The Bells at Temple Square’s Christmas concert returns this year with “Visions of the Season” on Friday, Nov. 18, and Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time in the Tabernacle at Temple Square. The Nov. 18 performance will be streamed online. 

The concert will be led by LeAnna Willmore, conductor of the Bells at Temple Square, with the assistance of Geoff Anderson, associate conductor, according to a news release.

The program features Beethoven’s “Hymn to Joy,” the American folksongs “Shenandoah” and “This Is My Country,” along with Christmas favorites “Christmas Is Coming,” “Carol of the Birds,” “Joy to the World,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “O Holy Night,” and “We Three Kings.” The concert finishes with “The Man with the Bag” and “Wizards in Winter.”

The handbell numbers will be interspersed with performances by members of the Orchestra at Temple Square and an organ solo, provided by a Temple Square organist. 

The 33-member handbell ensemble will be playing on two sets of English handbells (one with 7 octaves and one with 6 1⁄2 octaves) and two 6-octave sets of hand chimes. 

The volunteer ensemble was organized in 2005. The group has twice-yearly concerts, often participates in the weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcasts and performs in the Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas concerts. The group’s spring concert was in June and titled “Life Story.” It explored a variety of musical genres from hymns and anthems to classical and jazz. 

Tickets

Tickets are free, but required. They were available starting Friday, Nov. 4, on a first-come, first-serve basis, and patrons may request up to four tickets. Admission is open to those 8 and older. 

See The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s website at tabchoir.org to request tickets for either the Friday, Nov. 18, or Saturday, Nov. 19, performances. 

Access to the Tabernacle on Temple Square will be through the west gates, and see this map for access and parking locations.

Streaming and on-demand

The Friday, Nov. 18, performance will be streamed on The Tabernacle Choir’s website at tabchoir.org and on the choir’s YouTube channel. It will also be available for on demand viewing at the end of the concert on the choir’s YouTube channel and in the choir’s website “Watch and Listen” section. 

More from the Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra, Bells and organists

• The “Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir” playlist on Spotify has 27 favorites from past Christmas concerts. 
• “Piping Up!” are 3-minute weekly organ concerts streamed on the choir’s YouTube channel and Facebook page Wednesdays at noon. 
• See the Church News’ archive of ‘Spoken Word’ messages

Watch the Bells at Temple Square’s ‘Life’s Journey’ concert

‘Carol of the Bells’