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Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra’s 2022 concert ‘Season of Light’ to be broadcast in the Philippines on Christmas Eve

This is the first time the Christmas concert has been carried in the Philippines and England

“Season of Light,” The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square’s 2022 Christmas concert, will air on Sunday, Dec. 24, at 8 p.m. Philippine Time on CNN Philippines, the Church’s Philippines Area Facebook page shared.

The concert features Filipina singer and “Disney Legend” Lea Salonga and British actor Sir David Suchet. 

Choir President Michael O. Leavitt announced that the 2022 concert, titled  “Season of Light: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square,” is being shown in the Philippines and in London, England, this Christmas for the first time. 

“Our current special is being carried by PBS and will be viewed by more than 3 million people throughout the United States. Recently, the choir expanded its mission to add the words ‘throughout the world,’” President Leavitt said during the press conference on Dec. 15. “And in keeping with that mission change this year, for the first time we will have the Christmas special carried in the Philippines and in London — doubling with the effective audience that will be seen. So 6 million people throughout the world will receive a special gift of peace and healing.”

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The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s Christmas concert has been broadcast on PBS in the United States since the 2003 concert was shown in 2004. Since then, BYUtv has begun broadcasting it. The 2022 Christmas concert premiered Dec. 12 on PBS and Dec. 17 on BYUtv. It is available for streaming on both platforms and will be shown several times this week. See the streaming schedule and your local listings for details. 

The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra’s next stop on its ”Hope” tour is in the Philippines from Feb. 20-29, 2024. 

The 2022 Christmas concert

During the concert, the voice of Broadway singer and actor Salonga soared as she sang “The Most Wonderful Time of The Year,” and choir conductor Mack Wilberg’s arrangement of “Payapang Daigdid” — a Filipino song that translates to “Peaceful World” and can be considered a counterpart to “Silent Night.” 

She joined the choir for assistant conductor Ryan Murphy’s arrangement of “Christmas Together,” including renditions of “Sleigh Ride,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “O Holy Night.”

Salonga, who is the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from “Aladdin” and Fa Mulan for “Mulan” and “Mulan II,” and who won a Tony Award for her role in “Miss Saigon,” also sang “The Story Goes On” from “Baby.”

Sir David Suchet stands and speaks on the stage designed to look like an attic during The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square Christmas concert
Sir David Suchet performs during The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square Christmas concert at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Suchet, who is best known for his television role as Agatha Christie’s famous Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, shared “Endless Gifts, Endless Night: The Nicholas Winton Story” about Winton’s effort to organize the rescue of children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia prior to the war breaking out in 1939. As a surprise guest, Winton’s son Nick Winton was invited on the stage.

Watch/listen to songs from the 2022 concert

Here are several songs from the concert that the Tabernacle Choir has shared on YouTube, including: “Hosanna (after Pachelbel’s Canon in D, P. 37).” “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” “And Then Shall Your Light Break Forth,” “Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming,” “Here We Come A-Caroling” and organist Richard Elliott’s solo of “On Christmas Night.

Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas music 

Christmas music sung by the Tabernacle Choir is available on streaming platforms and on YouTube. 

Tabernacle Choir Christmas music on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-W2Bkz_Rno&list=PLXPFet_zDHio06vly76NUFChCEuu0fMVW

And on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/238LmISaZcfOIAuRBzxDBW

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