Friday, April 16, 2004 | 8:24 a.m.
Singers must be recommended by their congregation's bishop, live within a hundred miles of downtown Salt Lake City and most of all, be thoroughly dedicated.
After passing vocal auditions and music theory exams, they sing for three months in the Temple Square Chorale and attend musical training classes.
Then, and only then, are they among the 360 members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
It's these standards, and the choir's repertoire of sacred and secular music that has awarded the Tabernacle the moniker "America's Choir," a term coined by Ronald Reagan at his 1981 inauguration gala.
It's what draws tourists to Temple Square every Thursday to watch the choir rehearsals and what invites thousands of listeners to tune in to its Sunday morning radio show, "Music and the Spoken Word," which will be inducted next week to the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
"The choir's life is based on that broadcast," said Craig Jessop, musical director of the Tabernacle since 1997. "We're just very honored to be inducted into the hall of fame."
In conjunction with its NAB induction, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will perform at The Orleans Arena on Tuesday. The program will highlight music featured on the radio show over the years.
"We chose an eclectic program," Jessop said. "It's the Tabernacle Choir you've never heard before. The concert is a celebration of 75 years of Broadcasting. It is the greatest hits of the program.
"It's not always sacred music, but it's always music that could fall under the umbrella of inspiration."
The repertoire includes hymns, which Jessop refers to as the group's "bread and butter," such as "Morning Has Broken," classical pieces including "We Hasten To Thee" (a movement from Bach's Cantata 78), "Beethoven's Hallelujah" and works by Rachmananov and Rimsky-Korsakov.
Folk music will include the Nigerian Christmas carol, "Betelehemu," the Irish standard "Danny Boy," and "Cindy." A "Songs of the Land" segment features"America the Beautiful," "Shenandoah," "The Battle of Jericho" and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
The concert will be the Tabernacle's first performance in Las Vegas since 1979. It will be accompanied by an organ and 26-piece orchestra.
The Tabernacle Choir dates to the 1800s. It originated when Mormon pioneers were heading west to Salt Lake City. The choir aired its first radio program July 15, 1929. Through television, cable and satellite distribution, the weekly show, airing live from Temple Square, reaches 20 countries.
Tabernacle hopefuls apply every January and July. Singers must be between the ages of 25 and 55, send in an a capella tape of their singing, then take a written musical test, followed by a singing audition.
Mandatory participation in the Temple Chorale began in 1999 and was inspired by President Gordon Hinckley, who, according to Jessop, said, "In my opinion it's the finest choir in the world and it could get better."
Every third year a member in the choir goes back into the Temple Chorale for in-service training.
Jessop, who became director in 1999 after serving for four years as associated director, sang in the choir in his 20s and credits the choir as his inspiration while growing up.
"It had been the goal of my life to sing in the Tabernacle Choir," Jessop said. "I'm a Utah boy, fourth generation Mormon. "
At age 23, he sang "Oh My Faith" in the basement of the Tabernacle for Richard Condi, who said to him, "We'll see you Thursday."
Since then, the minimum age was raised to 25.
"You may sing in the choir for 20 years or age 60, whichever comes first," Jessop said. "We have many, many people who give 20 years. The average stay is 10 to 12 years. We have retirements twice a year in April and October."
The rigorous tryouts, he said, are part of the musical knowledge the choir demands.
"We go through so much repertoire," he said. "We broadcast 52 weeks a year. It never shuts down. So singers need to be able to go through the repertoire."
The choir is designed to help spread a positive message for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"Always from the very beginning it has been an ambassador for church, dispelling prejudices of the church as well," Jessop said. "In 1893 the choir went to the Chicago World's Fair and took second place. It made tremendous headlines and generated goodwill to the church."
Today, he said, "The choir has a very large and very loyal following."
"People plan their vacations around the choir. We have people who line up every Thursday night on Temple Square just to watch the rehearsals."
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