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SALT LAKE CITY — The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square is canceling its upcoming live taping and broadcast of "Music and the Spoken Word" after multiple choir members tested positive for COVID-19 during and after the choir's tour to Mexico.
Kelly Smoot, a spokeswoman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the choir attended all of its concerts and obligations while on the tour and traveled with medical staff, as they always do.
"Shortly after the choir arrived in Mexico City, a couple of choir members did test positive for COVID. They were isolated and treated," Smoot said. "Since arriving back in Utah, the choir has had an increase in the number of choir members with symptoms, and several have tested positive."
She also said other choir members have gastrointestinal illnesses related to travel.
Smoot said they regularly monitor the health of choir members, even when they are not on tour, and choir members who test positive for COVID-19 — or any other transmittable illness — are not seated with the choir until they no longer have symptoms.
She said the rehearsal and Sunday's live taping of "Music and the Spoken Word" were canceled to allow choir members to rest and recover, and to prevent the spread of more illnesses.
Although the live broadcast is canceled, this week's television and radio broadcast were recorded in Mexico and will still air on Sunday as planned.
Sunday was scheduled to be the premiere of "Music and the Spoken Word" in Spanish, or "Música y Palabras de Inspiracion." However, on June 21 the choir updated its news release saying that it will not air on June 25 "but will launch soon."
The Spanish broadcast will feature the choir's songs — in whatever language they are singing — and will have words from one of four Spanish-speaking narrators.
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square paused live broadcasts of Music and the Spoken Word for about a year and a half during the COVID-19 pandemic, and after resuming broadcasts, it paused live performances again in January 2022 during a surge of COVID-19 cases.
