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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Upstairs with Lesley Nicol

3m 51s

Beloved actress Lesley Nicol takes us behind the scenes of Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir, comparing it to her past acting roles. She describes her journey narrating the true story of Victor Hugo and his wife hosting a feast for impoverished children, highlighting the incredible teamwork involved. Nicol also reflects on what resonates most deeply with her from this unforgettable experience.

Backstage with Michael Maliakel

5m 11s

Broadway star Michael Maliakel invites us backstage with Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir, and describes how this stunning production sets a new standard for Christmas celebrations. He shares what makes it different from a traditional Broadway show, and explains how Choir Director, Mack Wilberg made his experience into a singer's dream come true!

Preview

2m 2s

Broadway star Michael Maliakel and beloved actress Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey) inspire in this holiday special that weaves Christmas classics with the story of Victor Hugo to show that opening our hearts to all is the true meaning of the season. Joy: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir airs on PBS on December 17th at 8/7C.

The Light That Shines Forever

22m 38s / TV-PG

World-renowned screen and stage actor Sir David Suchet presents the true and hope-filled story of Sir Nicholas Winton, a real-life hero who saved the lives of hundreds of Jewish children during World War II. Universally moving, and accompanied beautifully by the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra, this part of the special invites hope and welcomes the spirit of sharing goodness this holiday season.

Saving The Children: Insights from Nick Winton

4m 2s / TV-PG

The son of Sir Nicholas Winton talks about his father's rescue work during World War II. There are many thousands of people across the world who are alive today because Sir Nicholas Winton helped rescue Jewish children at risk of being murdered by Nazis during the Holocaust. Hear what Nick Winton thinks his father would want, were he alive today.

Behind the Scenes with Lea Salonga

3m 14s / TV-PG

Famed actress and singer Lea Salonga takes us behind the scenes of Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir. Lea knew that she was in for something extraordinary when she joined the Tabernacle Choir for their Christmas special. In this video she describes her experience and how it transcended her expectations.

Backstage with Sir David Suchet

5m 8s / TV-PG

Go behind the scenes of Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir with guest artist Sir David Suchet. The renowned star of television and film was terrified when he first walked into the Tabernacle Choir's Conference Center at Temple Square. Hear how he overcame his jitters to join in the storytelling and share his own personal accounts of the truths celebrated at Christmas.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2m 49s / TV-PG

Lea Salonga joins The Tabernacle Choir to perform "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year". In this song, first recorded in 1963, actor and songwriter Eddie Pola and orchestra leader Wyle paint a charming, traditional portrait of Christmas, replete with caroling, Dickensian “ghost stories,” mistletoe, and convivial gatherings to illustrate the magic of the season.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

2m 54s / TV-PG

Listen as Lea Salonga sings her stirring rendition of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" with the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra. The wartime origins of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” underscore both the song’s hope and its poignancy. Lyricist Kim Gannon wasn’t thinking of soldiers specifically when he wrote these lyrics, but rather all people who were separated from their families by World War II.

Payapang Daigdig

2m 53s / TV-PG

Payapang Daigdig, a beloved Philippine carol, is sometimes regarded as the Filipino equivalent of the Austrian carol “Silent Night,” as both carols refer to the stars as harbingers of peace in the world. This arrangement of “Payapang Daigdig,” which combines the two carols from different centuries and continents, was written by Mack Wilberg especially for Lea Salonga and The Tabernacle Choir.

The Story Goes On (from "Baby")

5m 38s / TV-PG

Lea Salonga, along with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra perform a moving rendition of "The Story Goes On" from the Broadway musical "Baby. Salonga (who played one of the leads in the 2004 Manila production of "Baby") explains that, like the women in "Baby"', the story of the Holy Nativity is also story about a woman—the virgin Mary—“a first-time mother with a unique role and responsibility.”

Rocking Carol

3m 17s / TV-PG

Watch The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra perform "Rocking Carol", a traditional 1920's Czech carol that was made popular in 1965, when Julie Andrews popularized it on a Christmas album. This arrangement by Mack Wilberg was written especially for The Tabernacle Choir’s 'Season of Light' Christmas concert.

On Christmas Night (“Sussex Carol”)

4m 39s / TV-PG

The finale of Camille Saint-Saëns’s “Organ” Symphony No. 3, composed in 1886, juxtaposes the solo organ with the orchestra in a dazzling display of majestic fanfares and triumphant melodies. Watch the organ showpiece of this year’s Christmas concert, where Principal Tabernacle Organist Richard Elliott borrows the Saint-Saëns model and extended this same treatment to the tune of the “Sussex Carol".

The Christmas Story: Luke 2

2m 43s / TV-PG

The familiar, beloved account of Christ’s birth found in the Gospel of St. Luke has long been the traditional centerpiece of The Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas concerts. In this year’s concert, Sir David Suchet’s narration of the Nativity is accompanied by an orchestral meditation that incorporates musical motifs drawn from the “Rocking Carol.”

Ding Dong! Merrily On High

3m 35s / TV-PG

This orchestral arrangement of “Ding Dong! Merrily on High” was written especially for this concert by the Choir’s Associate Director, Ryan Murphy. “Ding Dong! Merrily on High” is a melody drawn from Johan Tabourot’s 1588 dance manual Orchésographie, where it functioned as an example of the “branle,” a lively commoner’s dance.

Here We Come A-Caroling

3m 3s / TV-PG

Watch the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra perform a rousing version of 'Here We Come A-Caroling'. The practice of communal caroling involved going door-to-door at Christmastime offering wishes of prosperity and good health and sharing food or drink together. This carol gained popularity during the Victorian era, when it likely spread to the United States with English immigrants.

Hosanna in Excelsis (Based on Canon in D)

3m 51s / TV-PG

Watch this stunningly beautiful choral adaptation performed by The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra. Johann Pachelbel was principally an organist, but also wrote vocal and chamber music, including the well-known Canon in D. Mack Wilberg’s new choral adaptation of this music sets a text drawn from Matthew 21:9, “Hosanna in the highest!”

Angels from the Realms of Glory

5m 2s / TV-PG

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

Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming

3m 16s / TV-PG

Watch The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra perform 'Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming'. This German devotional poem that this hymn is based on, “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen”, dates from the 15th century. Based on Messianic prophecies from Isaiah, the rose in this carol is a symbolic reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

O Holy Night

3m 16s / TV-PG

The Christmas poem “Minuit, chrétiens,” written by a French merchant Placide Cappeau, was set to music by famed French composer Adolphe Adam. It was first performed at a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, 1847. Watch Lea Salonga, with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra, perform 'O Holy Night', which remains one of the most dramatically beautiful Christmas carols ever penned.

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