Original Oils Capture Tabernacle Organ’s Grandeur
The Tabernacle organ has both a presence today in the music world and a history of pioneer ingenuity. First built in 1867 by British-born Joseph Ridges who came to the valley by way of Australia, the organ’s remarkable wooden casework and a number of the gold pipes are still in place today.  “I can hear the voices of the pioneers singing when I play the grand sounds of the Tabernacle organ,” states principal Organist Richard Elliott.  Today, the organ continues to provide glorious music and is an easily recognized icon of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and its recordings.

It’s no wonder that when Fred D. Howard sat in the balcony as his wife Carolyn rehearsed with the Choir--she has sung for 9 years as a Second Alto—that he was captivated by the grandeur and significance of this mighty instrument.  Howard has been what he terms, “a pioneer artist” for nearly a decade when he isn’t sitting on the judicial bench in Utah’s Fourth District Court.  As he looked at the organ soaring over the Choir loft in all its majesty, he was filled with a desire to express gratitude to those who built the initial organ, those who participated in the planning to dramatically enlarge it in 1949, those who have played the organ in generations since, and those who have been blessed by its tones.  He proposed to do a study of the organ in a series of oil paintings to be distributed to people whose lives have been greatly influenced by the splendid organ.  Choir President Mac Christensen approved.

Howard completed 30 paintings in various sizes but all focused on some aspect of the organ and named in honor of that image: “The Great Organ,” “Soloist,” “Spiritual then Physical Creation,” “Mouthpiece,” Men and Angels Sing,” and many others which were presented to families of previous and current organists and conductors, Choir presidents and those who have partnered with the organ in so many musical presentations.

Choir Guest Soloist Wins Rave Reviews on Dancing With The Stars!
An opera star who can sing and dance!  Katherine Jenkins, guest artist at the Pioneer Celebration July 21 in the Conference Center has wowed audiences this season on the popular program, Dancing with the Stars.  The first night of the finals she and her partner topped the leaderboard with a perfect score of 60 out of 60 on two ballroom routines and one freestyle performance. The second night they again scored high and were awarded second place for the season.  The registration period for the random selection process to receive tickets to the Pioneer Day concert is still open until Monday, May 28 at 11:59 p.m. Click here for details: 

Conductor: Mack Wilberg | Organist: Andrew Unsworth

Program will include:

“God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand”^{1, 2}
Composer:  George W. Warren
Lyrics:  Daniel C. Roberts
Arrangement:  Mack Wilberg

“Distant Land”²
Composer:  John Rutter
Lyrics:  John Rutter

“America the Beautiful” (Organ Solo)
Composer:  Samuel A. Ward
Arrangement:  Andrew Unsworth

“Who Are the Brave?”
Composers: Joseph M. Martin
Lyrics: J Paul Williams
Arrangement: Chad Steffey

“The Mansions of the Lord”
Composer:  Nick Glennie-Smith
Lyrics:  Randall Wallace
Arrangement:  Michael Davis

“Battle Hymn of the Republic”^{2, 3}
Composer:  William Steffe
Lyrics:  Julia Ward Howe
Arrangement:  Peter J. Wilhousky

1. On the CD:  Hymns of Faith II (Legacy Series)
2. On the CD:  Spirit of America
3. On the CD:  America's Choir: Favorite Songs, Hymns, & Anthems and the CD set: : 100 Years: Celebrating A Century Of Recording Excellence

Repertoire subject to change for production and timing reasons. This is the repertoire for the live broadcast. Repertoire may differ in markets where the broadcast is shown tape delayed. To listen to this repertoire, click here

"This Magnificent World"

What do you see and feel when you look around at this magnificent world? Do you see diverse colors, faces, landscapes, and seascapes? What do you learn from others who live in different cultures, use expressions you might not understand, and eat things you might not consider food?

A nurse in the Far East stood nearby as a couple from North America prepared to take home their newly adopted little son. He was 18 months old, darling, enthusiastic—and Chinese. The father looked at the woman who had cared for the child since he was placed in the orphanage. “Tell us how you teach him and how you show him love,” the father said. She smiled and responded, “You will do it your way. And that will be good.”

The interchange was not about parenting; it was about respecting the different ways we do things and the beauty of those differences.

What if everything in the world were the same? What if there were no tulips in the Netherlands, no Alps in Switzerland, no gazelles in Africa? What if there were no regional accents or Italian operas, no Great Wall of China? What if there wasn’t a culture that gave us the ruins in Mexico, the hula in Hawaii, and walkabouts down under? Some people eat fish eggs and love them. Others work in rice fields from a tender age. Some live in apartments and others in yurts. This is a world varied in its natural wonders and rich in local traditions. And isn’t that marvelous!

The more we get to know the world’s diversity, the more we feel at home here. Because even though clothing styles, artistic styles, and parenting styles vary widely, we can share an underlying foundation of kindness, generosity, and understanding. In this sense, we can all be bilingual—we speak our native language and the language of love. This is what adds the human touch to an already magnificent world.

Spring Concert

Pioneer Day Concert