vite!" with words meaning, "Let's go to Bethlehem; we all want to hold the baby Jesus."
Mr. Terfel added some personal warmth to his performance of a Welsh lullaby, "Suo gan" by explaining to the audience that it makes him think of Mary trying to make her baby go to sleep. He has three boys at home, ages 9, 5 and 2. He said he sang the song to them many times, "and they never slept."
A highlight of the program was the medley of well-known favorites, "A Yuletide Festival," arranged by Michael Davis, who worked with Brother Jessop when he directed the military group the Singing Sergeants. Asked at the news conference which selections had most meaning to them, the two artists mentioned songs from the medley.
Miss von Stade spoke of "I'll Be Home for Christmas," because it makes her think of the sons of a friend, the mayor of her hometown, who had returned home for six months before having to resume their military service.
And Mr. Terfel cited "White Christmas," saying they had met with President Gordon B. Hinckley that morning, who, still active and vital at 93, had made him think of Irving Berlin, composer of more than 1,500 songs, who died at the age of 100 in 1998. "I've always wanted to sing it," he said, "but I feel really guilty that Bing Crosby is not here to do it; it's his song."
An unscheduled selection on the program was Mr. Terfel's performance of "Impossible Dream" from "Man of LaMancha," dedicated to Robert Peterson, the well-known Latter-day Saint baritone and stage actor who died Dec. 1.
The concert program was performed three evenings, Dec. 11-13; selections from the program were included in the Music and Spoken Word program and a mini-concert on Sunday morning, Dec. 14.
Between the rehearsal and broadcast Sunday morning, President Hinckley stepped onto the Conference Center podium to address members of the choir and orchestra. "I just wanted to come and say thank you in behalf of the entire Church," he said. "You've done such a magnificent job, just marvelous, and we are so deeply grateful to you. And to these two guests artists (Frederica von Stade and Bryn Terfel) who have been with us and performed so admirably, I want to say thanks. We will count you as dear friends through all the years to come."
E-mail: rscott@desnews.com
