The music director of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square is responsible for musical and creative supervision of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, the Orchestra at Temple Square, the Temple Square Chorale, and the Bells on Temple Square, which are all official musical organizations within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Part of a group of 85 Welsh converts that immigrated in 1849, John Parry was invited by Brigham Young to organize a choir for the church's next general conference.

Directors

Name Years Notes 1849–54 Converted Welsh Baptist minister; organized the choir at the request of Brigham Young. 1854–56 – 1856–62 Also member of the Nauvoo Brass Band 1862–65 First director to lead the choir in the current Salt Lake Tabernacle building in regular performances 1865–69 Directed the choir for the first performance in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, 1867.Pyper, pg. 197 1869–80Pyper, p. 202 Had previously directed the Salt Lake Theatre Orchestra 1880 Appointed in absentia. Composer of the music to Gently Raise the Sacred Strain 1880–89 Composed 11 hymns, which are still included in the current LDS hymnal 1890–1916 Directed the choir for its first recording, and was the first employed full-time. 1916–35 Directed the choir for its first national performance of Music and the Spoken Word on July 15, 1929. 1935–57 Directed the choir in the film This is Cinerama,Porcaro, pg. iii and for its first performance abroad in 1955. 1957–74 1959 Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus for "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". 1974 Served from July to December before retiring for personal reasonsPorcaro, pg. 138 1974–99Porcaro, pg. 2Directed the choir for numerous commercial recordings, including one with The United States Air Force Band that required special legislation in Congress to permit the Band to be published.Porcaro, pgs. 150, 314–15 1999–2008 Along with the choir, was a 2003 recipient of the National Medal of Arts 2008–present A published composer who directed choirs at Brigham Young University.

Works cited Porcaro, Mark David. Secularization of the Repertoire of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 1949-1992. University of North Carolina, 2006 Pyper, George D. Stories of Latter Day Saint Hymns Their Authors and Composers. Kessinger Publishing, 2004.

References