Mack Wilberg, bottom center, conducts the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the Catholic church's Cathedral of the Madeleine on Saturday, April 18, 2009, in Salt Lake City. The cathedral will celebrate its 100th anniversary in August.
Posted on 04/19/2009 3:00:58 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
If singing were a sporting event, the visiting team brought its A-game to the Cathedral of the Madeleine Saturday night.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir made its second-ever visit to Salt Lake City's Roman Catholic cathedral, opening the Madeleine Festival of the Arts and Humanities in celebration of the cathedral's centennial. Music Director Mack Wilberg chose some of the finest hymn tunes and other worship music from around the world, taking full advantage of the singers' -- and the building's -- strengths.
The choir is accustomed to singing in a big, acoustically lively space, so it shouldn't be surprising that the 300 singers, 65-piece Orchestra at Temple Square and Tabernacle organists Clay Christiansen and Andrew Unsworth followed Wilberg's direction with such precision and balance. Still, nothing really could prepare the listener for the stunning impact of the choir's opening "Alleluia!" on its first number, "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty."
Wilberg grouped the musical selections by country of origin, presenting German hymn tunes, Russian songs of praise, three psalm settings by British composers Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams, a handful of folk hymns from around the world, and a selection of American folk hymns and spirituals featured on the choir's most recent CD. Nearly half the arrangements were by Wilberg.
The orchestra was in fine form (only on "Down to the River to Pray" did the ensemble get a little iffy), but Wilberg also included some unaccompanied numbers, such as Pavel Chesnokov's "O Lord God" and the American spirituals "I Want Jesus to Walk With Me" and "Rock-A-My Soul," that let the singers show off their uncanny transparency and beautiful warm tone.
High points included the women's ethereal performance of "His Voice as the Sound," choir member Alex Boyé's stupendous solos on the two spirituals, and the soaring closer, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing."
Two choristers from the Madeleine Choir School, Deron Parcell and Jonathan Savastano, also contributed solos; both boys sang with remarkable poise and clarity.
Mack Wilberg, bottom center, conducts the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the Catholic church's Cathedral of the Madeleine on Saturday, April 18, 2009, in Salt Lake City. The cathedral will celebrate its 100th anniversary in August.
Ecumenical Movement, with a twist.
Fa-So-La!
+{{{:o)
I sure hope some idiot doesn’t come on here and throw cold water on this example of comity.
Then you must enjoy the Gaither Homecoming videos. Wonderful stuff.
They’re about the best choral group around.
lovely. :-)
The window in the Cathedral of the Madeleine which faces the Salt Lake Temple quotes Galatians 1:8. :-)
Yeah, when we were courting, my darling husband introduced me to Southern Gospel music, Gaither, Oak Ridge Boys, “an’ all them.” We sing out of William Walker’s “The Christian Harmony,” — the 1994 facsimile reprint -—first published in Spartanburg, SC in 1866.
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!Ooooh...how ecumenical of them ;P
Excellent singers, and I’d like to hear them in person one day, but they certainly wouldn’t be welcome to sing in our church.
What a beautiful building...
How wonderful! I love southern gospel music.
Yes. I’ve heard about that verse being in the cathedral there. You know, as a former Roman Catholic, the crucifix bothers me NOT at all.
We preach Christ crucified.
Before I even clicked on the link,I knew it had to be you posting this. Get a life.
ecumenical ping
Not me. I think it’s a good thing.
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