The Mormon Tabernacle Choir announced March 17 the creation of its own recording label, a milestone in the musical organization's 145-year history.
The choir is the sole owner of the new label, called Mormon Tabernacle Choir™. The label was formed to leverage the strength of the choir's well-known name and reputation.
"The creation of our own label is a real landmark for the choir, something we've hoped to do for years," said Mac Christensen, president of the choir. "Having a solely-owned label will give us greater creative freedom, the ability to control all aspects of the production and greater influence over distribution and marketing. We are ready as a choir and an organization to capitalize on this opportunity."
After recording more than 150 albums for such industry labels as CBS Records, Columbia, Sony and Telarc, the choir will direct and produce its own recordings, including CDs, videos of special concerts and documentaries. Recent video performances of the Choir's 2001 Christmas concert with Angela Lansbury and its tour to Nauvoo, Ill., in 2002, will be re-released under the new label later this year.
The choir has put in place an agreement with the values-based national music publisher Shadow Mountain to distribute and market the products produced under the new label, according to a news release. Through Shadow Mountain's established partnerships with well-respected national distribution firms such as RedBall Group Distribution and Soundburst Audio Distributors, the choir's products will have access to broad national distribution in major music and publishing outlets.
Inaugurating the launch of the new label is the choir's latest CD, "Consider the Lilies." To be available in April and in time for Easter, the CD offers newly recorded arrangements of many of the choir's most-requested songs. Recorded in the Tabernacle and accompanied by the Orchestra at Temple Square, the 17-track album includes "For the Beauty of the Earth," "God So Loved the World," "The Lord Bless You and Keep You," "I Believe in Christ," "This Is Christ," and the title track, "Consider the Lilies."
Craig Jessop is the choir's music director, assisted by associate directors Mack Wilberg and Barlow Bradford. Many of the songs on the new CD are arrangements by Brothers Wilberg and Bradford.
For additional information, visit www.mormontabernaclechoir.org.
