Famed choir a good fit for Holland

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir usually performs on tour in giant hockey arenas.

So it was a real treat to hear the famed ensemble sing Tuesday in the more intimate surroundings of the Holland Performing Arts Center. It was certainly a sight to see.

The choir, which appeared in Omaha as part of a seven-city regional tour, managed to pack 315 vocalists and the 65 musicians of the Orchestra at Temple Square into the Holland.

To fit all the singers in, a special platform was constructed just in front of the choir loft.

From that vantage point, the choir's women — dressed in striking sky-blue gowns — and men — decked out in black ties and tuxedoes — filled the concert hall with their heavenly sounds for more than two hours.

The legendary choir from Salt Lake City is known, of course, for its enormous sound. What else would one expect from a force of nearly 400 singers and musicians? But there was more to this choir than mere power.

These singers, who are all volunteers, sang on Tuesday with remarkable precision, tonal variety and thoughtful expression. They tossed off an array of sacred, secular and patriotic songs with ease and elegance, performing everything from memory.

And along the way, the choristers also played hand bells, swayed back and forth and clapped with perfect, synchronized zeal.

The program, vigorously led by music director Mack Wilberg, was divided into small sections, consisting of hymns, folk, sacred and classical music. The concert opened with Wilberg's arrangement of “Alleluia Fanfare and Praise to the Lord, Almighty.”

This may be period music, dating from 1665, but it was anything but dry. Wilberg created a huge score that included rich strings and sparkling hand bells, and it set a celebratory mood for much of the concert's first half.

The classical section that followed was arguably performed with too much power and passion. The interweaving vocal lines in Mozart's “Gloria in excelsis” and Rossini's “Cum Sancto Spiritu” call for a lilting clarity.

The massed sound of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, however, created a texture that was a bit heavy for my taste. Still, the sheer vocal virtuosity, especially in the seven-minute Rossini piece, was impressive.

Many of the finest performances came in traditional selections. “Danny Boy” was performed with the diaphanous sound of the women caressing the famous tune while the men hummed the melody. A luminous Irish pipe and harp played in the background.

“Amazing Grace” received similar treatment, with the singers delivering their expressive lines over a bagpipe's drone.

Tuesday's concert featured a couple of soloists.

Vocalist Alex Boyé joined the choir for two spirituals. He sang “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me” with an authentic gospel spirit. He did the same with “Rock-a-My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.” But in that tune he added a little theater, striking a number of melodramatic poses.

Richard Elliott, one of the choir's organists, played the concert's only instrumental piece, an arrangement of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” His fleet-footed pedaling and sure fingering won one of the biggest ovations.

That is, until the choir began performing some of its signature anthems and patriotic tunes near the end of the concert.

Its performance of Irving Berlin's “God Bless America” was so deeply felt and intensely in the moment that it had the audience riveted. You could hear the person next to you breathing.

“Come, Come, Ye Saints,” a traditional Mormon anthem from the 1840s, was sung with immediacy and a glistening sound. During “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Wilberg turned to the audience, inviting it to sing.

While on tour, the choir often invites local celebrities to guest-conduct an encore. Past guests have included Walter Cronkite and Danny Kaye. In Omaha, the choir invited composer Chip Davis of Mannheim Steamroller.

Davis underwent neck surgery last year, which left him without complete use of his right arm. On Tuesday, some of the fingers of his right hand seemed to be curled under, his index finger sticking out stiffly.

Nevertheless, he led an energetic “This Land is Your Land,” winning a heartfelt ovation from the nearly 2,000 people in the sold-out Holland Center.

Contact the writer:

444-1076, john.pitcher@owh.com