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.

Watch Latest: S2024 E1

1h 25m / TV-PG

Everyone Who Likes Christmas, Say ‘I Do!’

2m 23s

With its catchy tune and easy lyrics, “Everyone Who Likes Christmas, Say ‘I Do!’” quickly became a Christmas concert favorite after it was written, in 1968, by two Utah moms, Patricia Metten and Maxine Cameron. It's performed here by Santino Fontana, accompanied by the Muppets from “Sesame Street”, and the Tabernacle Orchestra at Temple Square.

Campaña sobre campaña

50s

“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. Here, operatic tenor Rolando Villazón sings and is accompanied by the Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra at Temple Square.

Somewhere In My Memory

3m 30s

“Somewhere in My Memory,” is the signature song from the movie 'Home Alone', composed by John Williams, one of the most famous composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Here it is performed by The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.

That’s What Christmas Means to Me

3m 15s

Accompanied by just a handful of socially distanced Tabernacle Orchestra members and the Choir’s musical director Mack Wilberg at the piano, Brian Stokes Mitchell performs a never-before-seen rendition of “That’s What Christmas Means to Me.”

O Holy Night

2m 22s

The American music critic John Sullivan Dwight translated the lyrics of this carol, one of the most dramatically beautiful Christmas songs ever penned, into English in 1855. In this arrangement by David T. Clydesdale, Ms. Chenoweth pays homage to the great Sandi Patty, who performed this same arrangement with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in 2006.

Not While I’m Around

2m 14s

In this clip, recorded after 9/11, Angela Landsbury addresses the attacks and their impact on the country. She sings “Not While I’m Around,” by the great Stephen Sondheim, from the musical “Sweeney Todd.” Landsbury is accompanied by the Tabernacle Orchestra at Temple Square.

20 Years of Christmas With The Tabernacle Choir - Preview

31s

Former Tabernacle Choir guest artist and Tony Award-winner, Brian Stokes Mitchell, is back to remember and relive twenty years of inspiring Christmas concerts. From opera, gospel, and pop singers to Broadway and cabaret stars; from Shakespearean actors and movie and television stars, the Choir’s guest artists provide, not just formidable talent, but a little something for everyone.

Tree of Life

6m 28s

The Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, and dancers perform Tree of Life, a collaboration from 2018 between Mack Wilberg and long-time associate David Warner which depicts the sacred archetype of the life-giving Tree through the cycle of all four seasons.

Mashing through the Snow (Jingle Bells)

3m 23s

When Tabernacle organist Richard Elliott is given a chance to go solo at a Christmas concert, the results are brilliant, and Elliott’s show-stopping organ extravaganzas have become a much-anticipated highlight at these events. Watch Elliott play the organ alongside the Cold Creek bluegrass band in an enthusiastic version of “Jingle Bells” that includes references to country and bluegrass licks.

Christmas Day in the Morning

11m 43s

Celebrated stage and television actor Richard Thomas tells the story "Christmas Day in the Morning," one of numerous Christmas tales by Pearl S. Buck, published in 1955. Mack Wilberg’s underscoring for “Christmas Day in the Morning” evokes the simplicity of the American folk music tradition. It also incorporates the old African-American song “Oh, Watch the Stars”.

Baby of Bethlehem (Singing in the Land)

4m 3s

“Baby of Bethlehem” (also known as “Singing in the Land”) is an African-American spiritual. Mack Wilberg’s arrangement retains the carol’s innate innocence and raw simplicity, placing those qualities at the forefront of this performance. Watch, as Kelli O'Hara joins The Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra to perform the song.

Angels from the Realms of Glory

4m 48s

Kelli O'Hara joins The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra to perform "Angels from the Realms of Glory". The tune for this popular Christmas song comes from the 18th-century French carol “Les Anges dans nos Campagnes,” or “Angels We Have Heard on High.” In Mack Wilberg’s stirring arrangement, this carol has become the signature finale at The Tabernacle Choir’s annual Christmas concerts.

Luke 2: The Christmas Story

2m 46s

The familiar account of the Holy Nativity found in Chapter 2 of the Gospel of St. Luke has always been the traditional centerpiece of The Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas concerts. This year, Richard Thomas’s heartfelt narration, accompanied by a tender orchestral nocturne composed by Mack Wilberg, was brought to life on stage in a charming children’s re-enactment of the Nativity story.

Mary's Little Boy Child

3m 35s

Watch Kelli O'Hara join The Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra to perform "Mary's Little Boy Child." In 1956, Harry Belafonte heard the carol, and recorded it for his 1956 album An Evening with Belafonte. Since then, many performers have enjoyed success with this upbeat Christmas song, and it has found its way into numerous hymnals around the world as a favorite internationally-flavored carol.

A Cradle in Bethlehem

4m 57s

This gentle Christmas lullaby, “A Cradle in Bethlehem,” dates from 1952, and was the collaboration of American songwriter Larry Stock and Canadian lyricist Alfred Bryan. Kelli O’Hara announced at the concert that this is one of her father’s favorite Christmas songs, and she dedicated this performance to her family, many of whom were in attendance.

Hallelujah, from Messiah

3m 59s

Handel wrote his beloved oratorio Messiah in a three-week burst of intense activity during the fall of 1741. The Tabernacle Choir has recorded the “Hallelujah,” from Messiah, more than a dozen times over the last century. In this performance, Handel’s celebratory fanfares are augmented by the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble and the full strength of the Conference Center organ.

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