List of Mormon Tabernacle Choir music directors


The music director of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square is responsible for musical and creative supervision of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, the Orchestra at Temple Square, the Temple Square Chorale, and the Bells on Temple Square, which are all official musical organizations within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Part of a group of 85 Welsh converts that immigrated in 1849, John Parry was invited by Brigham Young to organize a choir for the church's next general conference.

Directors

NameYearsNotes
1849–54Converted Welsh Baptist minister; organized the choir at the request of Brigham Young.
1854–56–
1856–62Also member of the Nauvoo Brass Band
1862–65First director to lead the choir in the current Salt Lake Tabernacle building in regular performances
1865–69Directed the choir for the first performance in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, 1867.
1869–80Had previously directed the Salt Lake Theatre Orchestra
1880Appointed in absentia. Composer of the music to Gently Raise the Sacred Strain
1880–89Composed 11 hymns, which are still included in the current LDS hymnal
1890–1916Directed the choir for its first recording, and was the first employed full-time.
1916–35Directed the choir for its first national performance of Music and the Spoken Word on July 15, 1929.
1935–57Directed the choir in the film This is Cinerama, and for its first performance abroad in 1955.
1957–741959 Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus for "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".
1974Served from July to December before retiring for personal reasons
1974–99Directed the choir for numerous commercial recordings, including one with The United States Air Force Band that required special legislation in Congress to permit the Band to be published.
1999–2008Along with the choir, was a 2003 recipient of the National Medal of Arts
2008–presentA published composer who directed choirs at Brigham Young University.

Works cited