“This New Day: Music of Reflection and Devotion,” a new album from The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, made its debut Friday, May 8.
It is the first non-Christmas album the choir and orchestra has recorded and released since “Let Us All Press On: Hymns of Praise and Inspiration" seven years ago, in 2019.
The tracks on “This New Day” are a combination of music “by the great composers” and religious songs that testify of the Savior, Jesus Christ, said Mack Wilberg, the choir’s music director. Many of the songs have lyrics from the scriptures. Wilberg noted, “It’s all sacred music.”
“The world is always in chaos in one kind or another,” Wilberg said. “Having time for peace and reflection is something needed not only at this time, but at any time.”
Ryan Murphy, the associate music director, said: “One of the things that people turn to the choir for is peace and comfort. … This recording project really delivers on that.”
There are several songs where the titles may not be recognizable, but the music will be familiar. Wilberg said: “People will say, well, ‘I don’t know what that is.’ But as soon as they hear it, they’ll say, ‘Oh, yes, I know that.’”
The music for “Hosanna in Excelsis” is based on Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.” “Aquarium” from “Carnival of the Animals” has been used in movies, television and advertising. The music for “O God Beyond All Praising” is adapted from “Jupiter” in “The Planets” suite.
The Irish folk song “Londonderry Air” — notably the tune for “Danny Boy” — is the music for “I Would Be True.”
“I think it’s all beautiful music, and very beautifully performed and recorded,” Wilberg said.
The choir and orchestra have also performed these songs in the weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcasts or other performances. “Alleluia” by Giulio Caccini has been consistently performed during the “Songs of Hope” tour stops on multiple continents and also during the Christmas concerts.
Two of the songs also feature the orchestra: “Andante Religioso” and “Prelude” on “Rhosymedre.”
“The recording history of the choir is very important,” Wilberg said. “It just felt like it was time for us to resume that history.”
The choir and orchestra paused rehearsing and performing during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021 for about 18 months. Those initial months after also included testing prior to rehearsals and performances, and social distancing in the loft.
“It took us a while to really recover from the pandemic,” Wilberg said. Plus, other events kept the choir and orchestra busy, too.
Recent additions to the choir and orchestra’s weekly broadcasts and annual performances include embarking on the multiyear “Songs of Hope” tour, which has had six stops in multiple countries since 2023. The choir also began the global members program, where singers from around the world come to sing with the choir during twice-yearly general conferences of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Last year, “there was a little window of time to do this” album, said Wilberg, who was arranging music for the album during the choir’s pandemic pause.
The choir’s 360 singers and 85 members of the orchestra recorded the 16 songs over five days in the Salt Lake Tabernacle in downtown Salt Lake City a year ago — with the choir, orchestra and staff members bringing blankets to drape over the benches.
The choir’s first album was in September 1910, when the singers recorded for phonograph, or gramophone, according to ChurchofJesusChrist.org and the Deseret News archives.
Most of the choir and orchestra’s music is performed live for the “Music & the Spoken Word” weekly broadcasts or other concerts, including the “Songs of Hope” tour and the annual Christmas concert. From the performances of the Christmas concert, PBS and BYUtv release the program the following year and a DVD and album are also available.
Murphy said that recording an album is also an opportunity for the musicians.
“We hope that we always operate at a really high level in terms of the choir, but a recording session really gives us the chance to perfect things, to fine-tune, to really put out for the world to hear our absolute best product,” Murphy said.
He added, “It allows us to really dive into the music and literature and to lift our own standards to operate at our best.”
And listeners won’t have to wait as long for another album from the choir and orchestra. They have been recording another album this week in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for release in 2027.
“This New Day” is available at Deseret Book as both a CD and a digital album, and it’s available on several streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube and Tidal. (Some platforms may require an account or subscription.)
‘This New Day’ songs
- “Meditation,” music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Charles Gounod, arranged by Mack Wilberg
- “Alleluia, Amen (Air in D)” (also listed as “Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068: II. Air”), music by Bach and arranged by Wilberg
- “Hosanna in Excelsis” (based on “Canon in D, P. 37”), music by Johann Pachelbel, arranged by Wilberg
- “A New Commandment I Give Unto You,” music by Crawford Gates, arranged by Wilberg
- “Peace Be Mine,” lyrics by David Warner and music by Wilberg
- “Andante Religioso,” music by Hugo Alfvén and arranged by Wilberg
- “The King of Love My Shepherd Is,” lyrics by Henry Baker and music by Ryan Murphy
- “We Thank Thee, Lord, For This New Day,” lyrics by Warner and music by Wilberg
- “Because of Him,” lyrics by Warner and music from an American folk hymn, arranged by Wilberg
- “I Would Be True,” lyrics by Howard Walter and David Warner, music based on an Irish folk song (“Londonderry Air”), and arranged by Wilberg
- “Shall We Gather at the River,” lyrics and music by Robert Lowry and arranged by Murphy
- “Aquarium (Dona Nobis Pacem)” from “Carnival of the Animals” (also listed as “Carnival of the Animals, R. 125: VII. Aquarium”), by Camille Saint-Saëns and arranged by Wilberg
- “Alleluia,” music attributed to Giulio Caccini; arranged by Wilberg
- “Prelude” on “Rhosymedre,” music by Ralph Vaughan Williams, arranged by Arnold Foster
- ”If Ye Love Me,” music by Wilberg
- “O God Beyond All Praising,” lyrics by Michael Perry, music by Gustav Holst and arranged by Wilberg
