The group most famously known as “America’s Choir” may well soon be nicknamed the “World’s Choir” as they have announced plans to actively reach beyond the borders of the United States in an unprecedented way.
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has announced that adding three small words to their mission statement—“The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performs music that inspires people throughout the world to draw closer to the divine and feel God’s love for His children”—has sent ripples through the Choir’s plans for upcoming projects, initiatives, and tours.
Perhaps the most exciting changes announced include the expansion of Music and the Spoken Word and the invitation for international singers to join the choir for future general conference sessions.
Beginning next year, Music and the Spoken Word will be broadcast to more countries throughout the world and will begin to produce the weekly broadcast in Spanish and Portuguese. Native speakers will deliver the Spoken Word messages, and the graphics and visuals will be customized to match the local culture.
And to better reflect the global membership of the worldwide Church, plans are in the works to hold auditions for qualified Latter-day Saint singers from Mexico, Central America, South America, West Africa, the Philippines, and other Asian countries to sing with the Choir during the April 2023 general conference.
Historically, the Tabernacle Choir has also gone on a performing tour every two years, but moving forward, the Choir will also travel to more countries more frequently—at least annually—for shorter amounts of time. The new travel pilot program for the Choir will kick off with a tour to Mexico City on June 13–19, 2023.
President Russell M. Nelson shared his vision for the Choir at a meeting with Choir members and leaders earlier this week: “The Church will continue to grow. It will fill the world. It will continue to bless more and more nations, tongues, and people. The Lord is hastening his work in the promised global gathering of Israel. You can be sure that the Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra, and Bells at Temple Square will be a pivotal part of that era.”
You can read more about this historic shift in Choir programming and projects on Church Newsroom.
