The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is renowned for performing George Frideric Handel's famous "Hallelujah Chorus." This year, the choir invited singers worldwide in joining them via internet submission to present the influential passage from Handel's famous Messiah oratorio.
Led by MoTab's artistic director Mack Wilberg, "America's Choir" recruited vocalists from counties far and wide to send in their taped rendition of the acclaimed hymn, then assembled the singers' videos to be performed along with the choir. As reported by Minnesota Public Radio, the enlistment of global soloists resulted in thousands of submissions to be used:
"Last month, the choir invited singers from around the world to upload video performances in their own voice parts of the Hallelujah Chorus to a specified tempo. More than 2,500 singers from countries as wide ranging as Kiribati, Chile, Russia, and England (among dozens of others), did so."
The stirring interpretation is perhaps the most unique of the Tab Choir's annual deliveries of the beloved classic. The Washington Post noted that this method was used as a means of promotion for the choir's full performance of Handle's Messiah, to be displayed by live webcast in celebration of the upcoming Easter holiday:
"The resulting video is meant to promote the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's new performance of the entirety of George Frideric Handel's 'Messiah.' The full performance will air live online at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time on March 25, Good Friday."
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is an all-volunteer operation as an arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This inclusive multimedia project brought together multiple Christian denominations from all over the world. As an added perk, the performance also includes some celebrity power with personality Donny Osmond, country act Firefly and even current Utah Gov. Gary Herbert.
George Handel (1685-1759) was a pioneering German-British composer whose operas are regarded amongst the all-time greatest of classical works. Messiah was as respected in his lifetime as it remains today, but was his last oeuvre to be completed.
Be sure to view the below video plug of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's performance, and check out their full presentation of Messiah when it is aired online this Good Friday.
