Mormon Tabernacle Choir made us smile in St. Louis
June 20th will go down as a historic return to St. Louis, Missouri for Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It’s been 51 years since the 300 voice choir performed here.
The choir’s day started early in the morning, 6 a.m. sharp with a photo shoot at the Gateway Arch for a documentary film – learn more, click here.
True confession here, while I am very proud of our church’s premiere choir, I am not a groupie of the choir. I am appreciative and humbled by the way the choir brings the Christ’s spirit to our world-wide church conferences. But I don’t follow their weekly broadcasts.
Many at the St. Louis concert, however, were groupies who have listened to the choir for years. I was tickled by their enthusiasm.
James Dobbs, an older gentleman who was ushering at the venue, grabbed my arm to stop me and share his delight, “they sang one of my favorite songs!” Dobbs beamed.
Dobbs explained that he has retired from his ushering duties but came back just for this concert. “I have been listening to them since I was 13 years old. I was not going to miss this.” Now gray-haired, he was likely only a very young boy when the choir last performed here.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir had something for everyone last night, even me, a non-groupie. It was the feet-tapping and deeply soulful numbers I most enjoyed.
A Nigerian carol — Betelehemu — took me to that country in my mind and spirit. I have to say, it was a little odd looking at this mostly white choir singing that song. But I closed my eyes and was convinced that the performance had integrity.
Every song, in fact, was honest, artful and precise.
The two hour concert was over too fast. I was left smiling and wanting more.
I was not the only one left smiling. Strangers passed strangers as they left the concert just beaming, if not in their face, in their hearts. The joy was palpable.
Ernest Smoot had the biggest smile!
(in photo*, left to right, daughter Linda Cozart, wife Janis, Ernest, daughter Dr. Diane Smoot)
And so he should. His wife of 25 years and two of his daughters brought him to the concert as their Father’s Day gift.
We won’t argue, Ernest, a father of TEN, deserved it!
Ernest’s interest in the choir began as an assignment by his Sumner High School choir director, Wirt Walton, who insisted his choir members would gain much by listening to the Tabernacle Choir on the radio.
That tradition stuck with Ernest and he passed it on to his children.
“He raised us on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!” his daughters giggled and shouted in unison.
Ernest’s love of music played out in his family. For many years his family would perform the musical numbers for Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church’s Christmas Program.
What joy is found in music, tradition and family.
Thank you, Mormon Tabernacle Choir…for the smiles 
*Ernest Smoot and his family gave permission to use the photo.
Additional links: Mormon Tabernacle Choir coming to St. Louis
Dana King, 45, volunteers in public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- St. Louis Missouri South Stake. She chairs the annual Discover Your Roots conference and serves on the Friends of Dred Scott committee. Dana is a contributor to outreach initiatives: knowyourneighbornet.org and BlackLDS.org. Dana is married, mother of two teens, and runs her interior design business. 
Although there was a large number of latter-day sinners in the audience, there was vast contingent of Latter-Day Saints. I wonder if some of the second group wished for a better representation of Mormon hymns. Maybe some were pining for “Praise to the Man [Joseph Smith]” or “If You Could Hie to Kolob [star/planet nearest where Mormon god(s) dwell].” At the very least, since the Choir was in Missouri, the hymn “Adam-ondi-Ahman [site in NW Missouri where Mormons believe Adam and Eve lived]” would have been appropriate. It’s odd that, unlike other performing religious choirs, the Tabernacle Choir did not many sing songs/hymns closest to its own identity. Perhaps there is something about that identity they can’t wholly embrace in public settings?
I loved it all, especially the music from around the world. While they have been coined ‘America’s choir’ the spirit they resonated could be felt by anyone of any culture or religion.
DJB - I am a faithful member of the LDS church and own a number of choir recordings. I, too, noticed an absence of LDS hyms at the concert. Nonetheless, it seems the concert was designed to show the exceptional talent and range of the choir and orchestra, and they succeeded in doing that. Mormons can listen to the choir sing hymns any time, but we don’t get a chance to hear them sing these types of songs very often. The choir has never shied away from singing those other songs - in fact, you could have purchased CDs at the concert containing those songs.
What a lovely article! It is a great example of how universal the Tabernacle Choir and Orchesta is. These musicians are all unpaid volunteers who share a message of world hope, peace and unity through song. It is appropriate that their repertoire reflects and celebrates diversity. Indeed, President Ronald Reagan declared them ‘America’s Choir’, and others have lovingly referred to them as ‘The World’s Choir’. Soulful music has the power to bridge all gaps and heal all hearts. Thank you for sharing Ernest’s story illustrating that.
There are times when it’s appropriate to just ignore comments like above, even though it’s clothed in a bit more intelligent vocabulary than usual. In short, since it’s known as “America’s Choir”, when on tour, they tend to embrace a wide latitude of music. I guess suffice to say, many more people enjoy the Tabernacle Choir than offer comments as above. Perhaps they are more open to good well performed music than worrying about underlying bigotry. You may not agree with the doctrine, but that doesn’t prevent you or me from enjoying good performances from a wide variety of sources. One of the Articles of Faith in fact number 13 says “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
Ahhhh, DJB, you just couldn’t keep it civil, could you? What a shame. The article is well written and expresses the joy of the thousands who attended. You respond with only sarcasm and bitterness. I’ll pass on responding to your comments in any detail, since they are undeserving of a rebuttal.
Nice job to the Choir, and hopefully it won’t be another 51 years.
Maybe I shouldn’t say anything here…but to respond to your post DJB, I’m not sure they would want to. To be honest, there is archealogical evidence that supports the time/place of many events and stories in the Bible, Koran, Torah, etc. The Mormon faith has no such backing. Of course we are talking about a matter of faith, and therefore the faithful need no such backing. But I don’t see the Mormon faith as all that different than Scientology, just older and more established…
To DJB. There’s nothing secret about the choir. Are you kidding? What is wrong with you? The Choir is just what the name states. They are a choir. I teach music at an ivy league university and of course your comments touched a nerve with me. A choir is intended to perform music. Whether it pertains to their religion means nothing. They sing some of the greatest music the world has known. If you don’t like the music DJB, don’t. We don’t care!! Those of us that appreciate music understand and feel the music. Maybe you need to listen more intently and learn something about culture.
To Tim…Oh how I love to correct the minds of the foolish and unlearned. Are you sure about your comments that the Mormon Church has no findings in modern research. Tim, I would love to debate you on the subject. I’m not Mormon and I don’t believe in a lot of what they teach, but I graduated from the University of Israel with a degree in Biblical Research. There is evidence throughout the America’s to support the Mormon claims. I have personally been involved in some of the digs. Don’t state a claim unless your ready to back it up. Like I said, let me know where you want to meet. I’ll bring the crowds and prove your foolish statement wrong, to your disgrace. Oh, how I love to prove you wrong..bring it on!!!!!
Thanks for your comments.
To DBJ, were you there, at the concert? You talk as if you knew and saw the audience.
As for me, no pining for the LDS hymns. I get plenty of the good old LDS variety on Sunday and at General Conference. And I have CDs. I do pine for Gladys Knight’s Saints United Voices. I might be a groupie of that style. I wanted to hear more of Alex Boye (soulful soloist) and Amazing Grace and the African carol.
Regardless of what I like to hear, the choir understands their audience. There was something for everyone and that delighted me. A choir can’t be all things to all people, but I was amazed at how many people it did touch.
To do a large number of LDS hymns that have no relevance to others would seem self-serving. This concert recognized the different and common tastes and beliefs we have in our community.