For the first time since March 8, 2020, “Music & the Spoken Word” on Sunday, Oct. 24, will be a live broadcast.
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, the Orchestra at Temple Square and the Bells at Temple Square are scheduled to perform in this weekend’s program — the first live “Music & the Spoken Word” in 19 months, according to the choir’s website.
Tabernacle Choir members sang during sessions of general conference earlier this month, with half the choir singing on Saturday morning and other half on Sunday morning and afternoon to allow for social distancing.
Previously recorded performances of “Music & the Spoken Word” had been airing at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time on Sundays. Partway through the hiatus, host Lloyd Newell began writing and working with a small crew to record new “Spoken Word” messages to be inserted into the selected performances.
The choir has implemented a seven-prong strategy to resuming live rehearsals and performances. The strategy comprises vaccination requirements, COVID-19 testing at each performance and rehearsal, social distancing, health screenings, self-reporting any symptoms, using masks when not actively rehearsing or performing, and performing in the Conference Center for greater ventilation. Choir officials said this approach was like Swiss cheese — each “slice” has holes, but when stacked together they help minimize the risks of the COVID-19 virus spreading.
The post on thetabernaclechoir.org noted that with live performances resuming there will be some new refinements to the broadcasts. Also, this weekend’s broadcast includes new musical selections by Mack Wilberg: “We Thank Thee, Lord, for This New Day”; his new arrangements of “Tuya es la gloria (To Thee Be the Glory),” which will be sung in both Spanish and English, and “Now Thank We All Our God”; and Richard Elliott’s new organ solo “Praise and Thanksgiving (The Morning Breaks).”
For now, there won’t be an audience. “It is hoped that as soon as conditions allow, in-person audiences will once again be invited to join the choir for its performances,” the article notes.
The “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast is available on KSL-TV, KSL Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM Radio (Ch. 143), thetabernaclechoir.org, YouTube and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. MST on many of these outlets. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.
