The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is made up of some 360 men and women, all of whom are volunteers. There are many husband-wife combinations and many families have participated in the choir for generations. Choir members are currently limited to twenty years of participation, allowing new members to join the choir on a regular basis.
The choir was founded in August 1847, one month after the Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. The choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to support their organization. Choir members are not paid for their participation or performances.
Although the choir has traditionally been recognized for its sound quality, the most recent director, Craig Jessop, a student of Robert Shaw, has made changes designed to improve the overall quality of the choir. Jessop's efforts to add vitality to the choir's sound include the formation of The Orchestra at Temple Square, the 2005 addition of The Bells on Temple Square (a hand bell choir), and continual refinement of the choir's tone, enunciation, and repetoire. The minimum age for participation has been reduced from 30 to 25. In addition, new choir members participate in The Temple Square Chorale training choir, a combination music theory/performance school led by associate director and composer/arranger Mack Wilberg.
Aura Lee
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics
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'On the willow tree,
Sat and rocked, I heard him sing,
Singing Aura Lea.
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
Maid with golden hair;
Sunshine came along with thee,
And swallows in the air.
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
Maid with golden hair;
Sunshine came along with thee,
And swallows in the air.
In thy blush the rose was born,
Music, when you spake,
Through thine azure eye the morn,
Sparkling seemed to break.
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
Birds of crimson wing,
Never song have sung to me,
As in that sweet spring.
Aura Lea! the bird may flee,
The willow's golden hair
Swing through winter fitfully,
On the stormy air.
Yet if thy blue eyes I see,
Gloom will soon depart;
For to me, sweet Aura Lea
Is sunshine through the heart.
When the mistletoe was green,
Midst the winter's snows,
Sunshine in thy face was seen,
Kissing lips of rose.
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
Take my golden ring;
Love and light return with thee,
And swallows with the spring.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir's "Aura Lee" is a song that revolves around a maiden named Aura Lea who appears to be a symbol of warmth, light, and hope. The lyrics begin with the arrival of spring as signaled by the blackbird's singing on the willow tree, and with it comes Aura Lea. The sun shines, and the swallows flying in the air are also attributed to her. The lyrics further describe how her presence makes everything around her brighter and more vibrant. The rose in her blush is born, and the music that she imparts is sweet like the morning. The description of her azure eye is compared to the sparkling of the morning dew- a sign of new beginnings.
As the song progresses, the lyrics make it clear that Aura Lea is not just a symbol of hope but a source of it for the singer. Her presence makes the gloom depart, and her blue eyes are a reminder of sunshine through the heart. The song's usage of the romantic image of mistletoe in the winter as a symbol of her lightness lures the male narrator, who vows to give her his "golden ring" if she would bring love and light with her, and summer and swallows with the spring.
Line by Line Meaning
When the blackbird in the Spring,
During the Spring season, when a blackbird was perched on a willow tree,
'On the willow tree,
On top of the branches of a willow tree,
Sat and rocked, I heard him sing,
The blackbird was swaying back and forth while singing a melody,
Singing Aura Lea.
The blackbird's song was named Aura Lea.
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
The name of the song is repeated for emphasis.
Maid with golden hair;
The song is addressing a woman with blonde hair.
Sunshine came along with thee,
The woman brought warmth and happiness like sunshine.
And swallows in the air.
Birds called swallows were seen flying above.
In thy blush the rose was born,
The woman's rosy cheeks were associated with the birth of a rose.
Music, when you spake,
The sound of the woman's voice was musical and pleasant.
Through thine azure eye the morn,
The morning sky was reflected in the woman's blue eyes.
Sparkling seemed to break.
Her eyes shined and sparkled brightly, making it feel like the day had begun.
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
The name of the woman, Aura Lea, is repeated again.
Birds of crimson wing,
Red-winged birds
Never song have sung to me,
The birds singing were particularly sweet and unlike anything heard before.
As in that sweet spring.
During that particular spring, the bird song was especially lovely.
Aura Lea! the bird may flee,
Even though the bird may leave the tree,
The willow's golden hair
The tree's branches, which resemble hair, will still be golden.
Swing through winter fitfully,
The branches will continue to sway back and forth in the winter, but less frequently.
On the stormy air.
Despite storms and harsh weather.
Yet if thy blue eyes I see,
If I see the woman's blue eyes,
Gloom will soon depart;
My sorrow or bad mood will soon disappear.
For to me, sweet Aura Lea
The woman called Aura Lea is very dear and cherished to me.
Is sunshine through the heart.
She brings happiness and brightness to my life.
When the mistletoe was green,
During the winter season, when mistletoe was still alive and green,
Midst the winter's snows,
Despite the presence of snow.
Sunshine in thy face was seen,
The woman's face was radiant and reminded the writer of sunshine.
Kissing lips of rose.
The woman's lips were soft and pink, like the petals of a rose.
Aura Lea, Aura Lea,
Repeating the woman's name again.
Take my golden ring;
The writer is offering the woman their gold ring as a sign of affection.
Love and light return with thee,
Happiness and love accompanied the woman wherever she went.
And swallows with the spring.
Just like the swallows returned in the spring, the woman brought happiness and joy back with her.
Writer(s): Alex Dowding, George F. Poulton
Contributed by Vivian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.