660. Tabernacle Choir! So inspiring! My favorite hymn "The Spirit of God"!

This is an update about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the chance I had to play that wonderful organ!

2016 European Tour—Ticket Update

6/23—Updates:
Berlin: Concert is sold out.Frankfurt and Vienna: Concerts are currently sold out. Tickets may be available the day of concert.
Nuremberg: A limited number of tickets are still available.
Zurich, Brussels, and Rotterdam: Good tickets are still available in all price ranges.

4/18—Paris Update: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square will not perform in Paris on the 2016 European tour. Those interested in seeing the Choir and Orchestra in person during this tour could attend the Zurich, Switzerland concert on Wednesday, July 6 or the Brussels Belgium concert on Monday, July 11. Good seats are available for both concerts.

Tickets are on sale for the highly-anticipated 2016 Mormon Tabernacle Choir European tour. Find purchase and ticket information here. The Choir and its companion ensemble, Orchestra at Temple Square, will visit seven cities in Europe this summer — their first visit to Europe in 18 years. The tour will include stops in Berlin, Nuremberg, Vienna, Zurich, Frankfurt, Brussels, and Rotterdam from June 27 through July 16, 2016, and will include over 320 voices from the world-renowned choir and members of the Orchestra at Temple Square.

Choir president Ron Jarrett said one of his primary goals when he took the helm of the Choir in 2012 was to have the Choir perform internationally again. “Through social media we have been able to reach audiences far and wide. Now with this tour, we are thrilled that for the first time in nearly two decades international audiences will be able to enjoy the music of the Choir in person. With the challenges of today’s world, we are excited to share the joy and peace the music of the Choir brings, which knows no boundaries of age or nationality.”

Thomas S. Monson, leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said, “I am pleased that as President of the Church I have the privilege of being the adviser to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Our goal is for the Choir and its companion Orchestra at Temple Square to be a shining example of the musical arts to all the world. With the announcement of this European tour, I am delighted that these noted ensembles will have the opportunity to touch the hearts of people in multiple nations through their magnificent music. This tour will be an important step forward as the Choir and Orchestra continue to build bridges of friendship and understanding across the globe as ambassadors of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir first traveled to Europe on a seven-week concert tour in 1955. Since that first grand European tour, the Choir has toured there four other times: to western and central Europe in 1973, northern Europe in 1982, Eastern Europe in 1991, and southern Europe in 1998.

The Choir and Orchestra usually tour every two years and, in fact, returned last July from a very successful tour to the U.S. Atlantic Coast, so it was a departure from usual practice when an international tour was announced for 2016.

When performing at home with its full complement of members, the 360-voice choir, accompanied frequently by the 200-member orchestra, can be heard weekly as part of theMusic and the Spoken Word broadcast. This 30-minute program is the world’s longest continuing network broadcast and currently airs on over 2,000 radio, TV, cable and satellite stations worldwide. The Choir and Orchestra are active recording artists with their own recording label, Mormon Tabernacle Choir^®.  They will release a new full-length recording of Handel’s Messiah on March 4, 2016 prior to the European tour.

Ticket and purchase information

Temple Dedication Hymn: “The Spirit of God”

William Wines Phelps, born February 17, 1792, in Hanover, New Jersey, wrote “The Spirit of God.” Phelps has a storied history with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that traces back to April 9, 1830. After purchasing a copy of the Book of Mormon from Parley P. Pratt, he spent many hours discussing and learning about the Church. Just over a year later, in June of 1831, he came to Kirtland, Ohio, where he met with Joseph Smith and asked him for a revelation. When the Prophet sought the Lord for information concerning Phelps, section 55 of the Doctrine and Covenants was recorded.

After being baptized, he left two days later to preach the gospel. He later said of his conversion: “Now, notwithstanding my body was not baptized into this Church until June 1831, yet my heart was there from the time I became acquainted with the Book of Mormon and my hope steadfast like an anchor and my faith increased like the grass after a refreshing shower when I for the first time held a conversion with our beloved Brother Joseph.” Other notable hymns by Phelps include "Gently Raise the Sacred Strain," "If You Could Hie to Kolob," "O God, the Eternal father," and "Praise to the Man."

