Mormon Tabernacle Choir reveals Christmas concert guests


6 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — American soprano Deborah Voigt and British actor John Rhys-Davies will join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for the annual Christmas season concerts in December.

The greatly anticipated announcement came Tuesday morning on KSL Radio's Doug Wright Show Tuesday morning for the free concerts that have become a holiday tradition in Salt Lake City.

Ron Jarrett, president of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir said the concerts this Christmas season will be unforgettable.

“The talents of Deborah Voigt and John Rhys-Davies will fill our hearts with the Christmas spirit that will linger with us all season long,” he said.

Voigt is recognized as one of the world’s most versatile singers. She is known for her performances in the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, and her portrayal of heroines in Italian operas. She starred as Brünnhilde in the PBS series “Great Performances from the Met” in Wagner’s complete “Ring” cycle for her first appearance of the 2012-13 season.


The talents of Deborah Voigt and John Rhys-Davies will fill our hearts with the Christmas spirit that will linger with us all season long.

–Ron Jarrett, president of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir


Voigt won both the Gold Medal in Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Competition and first prize at Philadelphia’s Luciano Pavarotti Vocal Competition. She was also named one of the top 25 cultural tweeters to follow by the Los Angeles Times, known to her twitter fans as a “Dramatic soprano and down-to-earth Diva.”

Rhys-Davies is well-known for his roles as Gimli the dwarf in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films. He has also appeared in the television mini-series “Shogun” and “War and Remembrance.”

Rhys-Davies said his early exposure to classical literature while being raised in England, Africa and Wales led him to pursue acting and writing.

Mack Wilberg, music director for the choir, said the choir is "overwhelmed and humbled by the response of our audiences each year.”

The Christmas concerts will be Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13 and 14, at 8 p.m. with a dress rehearsal Thursday December 12 at 8 p.m. Voigt and Rhys-Davies will also join the choir and Orchestra for the "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast and mini concert on Sunday December 15.

Free tickets are required for the performances and are distributed through a random selection process.

2013 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert
Concert times and ticket information
  • Thursday Dec. 13, 8 p.m. (dress rehearsal)
  • Friday, Dec. 14, 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 15, 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 16, mini-concert during 'Music and the Spoken Word'

The concert is free

Online registration for tickets: Oct. 12 at 12:01 a.m. - Oct. 21 at 11:59 p.m.

Phone registration: 801- 570-0080 for local numbers or 1-866-537-8457.

Registration will be online at www.lds.org/events from Oct. 12 at 12:01 a.m. through Oct. 21 at 11:59 p.m. Those without Internet access can register over the phone at 801-570-0080 for local numbers or 1-866-537-8457. All those who register during the 10-day window will have an equal chance to receive tickets.

One registration is allowed per household with no more than four tickets requested per household. Tickets will be mailed to those selected.

For those without tickets, there will be last-minute seating each night and on the Sunday morning performance with a standby line beginning at the north Temple Square gate.

The concerts are 90 minutes, and the Sunday performance is about an hour.

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Emilee Eagar

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast