Happy news for the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s worldwide fans and listeners: the choir will soon be back on Temple Square following a pandemic-related hiatus that lasted over a year.
On Friday, July 9, the Tabernacle Choir organization announced the schedule for their return to Temple Square of daily organ recitals, weekly choir and Bell at Temple Square ensemble rehearsals and “Music & the Spoken Word” Sunday broadcasts.
The COVID-19 pandemic halted all Choir-related events on Temple Square in March 2020.
Friday’s announcement surely comes as joyous news for the many musicians, performers, administrators (and, of course, loyal listeners) connected with the Tabernacle Choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square and other associated organizations.
Phased opening of choir, orchestra and bells events
The Tabernacle Choir will begin rehearsals at the end of August; Bells at Temple Square a week later. All rehearsals and broadcasts will be closed to the public until the second week in October.
Rehearsals and broadcasts (closed to the public)
- Aug. 26 — Choir — Rehearsals on Thursday nights
- Sept. 1 — Bells — Rehearsals on Wednesday nights
- Sept. 19 — Choir/Orchestra — First live broadcast of “Music & the Spoken Word”
- Oct. 2-3 — Choir — Will sing at three sessions of general conference
Rehearsals and broadcasts (open to the public)
- Oct. 6 — Bells — Wednesday night rehearsals will open to the public
- Oct. 7 — Choir/Orchestra — Thursday night rehearsals will open to the public
- Oct. 10 — Choir/Orchestra — “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcasts will open to the public
Daily organ recitals on Temple Square
The daily organ recitals, a century-long tradition, will resume on Monday, July 19, and will be open to the public in the Tabernacle (Monday-Saturday at 12 p.m. MT and Sunday at 2 p.m. MT).
The new Temple Square organ tradition “Piping Up! Organ Concerts on Temple Square” stream will continue every Wednesday at noon on the Tabernacle Choir’s YouTube, Facebook, Website home page, and on Broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Christmas 2021
The choir is hopeful that a live Christmas concert can be presented in the Conference Center in December 2021, Friday’s release noted. Arrangements are still pending and, with a successful outcome, details will be confirmed at a later date.
The PBS and BYUtv “Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir” TV special is well underway and audiences will be “extremely pleased” with this year’s new broadcast and new CD, DVD, and book products that will be offered at Christmas this year, according to the release.
Watch for more detailed announcements in mid-September.
Last month, the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square announced they were moving forward with its long-anticipated Heritage Tour of several Nordic countries and the United Kingdom.
The tour will stretch across three weeks — from June 16, 2022, to July 7, 2022 — and include concerts in seven European locales.
