O.C. Tanner Gift of Music
The O.C. Tanner Gift of Music is a series of free concerts presented in Salt Lake City by the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, with soloists, conductors and other choirs as guests. The concerts[1] have been hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) on Temple Square since 1983. The thirtieth anniversary gala concerts[2] were held September 6 and 7, 2013.[3]
Origins
In the 1970s two neighbors Obert C. Tanner, founder of the O.C. Tanner company and Gordon B. Hinckley, a member of the First Presidency of the LDS Church, worked together to foster unity in the growing community of the Wasatch Front. They included the president of the Utah Symphony, Wendell Ashton, and the president of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Oakley Evans in these efforts. Their intent was to create a series of free concerts funded by an endowment from Obert and his wife Grace. These concerts would feature the combined talents of the world-famous Choir and the Symphony. Adding famed soloists, conductors and other choirs as guest artists would make these world class concerts.
I think beauty gives more joy to more people over a longer period of time than any other human value.— Obert C. Tanner, [4]
Gifts Of Music
1983–89
1983: Verdi Requiem
Friday, September 16, 1983[5]
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, conductor
- Kristine Ciesinski, soloist
- Katherine Ciesinski, soloist
- Arnold Voketaitis, soloist
- Dana Talley, soloist
1985: Americana
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor and soloist
1987: Mendelssohn Elijah
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Jerold Ottley, conductor
- Audrey Luna, soloist
1989: operatic and concert selections
Friday & Saturday, February 24 and 25, 1989
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Julius Rudel, conductor
- Kiri Te Kanawa, soloist
1991–99
1991: operatic and concert selections
Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9, 1991
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Joseph Silverstein, conductor
- Frederica von Stade, soloist
1994: Berlioz Requiem
Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23, 1994
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Robert Shaw, conductor
- Stanford Olsen, soloist
1996: DeMars An American Requiem
Friday and Saturday, November 1 and 2, 1996
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- James DeMars, composer & conductor
- Audrey Luna, soloist
- Linda Priebe, soloist
- Robert Breault, soloist
- Simon Estes, soloist
1998: an Atlantic bridge
Friday and Saturday, November 13 and 14, 1998
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Craig Jessop, conductor
- The King's Singers, soloists
1999: Brahms Requiem
Saturday, February 13, 1999
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Craig Jessop, conductor
- Janice Chandler Eteme, soloist
- Nathan Gunn, soloist
2000–09
2000: Vaughn Williams Hodie
Friday & Saturday, November 3 and 4, 2000
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Keith Lockhart, conductor
- Henriette Schellenberg, soloist
- Robert Breault, soloist
- Robert Honeysucker, soloist
- International Children's Choir, guest
- Temple Square Chorale, guest
- SUU Concert Choir, guest
2002: Mahler Symphony no. 8
Friday and Saturday, November 15 and 16, 2002
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Keith Lockhart, conductor
- Bridgett Hooks, soloist
- Indra Thomas, soloist
- Mary Ellen Callahan, soloist
- Barbara Rearjck, soloist
- Rebekah Ambosini, soloist
- John Daniecki, soloist
- Clayton Brainerd, soloist
- Les Young, soloist
- Utah Symphony Chorus, guest
- Choristers of the Madeleine Choir School, guest
- International Children's Choir, guest
- Salt Lake Children's Choir, guest
- SUU Concert Choir, guest
2005: a Celtic celebration
Friday & Saturday, October 21 and 22, 2005
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Craig Jessop & Mack Wilberg, conductors
- Ronan Tynan, soloist
- Leahy, soloist
- Wasatch & District Pipe Band, guests
2008: an American songbook
George M. Cohan, Richard Rodgers, John Williams, Woody Guthrie, Irving Berlin and other American composers
Friday & Saturday, September 19 and 20, 2008
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Erich Kunzel, guest conductor
- Denyce Graves, soloist
- Brian Stokes Mitchell, soloist
2009: Mahler Symphony no. 2
Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21, 2009
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Keith Lockhart, conductor
- Janice Chandler Eteme, soloist
- Nancy Maultsby, soloist
2011–present
2011: Berlioz Requiem
Friday & Saturday, September 16 and 17, 2011
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Thierry Fischer, conductor
2013: 30th anniversary gala
Friday & Saturday, September 6 and 7, 2013[6]
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Utah Symphony --- Mack Wilberg, conductor
- James Taylor, Special Guest
References
- ↑ Stowe, Dorothy (September 11, 1983). "Tanners offer a gift of music, endow new tradition". Deseret News. Salt Lake City. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- ↑ James Taylor Teams Up With The Mormon Tabernacle Choir abcnews.go.com September 8, 2013
- ↑ OC Tanner Gift of Music Utah Symphony September 8, 2013
- ↑ House, Dawn (September 3, 2009). "O.C. Tanner to open in restored historic building". Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- ↑ Stowe, Dorothy (September 17, 1983). "Verdi Requiem nobly launches Gift of Music". Deseret News. Salt Lake City. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ↑ Robinson, Doug (September 6, 2013). "American Icons Relish Chance to Collaborate on Concert". Deseret News. Salt Lake City. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
- ↑ Artist James Taylor to Perform With Tabernacle Choir lds.org, September 8, 2013