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Show Pioneer flashbacks By QUIG NIELSEN When the Mormon Tabernacle Choir first sang at a special conference con-ference of the Mormon Church held 29 days after the pioneers arrived in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, it was so small it needed no conductor. conduc-tor. In fact, it had no name. The newly-formed choir sang in a hastily hasti-ly built bowery, a quaint structure on Temple Square, made of adobe blocks with poles supporting a roof of leaves and branches to hold back the hot August sun. The Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle Taber-nacle Choir, its official name, was not given until after the completion of the historic domed tabernacle on Temple Square in 1 867. From this humble beginning in pioneer land, the choir grew and in 1893, with 250 members, entered the musical competition for the choirs at the Chicago World's Fair. The choir won second place and made a great hit with the music lovers. Since 1893, the tabernacle choir has taken over 66 tours to nearly all parts of the world. Now, this distinguished choir, nearly 325 voices strong, gathers for rehearsals or performances about 150 times each year, 98 evenings and 52 Sunday Sun-day mornings. And all this without financial remuneration. Why do members make such sacrifices to sing in the choir? Many answers would be given, but nearly all, from its very inception, would agree that it provides talent development de-velopment and opportunities to be of service to others. Perhaps the ultimate in compliments com-pliments came from noted musician John Philip Sousa when he volunteered, vol-unteered, 4 'I have heard most of the choirs and large choruses of the country and have played with many of them. Certainly the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is the best trained in the United States. ' Sources: Josephine Foulger, Choir Historian; Nielsen, "Temple Square, Crown Jewel of the Mormons"; Mor-mons"; Grant, "The Kingdom of God Restored, ' ' (Quig Nielsen is an Information Officer for the Museum of Church History and Art in Salt Lake City.) |