YouTube Mormon Choir

The text of this story is a press release from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

The choir is asking for singers, choirs, and fans alike all over the world to upload a YouTube recording singing one of four parts (soprano, alto, tenor or bass) of the well-known “Hallelujah” chorus from George Frideric Handel’s Messiah. The best performances and choral voices will be featured in a “virtual choir” performance with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.

“Handel’s Messiah is an extremely powerful oratorio, especially the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus, ” said Ryan Murphy, associate music director for the choir. “It is well-known and well loved. It’s an honor for us to perform it, and we are delighted to extend the invitation to join us to singers all over the world.”

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To help singers record and upload their videos, participants can access the sheet music, a sing-along video for each part and conducting by music director Mack Wilberg. Once their video is recorded, singers can upload it to YouTube and copy the URL into a simple submission form.

Musicians and YouTube stars like Peter Hollens and Tiffany Alvord already have expressed interest in this project and are encouraging their fans to upload their own recordings. Hollens and his wife, Evynne, are providing the vocals for the sing-along videos.

“I am thrilled to be a part of this experience, ” Hollens said. “Singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has always been a dream of mine, and since I don’t live in Utah, this is definitely the next best thing! For anyone who is considering it, opportunities like this are so rare, and it would be a serious shame to miss.”

The Grammy Award-winning, all-volunteer Mormon Tabernacle Choir is made up of 360 men and women who join their talents to create their trademark, instantly recognizable sound.

The choir is accompanied by the Orchestra at Temple Square, a 150-member symphony that is likewise all volunteer. Their world-famous sound is under the direction of music director Mack Wilberg and associate music director Ryan Murphy. March 4, the choir and orchestra will release a new recording of Handel’s Messiah in two versions: the Complete Oratorio and a 60-minute highlights version. They will stream Messiah live at 7:30 p.m. Good Friday, March 25, from a performance in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.