Sunday morning in downtown Salt Lake City felt like it usually does on the first Sunday in April and October, when thousands of people from all over the world attend sessions of general conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Except this wasn’t the beginning of April or October.
This Sunday, July 13, more than 11,000 people came to the Conference Center to witness a major milestone for the Tabernacle Choir: 5,000 episodes — that’s 5,000 continuous weeks — of “Music & the Spoken Word.”
Notable figures in attendance included Elder David A. Bednar and Elder Gerrit W. Gong of The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and their wives, Sister Susan Bednar and Sister Susan Gong; former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert; Elder Matthew S. Holland and Elder Vern P. Stanfill; Utah Reps. Burgess Owens and Celeste Maloy and former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz; and Perry Sook, the founder, chairman and CEO of Nextstar Media.
Illustrating the remarkable longevity of “Music & the Spoken Word,” a significant number of people in the Conference Center were former members of the Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra and Bells at Temple Square — people who over the years have sacrificed their time to share their talents and keep the broadcast alive and well.
“We stand on the shoulders of so many who have come before us, and I think that we have to acknowledge that and express appreciation,” choir director Mack Wilberg recently told the Deseret News. “Because there’s been thousands of people who have made this happen, over 5,000 episodes.”
Sunday’s special program paid tribute to past participants of “Music & the Spoken Word,” with the choir inviting former members to the stage in a post-show event to perform “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” — a powerful rendition that earned the choir a Grammy in 1959 — and “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.”
The program also featured stories from listeners, including 101-year-old Warna Huff, who watched the very first broadcast of “Music & the Spoken Word” on July 15, 1929 (she was 5 years old then).
“Some things you don’t forget,” she said in a video clip.
Here are some highlights from Sunday’s historic event.
5,000 episodes: ‘It is not a summit, it is only a milestone’
Before the 5,000th episode went live from the Conference Center, “Spoken Word” host Derrick Porter asked those in attendance to date themselves a little bit.
How many people attended the 3,000th broadcast of “Music & the Spoken Word,” which aired in 1983?
A number of people raised their hands.
How many had attended broadcast No. 2000, which aired in October of 1962?
A few people stood up to cheers from the audience.
And then, after some hesitation, Porter went a little further.
Had anyone attended the 1,000th “Music & the Spoken Word” program, all the way back in October of 1947?
Although not officially confirmed, the more subdued response to that question made it seem like the answer was no.
Porter then drew attention to a few people in attendance who have strong connections to the storied history of “Music & the Spoken Word” and theTabernacle Choir. That included:
- 98-year-old Lela Christensen (99 next month), who is the oldest living alumni of the Tabernacle Choir. Christensen sang with the choir from 1964-1987.
- The great-great grandchildren of Charles and Florence Rose, who sang together in the choir back in 1900.
- Violinist Jane Clark, a member of the Orchestra at Temple Square who comes from a family with five consecutive generations involved with the choir. Clark’s violin was made by her great-grandfather 112 years ago, Porter noted.
- The family of Richard L. Evans, the first writer and presenter of the “Spoken Word” who held the role for more than 40 years. More than 250 of his family members were in attendance.
“Music & the Spoken Word” began a few months before the Great Depression and has remained a stable broadcast even through wars and a pandemic. Over the years, as choir members and leaders have come and gone, and the world has faced countless triumphs and crises, the broadcast’s purpose has remained the same: to inspire and uplift.
“Why has our church supported this program for nearly 100 years?” choir president Michael O. Leavitt said in an opening statement. “Because of their belief in the power of music. ‘Music and the Spoken Word’ continues each week as a beacon — a beacon of peace, a beacon of light to the world.”
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in a provided statement, noted that the program, which each week draws in roughly 6 million viewers on all of its platforms, is “a global resource.”
“Music is the universal language of the spirit, it communicates to the heart and the soul of individuals in a way that written words cannot duplicate.”
Porter reiterated something President Gordon B. Hinckley noted during the broadcast’s 50th anniversary in July of 1979: “It is not a summit,” he said. “It is only a milestone.”
What happened during the 5,000th ‘Music & the Spoken Word’ broadcast?
