Fans of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square can shout their own “hallelujah” chorus. The world-renowned singing troupe has scheduled a September return to live performances.
The choir, with orchestra, will return from its pandemic-enforced, 16-month hiatus with a live broadcast of its “Music and the Spoken Word” on Sept. 19, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Friday.
The “Music and the Spoken Word” broadcasts will be open to the public starting Oct. 10. Broadcasts will take place in the Tabernacle in downtown Salt Lake City through Nov. 28, and in the nearby Conference Center from Dec. 5 through Jan. 2.
Due to COVID-19, the choir has been airing reruns of its weekly show, the longest continuously running network broadcast in radio history.
The choir also is scheduled to perform at three sessions of the church’s General Conference on Oct. 2 and 3.
The choir will begin Thursday night rehearsals Aug. 26, the church announced, and will open them to the public starting Oct. 7. The church’s bell choir, The Bells at Temple Square, will start its Wednesday night rehearsals Sept. 1 and will open them to the public starting Oct. 6. All rehearsals take place in the Tabernacle.
Temple Square’s daily organ recitals, also paused because of COVID-19 concerns, will start again Monday, July 19, in the Tabernacle. The recitals, which are open to the public, happen Mondays through Saturdays at noon, and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is free.
The weekly “Piping Up! Organ Concerts on Temple Square” will continue to stream Wednesdays at noon Mountain time, on the choir’s YouTube and Facebook pages, and on its website homepage.
The church said the choir is aiming to resume its annual Christmas concerts at the Conference Center in December. Details are pending. The annual “Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir” TV special, which airs on PBS and BYUtv and is released on CD and DVD, is also in the works, according to the church’s news release.
The choir announced in March that it would postpone its European tour — which had been set for this June and July, with stops in Scandinavia and the British Isles — until 2022.
