Christmas With The Tabernacle Choir

Arts and Music Series / 4 Seasons

The treasured “Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir” special returns to PBS for the 21st year. Broadway star Michael Maliakel and beloved British actress Lesley Nicol (from Downton Abbey, the MASTERPIECE TV series) join the iconic Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in a stunning 90-minute theatrical program, illustrating that the real meaning of Christmas is opening our hearts to all.

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Angels from the Realms of Glory

4m 48s

With Mack Wilberg’s stirring arrangement, this carol, "Angels from the Realms of Glory," has become the signature finale at the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s annual Christmas concerts. The tune for this popular Christmas song comes from the 18th-century French carol “Les Anges dans nos Campagnes.”

Behind the Scenes with Hugh Bonneville

5m 25s

Hugh Bonneville talks about what Christmas means to him, and describes his experience making the annual holiday musical spectacular, 'Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir'. This one-hour holiday spectacular premieres Monday, December 17, 2018, on PBS.

Joy to the World

2m 21s

Isaac Watts’s 1719 paraphrase of Psalm 98, set to music by Lowell Mason, is now one of the most popular Christmas hymns in North America. In this high-spirited arrangement by Mack Wilberg, continuous running passagework in the orchestra and the addition of bells and herald-trumpet fanfares illustrate the excitement of the Christmas season.

Luke 2: The Christmas Story

2m 21s

The familiar, beloved account of Christ’s birth found in the Gospel of St. Luke has long been the traditional centerpiece of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas concerts. In this concert, Hugh Bonneville’s narration is accompanied by a gentle orchestral meditation that incorporates musical motifs drawn from “Silent Night.”

Just Once a Year

4m 44s

Beginning simply with a solo violin playing a folkish jig, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs Wilberg’s processional "Just Once a Year." With lyrics from Wilberg's long-time collaborator David Warner, this dance tune gradually gathers strength into a bustling production number, a festive folk dance in which the concert’s guest artists, Sutton Foster and Hugh Bonneville, both participate.

Hugh Bonneville on "It Is Well With My Soul"

1m 51s

Hugh Bonneville talks about the meaning behind 'It Is Well With My Soul,' the tale that he narrates for 'Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir', and why it is a story we can all relate to. The annual holiday musical spectacular, 'Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir' is a one-hour holiday spectacular that premieres Monday, December 17, 2018, on PBS.

Behind the Scenes with Sutton Foster

4m 52s

Sutton Foster talks about what Christmas means to her, and describes her experience making the annual holiday musical spectacular, 'Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir'. This one-hour holiday spectacular premieres Monday, December 17, 2018, on PBS.

Silent Night

4m 39s

Mack Wilberg's crystalline arrangement of “Silent Night” premiered at the 2006 “Christmas at Luther” concert. The shimmering orchestration and hushed choral writing touched the audience deeply during the candle-lit performance. Here, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra at Temple Square perform Wilberg's "Silent Night" for the Christmas Special.

Unfold, Ye Portals, from The Redemption

3m 17s

Charles Gounod composed his three-part oratorio The Redemption in 1882. The oratorio was an immediate hit, and a favorite work at British choral festivals of the 19th century, with their massed choirs and large orchestras. In this performance, the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble provides additional drama to the chorus’s thrilling final fanfares.

It Is Well with My Soul

16m 35s

Hugh Bonneville narrates "It Is Well with My Soul," written by David Warner, and set to music by Mack Wilberg. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and "It Is Well with My Soul" are performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as part of the piece. The story of Horatio and Anna Spafford is one of determination and faith amid devastating, crippling tragedy.

Preview

1m 16s

Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the annual holiday musical spectacular, welcomes Tony Award winning actress and TV star, Sutton Foster, and the Emmy-nominated stage and screen star Hugh Bonneville. This one-hour holiday spectacular premieres Monday, December 17, 2018, on PBS.

Angels from the Realms of Glory

37s

The tune for this popular Christmas song comes from the 18th-century French carol “Les Anges dans nos Campagnes.” In Mack Wilberg’s stirring arrangement, this carol has become the signature finale at the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Featuring tenor Rolando Villazón.

Campana Sobre Campana

32s

“Campana Sobre Campana,” a traditional Andalusian Christmas song, is one of the most famous of all Spanish carols. In this song, heavenly angels ring the bells of Bethlehem, inviting all to join with the shepherds and see the Christ Child in the manger. Experience Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring Rolando Villazón, premiering Friday, December 15 at 9/8C.

Carol of the Drum

32s

Katherine Davis’s 1941 Christmas song, “Carol of the Drum” was based largely on a traditional Czech carol. In 1963 it was retitled “Little Drummer Boy,” and remains to this day a much-loved seasonal classic. Experience Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring Rolando Villazón, premiering Friday, December 15 at 9/8C on PBS.

Christmas Children (from "Scrooge")

30s

In 1970, English composer and playwright Leslie Bricusse penned the Oscar-nominated soundtrack for the film "Scrooge" based on Charles Dickens’s classic "A Christmas Carol". Singing “Christmas Children” together, Bob Cratchit and his children delight in the anticipation and childlike wonder of Christmas magic as they relish the coming celebration. Premieres Friday, December 15 at 9/8C on PBS.

Deck the Hall

28s

Although the tune for “Deck the Hall” is a Welsh melody from the 16th century, the words are mid-19th century American, written in an attempt to evoke nostalgically the Christmas traditions of European ancestors. Experience Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring Rolando Villazón, premiering Friday, December 15 at 9/8C on PBS.

How Excellent Thy Name

41s

Handel's oratorio Saul begins with a Chorus of Israelites praising God for saving their nation through David’s miraculous slaying of Goliath. The scene later concludes with an abbreviated reprise of this regal chorus, “How Excellent Thy Name,” appended by a joyfully contrapuntal “Alleluia!” Experience Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring Rolando Villazón, premiering 12/15 at 9/8C.

I Saw Three Ships

43s

The lyrics of this whimsical carol may have originally referred to the wise men arriving on camels or “ships of the desert,” with the Magi gradually being replaced over time by the Holy Family. Experience Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a one-hour holiday spectacular featuring operatic tenor Rolando Villazón as guest artist and narrator. Premieres Dec 15 at 9/8C.

We Three Kings

32s

The Christmas carol “We Three Kings” was written in 1857 by John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who intended the song to be sung by a trio of male voices, each representing one of the Magi. For this Christmas concert, Richard Elliott arranged “We Three Kings” for a different trio, bringing in Clay Christiansen and Andrew Unsworth to join him as the three “kings” of this “King of Instruments.”

Parade of the Wooden Soldiers

31s

This sprightly march was originally written as a solo piano piece in 1897 by the German composer Leon Jessel, though it was then titled “Parade of the Tin Soldiers.” In 1905, Jessel orchestrated the work, and it became a popular favorite worldwide. Experience Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring Rolando Villazón, premiering Friday, December 15 at 9/8C on PBS.

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