In a recent interview with the Deseret News, Wilberg noted that he was particularly inspired by President Gordon B. Hinckley to be a choir that sings for people. In that vein, Wilberg — who joined the choir as an associate director in 1999 before becoming music director in 2008 — has dedicated himself week after week to arranging programs with a wide variety of music that can reach as many listeners as possible.
“What good is it if we have a great choir that no one wants to listen to?” he said.
Sunday’s episode — the 5,000th broadcast — reflected that effort.
The 30-minute broadcast included:
- “The Morning Breaks,” a hymn that was a part of the program’s debut in 1929
- The hymn “When In Our Music God is Glorified”
- An improvisation on Beethoven’s “Hymn to Joy” from longtime organist Richard Elliott
- The American folk hymn “Pilgrim Song”
- “Consider the Lilies,” which Porter recently told the Deseret News is a favorite among “Music & the Spoken Word” listeners. In a move honoring the choir’s past, this number was conducted by Craig Jessop, who led the choir from 1999-2008.
- “High on the Mountain Top,” the concluding number that featured Wilberg conducting with the original baton then-conductor Anthon Lund used 96 years ago during the first broadcast.
The spoken word segment, shared by Porter, highlighted the story of a family that has been lifted up by the program — in particular, the choir’s rendition of “Consider the Lilies.”
After spending several months away from home, fighting a rare form of cancer, 6-year-old Caden Simpson returned home with his family and found inspiration in a broadcast of “Music & the Spoken Word,” recognizing himself in the words of “Consider the Lilies”:
Consider the sweet, tender children
Who must suffer on this earth
The pains of all of them He carried
From the day of His birth
“As the family read those powerful lyrics,” Porter recited, “Caden exclaimed, ‘Dad, that’s me!’”
“In that quiet yet profound moment, Caden and his family recognized — through music and words and feelings — the hand of heaven in their lives,“ Porter said. ”God had been, and was, and would continue to walk with them.
“Just as He will with you and with me.”
Porter later recognized Caden, who was in attendance with his family, and had them stand up to a large round of applause.
The choir received a standing ovation as the broadcast came to a close with Wilberg’s arrangement of “High On The Mountain Top.”
But the celebration didn’t end there.
A ‘new and expanded choir’
The choir continued to sing after the official broadcast, highlighting some of the most referenced songs from listeners.
As the choir performed “It Is Well With My Soul,” the large screens on either side of the Conference Center stage zoomed in on singer Leslie Darcas, who previously told the Deseret News the hymn is one of her personal favorites.
“You just get hit with the message, with the Spirit, and it just takes over,” she said. “You don’t even remember singing the notes or the words. You just remember just being there and feeling everything in that moment.”
In what Porter noted was a “logistically challenging” move, the choir invited former choir members to make their way to the stage to join them for the final two songs of the post-show celebration: “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.”
So many former choir members were in attendance that they couldn’t all fit on the stage. The “new and expanded choir,” as Porter called it, filled the stage and overflowed into the front of the stage.
The audience gave the hundreds of singers a massive standing ovation following “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” — one that went on for more than 30 seconds.
Perry Sook, who is affiliated with the National Association of Broadcasters and CEO of Nextstar Media, honored the choir with a commemorative proclamation and award.
“‘Music & the Spoken Word’ is not just the world’s longest-running continuous network broadcast, it’s one of the most meaningful,” he said. “Today’s 5,000th broadcast recording represents more than longevity. It represents unwavering excellence, a commitment to public service, the enduring power of faith and music, and the ability of faith and music to unite us all.”
In bringing together past and present choir members, and highlighting stories from listeners throughout the years, Sunday’s “Music & the Spoken Word” event was a strong reminder that this program is here to stay.
“A lot of times people focus on the first and the last of everything, but to say I’m part of something that has been continuous and continues to keep going, I think is a really neat experience,” Darkas recently told the Deseret News.
“Everybody’s here for a season, and you want to make the most of the season that you’re here,” Wilberg previously told the Deseret News. “You know that it’s going to move on … and the tradition will continue. We only hope that it’ll just keep getting better and better.”
