The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has put a temporary halt on some of the activities that people have grown accustomed to like attending the noon organ recitals in the historic Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.
To keep the more than century-old tradition alive, the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square has begun a live stream organ recital series from the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square via the internet, without an audience, several days a week. This will allow organ enthusiasts, as well as fans of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and the Music and the Spoken Word weekly broadcast, an opportunity to enjoy the music of the famous organs wherever they are in the world.
The premiere event, “Piping Up: Tabernacle Organists in Concert,” will air Wednesday, 17 June 2020, at 7 pm Mountain Daylight Time (9:00 pm EST, 8:00 pm CST, and 6:00 pm PST). The 45-minute live stream concert will be available on the choir’s YouTube channel, the choir’s website, and the Church’s live watch page. The concert will include music from classical to traditional hymns to spirituals. The five Tabernacle and Temple Square organists – Richard Elliott, Andrew Unsworth, Brian Mathias, Linda Margetts, and Joseph Peeples – will be featured.
Richard Elliot, the principal organist, commented, “I’ve continued to play, arrange and compose on the organ during these past few months. I am thrilled to be performing again with my fellow organists, sharing our music with others, especially during these troubling times.”
Following the concert on 17 June 2020, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square will stream organ recitals weekly, starting Monday, 22 June 2020. The 30-minute organ series, called “Piping Up: Organ Concerts at Temple Square,” will be streamed Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at noon MDT, with one of the five organists performing each day. The concert on 17 June will become available on YouTube immediately following the live stream.
The Tabernacle on Temple Square has been home to The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square since 1867. The Salt Lake Tabernacle organ has nearly 12,000 pipes and is the 17th largest organ in the world.
To accommodate scheduled renovations to the Tabernacle organ, the online organ recitals will move to the Conference Center organ starting 13 July 2020.
Read more about the Organs and Organists at Temple Square.
