Christmas With The Tabernacle Choir

Broadway star Michael Maliakel joins The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra to sing "Joy To The World." The18th-century hymn writer Isaac Watts initially penned the lyrics for “Joy to the World” as a rhyming paraphrase of Psalm 98, and his poem was first published in 1719. It became a Christmas classic when it was set to music by Lowell Mason, the “father of American hymnody,” in 1836.

The beloved account of Jesus 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, Lesley Nicol’s narration of the Nativity is accompanied by an orchestral meditation by Mack Wilberg that incorporates musical motifs based on his arrangement of “O Little One Sweet.”

While “Patapan” is often listed as a traditional French carol, its text and music are usually credited to the 18th-century French author Bernard de la Monnoye. This orchestral fantasy by Ryan Murphy combines the musical motifs of “Patapan” with references to the well-known English carol “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.”

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.” In Mack Wilberg’s stirring arrangement,which traditionally features solos by the guest singer, (this year Broadway star Michael Maliakel) this carol has become the signature finale at The Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas concerts.

Watch The Tabernacle Choir and orchestra perform “Noe! Noe!” with the Bells on Temple Square. The cheerful Franco-Provençal carol is attributed to the 17th-century author and composer Brossard de Montaney, and expounds on the joyous exchange of angels announcing the news of Christ’s birth to the shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem.

Over the years, Richard Elliott’s organ performances have become a much anticipated highlight of The Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas concerts. This year, Elliott created a spirited Christmas fantasia for organ and the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble based on the 17th-century French carol “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella.”

A young Felix Mendelssohn wrote this Christmas cantata based on Martin Luther’s “Vom Himmel hoch.” Mendelssohn’s inspiration sprang not from Luther directly, but from his own respect for J. S. Bach, who had also borrowed Luther’s hymn frequently. This performance, by The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra with the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble, culminates with the final, triumphant stanza of Luther’s hymn.

Long beloved as a German Christmas carol, “O Jesulein süss” began appearing in English translation in the early 20th century. It was Anglican priest and liturgist Percy Dearmer, who arranged Bach’s harmonization of a solo song and recast it for four-part chorus in 1928, published as “O Little One Sweet.” Hear The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra's beautiful interpretation, arranged by Mack Wilberg.

The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra perform “Still, Still, Still,” a 19th-century Austrian Christmas carol on the Nativity, set to a Salzburg folk tune. With new lyrics by David Warner, a longtime friend and collaborator of Mack Wilberg’s, this arrangement of “Still, Still, Still” sees beyond the smiles and sighs of the baby asleep in Mary’s arms to the wonder and promise of Christ, the Savior.

Actress Lesley Nicol narrates the true story of Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables, and his wife hosting a Christmas feast for impoverished children. Brought to life by actors on stage, this heartwarming story celebrates the transformative power of love and compassion.

Watch the spectacular opening to "Joy: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir." This processional, "Sing We Now of Christmas" is based on a traditional French carol, “Noël nouvelet,” which dates from possibly as early as the 15th century. The new arrangement by Mack Wilberg was written especially for this Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert.

Independent of its original 1824 symphonic setting, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” has become an anthem of rejoicing, a call to replace division and confrontation with love, unity, and understanding. In this finale, performed by The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra, the melody—an intentionally simple, folksy tune—is transformed through a series of variations into a climactic tour de force.