The text for “The Spirit of God” forecasted a major milestone in Church history—the dedication of the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836. The events of the dedication are described in an episode of the Mormon Channel’s History of Hymns:

“On Sunday, March 27, 1836, the Kirtland Temple was dedicated. By 7 o’clock, over a thousand people were waiting by the doors of the temple, which opened at 8. The meeting began at 9, Sidney Rigdon speaking for two and a half hours and Joseph reading the dedicatory prayer, which had been revealed to him. The music for the service included three of Brother Phelps’s songs: “Now Let Us Rejoice,” “Adam-ondi-Ahman,” and the grand finale following the dedication, “The Spirit of God like a fire is burning,” proclaiming the experiences which were even then moving with power and wonder through the souls of those present. As the blessings of heaven were poured out upon their heads, many of the Saints spoke in tongues, while others were given the power to interpret. Many saw angels atop the temple roof or heard heavenly singing, and there were wonderful manifestations of healings, of visions and dreams. The Savior Himself appeared in five different meetings held in the temple, and visions were given to many of both the Father and the Son.”

The notes recorded during the dedication imply that “The Spirit of God” was sung to the same tune (HOSANNA) as “Now Let Us Rejoice,” and was sung directly after the dedicatory prayer. Listen to the entire episode.

The hymn is sung at every temple dedication today, and Gordon B. Hinckley commented on the hymn, saying, “It’s been my opportunity in the last 28 months to participate in the dedication of 17 new temples. … In each of these services [the congregation and choir have] joined in singing ‘The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning.’ And in each of those situations I have sat with the choir immediately behind me and the choir has always had difficulty singing because of the tears that choke their voices as they try to express themselves in a newly dedicated house of God” (Hymnbook Celebration, Sept. 3, 1985).

In the video below, the Choir performs “The Spirit of God” as heard on the album Come, Come, Ye Saints (Legacy Series).

The following was on my blog on March 20, 2016, when I had the amazing opportunity to play "The Spirit of God" on the Tabernacle Organ, as a young girl of 16 years of age -- in about 1951.

I loved Seminary and Institute (at Dixie College) which I had mosty from Brother Pearsoon Corbett and his wife Gladys Corbett.  During the year we had Church History, about the 11th, grade, we made the usualy trip with the Seminary class to Salt Lake City to see the Church Office Building and the Church History sites there.  The new tall Office Building wasn't built yet.  One day on that trip I wanted to go to the Tabernacle and hear the noon Organ Recital, and no one wanted to go with me, so I went alone.

While there, I began talking with some man who was a friend of the organist.  At that time, it was the largest organ in the world, and after the recital, some great visiting organist was allowed to play on it. That gave me the idea that perhaps they would let me play just a chord on it, and the man I had talked to went up and asked the organist if I could. They had just let someone else, so they reluctantly agreed to let this young high school girl do it.

I remember they set it at a very quiet stop, and I picked up a hymn book and asked if I could play my favorite hymn, “The Spirit Of God Like a Fire is Burning”. They said yes, and I played it, but as I played it and looked up at that great organ and realized the sound coming from it was what I was playing, I began to cry for joy as I played. I was so thrilled! I remember going to a rest room, which was located by the west gates after that experience, and a lady, who had been on a tour of the building while I was playing commented on it to me, and how much a thrill it must have been to me.

The Tabernacle organ, without the Tabernacle Choir in their seats.  Our oldest son, Wayne Miles Eckman, is now in the Tabernacle Choir, and has been for around 4 years.  ( See blog # 523, on October 22, 2015.)  After he turns 60 next year, he will  be released , as that is a rule that everyone is released after 60 years of age, or 20 years in the Choir.

Right after they were taking that visiting organist on a tour of the inside of the organ, back in rooms where thousands of pipes were, and that same man asked if I could go also. So I got to see the inner parts of that organ, and what a blessing and wonderful memory! Since then I have either played or sung “The Spirit Of God” in Nauvoo, at the Kirtland Temple, in the Sacred Grove, in Sweden and Connecticut on missions, in Nauvoo, and all over Utah. It truly is my favorite hymn. It was composed for the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, and has been sung, or performed in every Temple dedication since then. 

       The picture above is of me, at about the age I played the Tabernacle Organ, in 1951.

 Below is just a bit of history about that organ: 

The Tabernacle organ is considered to be one of the finest examples of the American Classic style of organ building. Inspired by the design of the  Boston Music Hall organ, the original organ was built in 1867 by an Englishman, Joseph Ridges. Ridges' instrument contained some 700 pipes and was constructed of locally derived materials as much as possible. The pipes are constructed of wood, zinc, and various alloys of tin and lead. When it was initially constructed, the organ had a tracker action and was powered by hand-pumped bellows; later it was powered by water from City Creek. Today it is powered by electricity and has an electro-pneumatic action.