BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — As Soledad Pastorutti has been preparing for the upcoming “Songs of Hope” — “Canciones de Esperanza” — concert with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, she found herself agreeing with the musical messages of hope and peace.
“It’s a pleasure to share the music that always unifies, that always allows us to be one in the world, and I hope we can all enjoy it,” the Argentine singer-songwriter said at a news conference on Thursday, Aug. 21.
Pastorutti is one of the guest artists who will be singing with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square’s concert Friday, Aug. 22, and Saturday, Aug. 23, in Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The concert on Saturday will also be streamed on the Tabernacle Choir’s YouTube channel at 7 p.m. Argentina Time, 4 p.m. Mountain Time, with watch parties planned across the South American continent.
An in-person preshow starts an hour before the concert starts.
This stop of the choir tour also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the dedication of South America for the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The news conference included Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Elder Joaquin E. Costa, General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s South America South Area; and guest artists Pastorutti, Raúl Lavié and Maggie Cullen.
The singers with Dos Mas Uno and Alex Melecio, who will also be part of the choir and orchestra’s concert, also attended. About 50 media organizations attended the news conference.
100 years in South America
Elder Cook shared the history of the Church and how Elder Melvin J. Ballard, an Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sailed to Argentina in 1925.
“Elder Ballard described when he was here how he felt like things would go in this part of the world. He said he thought it would go a little slow initially,” Elder Cook said, adding, “And he used the analogy of an acorn, ultimately growing into an oak tree.”
Now, there are congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in many cities in South America, said Elder Cook. He also shared his testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Elder Ballard was also known for his singing voice. “Those who heard him speak always mentioned him singing,” Elder Cook said.
Hope and peace
To a question about the choir’s message, Elder Cook testified of the Savior.
“How do you find hope and peace?” Elder Cook said. “I’m not sure we can do much about the commotion in the world, but I do know that having a testimony of Jesus Christ and what He did brings people personal peace.
“So, while there may not be peace in the world, individuals can have peace in their lives and with their families. And that’s one of the things we’re striving for.”
Pastorutti said songwriting can be a solitary endeavor. She doesn’t always know if she’ll connect with others through music.
“Then I’m surprised by the amount of things we human beings have in common,” she said.
“It’s joyful to find those connections. That we are beings who have a heart that we feel, and that the closer we are, the more we understand each other.”
Cullen, who sings Argentina’s folk music, said the songs she and Dos Mas Uno will sing in the preshow are from all over Latin America. Both are also singing during the concert.
She said the “Songs of Hope” concert is an opportunity to reach people.
“Any message about hope, about love, about being able to go through these [difficulties] and get over them, and stay firm and hopeful about life” is a great opportunity, Cullen said, adding that she’s proud to be part of it.
Marcelo Dellamea of the Dos Mas Uno trio said the concert will be “a unique mixing of the choir and the Latin American music, which is very important for us.”
He had previously seen the choir and orchestra on YouTube and thought they are “absolutely amazing. It’s incredible.”
There is “so much energy from the choir and the orchestra.”
Alex Melecio, who has sung with the choir and orchestra on previous “Songs of Hope” tour stops, said, “We all are seeking for hope, and something to hold on to in difficult times.”
He appreciates who he’s been able to meet and learn from through the concerts. “We’re brothers and sisters, and that’s become very clear and apparent to me.”
Joel Villagra and Flor Battista, a married couple, are two of the choir’s global participants and they’ve also been the artistic directors for the show.
Battista said they were thoughtful in recommending guest artists and in the song selections, too.
“In all of the concerts and even the preshow, we try to choose songs that make you feel like we are in a party celebrating. But at the end of the show, we have two songs that are deeper with also a beautiful message,” Battista said, adding that youth will be dancing to help represent the message.
Concert in Palacio Libertad
Mack Wilberg, the Tabernacle Choir music director, said he was “honored by the reception that we received at our first concert, on Tuesday evening.”
It was the first time the choir and orchestra have performed in Argentina.
He has long admired Argentine music and bought three scores of music while he has been in Buenos Aires.
Lavié, who was the guest artist during Tuesday’s concert at the Palacio Libertad, said at his age, he thought he had accomplished what he needed to. Then he received an invitation to perform with the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra.
“It has served to express my gratitude for everything I’ve done in my life,” Lavié said of the invitation to perform.
In getting everything set up for the concert, there were some technical difficulties, and he was grateful for the orchestra musicians in his numbers.
Camila Cardus, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is one of the choir’s global singers, who has come to Salt Lake City to sing in the Church’s semiannual general conference. She and eight other global participants sang several hymns with the choir in Spanish during the concert. They will also participate in the Movistar Arena concerts.
Now, she’s singing in her native country and in Spanish with the choir, which is a “completely different story.”
Villagra said: “I never imagined singing with the choir, but in Spanish, in Argentina. It’s like a dream come true.”
One of the hymns they sang is “I Believe in Christ,” and it’s his favorite hymn. As a teenager, hearing the Tabernacle Choir sing helped him build his testimony.
“Singing that song in Spanish with the Tabernacle Choir is so special for me, and it’s a confirmation that I’m trying to do my best and the Lord knows that,” Villagra said.
Putting together the ‘Canciones de Esperanza’
Elder Costa said the concert has been two years in the making and has included the logistics of getting the 387 members of the choir and orchestra, plus the staff and all of their equipment, to Argentina. Plus, finding a place for them to stay, feeding them and transporting them.
They are grateful “for all the support we’ve received,” Elder Costa said.
Wilberg said they started preparing for these concerts about a month ago — including learning several songs in Spanish. And they rehearse once during the week in addition to the weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast.
“We are grateful for the ability of our musicians to be able to learn quickly and then to perform well,” he said.
Wilberg said nearly half of the choir speaks Spanish, including native speakers and those who learned it as missionaries or have some conversational language skills.
The choir is on a multicity, multiyear “Songs of Hope” tour.
It began in 2023 with a stop in Mexico City, Mexico. In 2024, the choir and orchestra performed in Manila, Philippines, and in the southeastern United States in Florida and Georgia. The choir and orchestra were in Lima, Peru, earlier this year. Next year, the tour will stop in Brazil in February.
The Tabernacle Choir first went to South America in 1981, when it performed in Brazil.
There are 387 members of the volunteer choir and orchestra on tour, along with organists, choir leaders and staff, in Argentina. These “musical missionaries” are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and choir members have a monthslong audition process. The choir’s origins date to 1847, when pioneer members of the Church formed a choir to sing at a conference of the Church weeks after arriving in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley.
