See photos from the Orchestra at Temple Square’s 1st concert in 4 years

The Orchestra at Temple Square’s fall concert featured the premiere of music director Mack Wilberg’s “Lovest Thou Me” invitation from “Becoming Peter (Two Meditations for String Orchestra).” Also part of “Becoming Peter” is the lamentation “And Wept Bitterly.”

The concert on Friday, Oct. 27, opened with “Festive Overture, Opus 96” by Dmitri Shostakovich, which starts joyously and ends with a resounding fanfare. It was followed by Symphony in C by French composer Georges Bizet. After Wilberg’s “Becoming Peter,” the program concluded with Malcolm Arnold’s “English Dances, Set 1 Opus 27,” which consists of four dances inspired by country folk tunes. Both Wilberg and assistant music director Ryan Murphy conducted the orchestra.

The fall concert was also a milestone for the orchestra. While orchestra members have performed with the Tabernacle Choir concerts and tour to Mexico, during “Music & the Spoken Word” and at other events, it’s the first concert featuring the orchestra since the COVID-19 pandemic began and paused rehearsals and concerts for a time.

“The Orchestra at Temple Square is such an important part of the Tabernacle Choir family, and we are grateful to present them in this performance, their first featured concert in four years because of the pandemic,” said Wilberg when the concert was announced.

An early Christmas gift

At the end of the concert, attendees could exchange their ticket for a general admission ticket to this year’s Christmas concert with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.

Michael Maliakel, who is currently starring as the title role in Disney’s “Aladdin” on Broadway, and actor Lesley Nicol, known for her role as Mrs. Patmore on “Downton Abbey,” will be the guest artists at the Tabernacle Choir’s 2023 Christmas concerts Dec. 14, 15 and 16 in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Tickets will also be distributed through a random ticket selection. Registration goes through Friday, Nov. 10. Full details can be found at tabchoir.org/Christmastickets. 

About the Orchestra at Temple Square

The Orchestra at Temple Square was created in 1999 when then-President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Gordon B. Hinckley announced the creation of a symphonic orchestra to serve as a companion ensemble to the choir. 

Each week up to 85 musicians, drawn from a roster of more than 200 volunteers, provide instrumental support to The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in the weekly broadcast of “Music & the Spoken Word.” This year, orchestra members were part of the Tabernacle Choir’s tour to Mexico City.

The orchestra also performs with the choir in the annual Christmas concert, Pioneer Day celebration and other special events. Since 2005 the orchestra has participated in biennial concert tours with the choir across North America as well as presenting its own fall and spring symphonic concerts in the Tabernacle.

Here are more photos from the concert.