On our Spyder trip through Utah, we decided to stay one more day in Salt Lake City to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Sunday morning.

To insure a seat, we arrived at 8:45 and were greeted by several men and women available to answer questions and make our visit comfortable and easy.

We were surprise the choir was singing, the orchestra was playing, and camera crews were in place forty-five minutes before the 9:30 start. We learned they were rehearsing.

After rehearsal, the performers all left their chairs for a break, and a man spoke about the history of the organ, choir, and broadcasting.

I took notes, and likely have some errors, but here is what I heard:

• The Organ Pipes are “Wonderfully Simple – Simply Wonderful”
• The first broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word was on July 15, 1929. Today it is carried on more than 2000 radio and televisions stations and cable systems. It is always at 9:30 mountain time.
• There are 11,623 pipes in the organ. Some are as small as your little finger, and the largest is 32 foot tall.
• The choir has 410 members, but only 360 sing each week because that is the number of chairs. The orchestra has 150 musicians.
• To be in the choir, one must be between the ages of 25 and 60, a member in good standing of the church, live within 100 miles of the tabernacle, and be available to practice twice a week.
• Choir members are asked to step down when they turn 60 or have been a member for 20 years.
• If someone wants to sing in the choir, there is a long process, and being chosen is a prestigious privilege. First they submit a recording. If the choir members like what they hear, the person is invited to take a music test and must score 80%. They are then required to have 100% attendance at a four month music corral. They then take another test, sing in front of the music director, and the choir. At this time, the decision is made as to if they are in or out.
• The salary of each choir and orchestra member is zero. 
• Five-hundred and fifty members of the choir and orchestra are touring and performing in western Europe this summer.
• Their hope, every Sunday, is, “May peace be with you, this day and always.”

As a side-note, we were enamored by the young missionary women who showed us around Temple Square and answered all our many curiosity questions. We learned there were 200 young missionary women working, and they came from 55 nations. They can call home only on Mother’s Day and Christmas, and they can email their families once a week. Their time of commitment is 18 months. They dress in below the knee skirts, blouses with sleeves, and wear name tags showing not only their name, but the flag of their country. They were an asset to our pleasure and learning experience.

Visiting Temple Square and the choir is a must do experience if you get close to Salt Lake City.

Until the next time: Live while you live!