The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a large choir of The Church of Jesus Christ … Read Full Bio ↴The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a large choir of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). Since July 15, 1929, the choir has performed a weekly radio broadcast called Music and the Spoken Word which is the longest-running continuous network broadcast in the world. The show has been televised since the early 1960s and is now broadcast worldwide through some 1,500 radio, television, and cable stations.

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.

Frostiana: The Pasture
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics

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2). THE PASTURE
I'm going out to clean the pasture spring;
I'll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I shan't be gone long.
You come too.
I'm going out to fetch the little calf
That's standing by the mother.

It's so young,
It totters when she licks it with her tongue.

I shan't be gone long.
You come too.

Overall Meaning

The song "The Pasture" in Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Frostiana album is a poem by Robert Frost which has been set to music. The first stanza begins with a rural scene in which the singer describes his plans to go out to clean the pasture spring. It is evident that he is undertaking the task alone, but the invitation to join him is extended to the listener through the phrase "you come too". The second stanza is more intense as he shares his motives for going outside again. This time, he plans on going out to fetch a little calf who is hanging out with its mother. The calf is so young that it can hardly stand, and he knows that it will totter when its mother licks it with her tongue. Again, the listener is invited to join him on this journey with "you come too".

Line by Line Meaning

I'm going out to clean the pasture spring;
I'm planning to go and clean the spring found in the pasture;

I'll only stop to rake the leaves away
While I'm there, I'll rake and clear out any leaves that have fallen in the spring;

(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I may also wait for a bit to watch the spring water clear up and become crystal clear;

I shan't be gone long.
I won't be away for too long;

You come too.
Would you like to come with me?

I'm going out to fetch the little calf
After cleaning the spring, I plan to go get the little calf that's standing beside its mother;

That's standing by the mother.
The calf is next to its mother;

It's so young,
The calf is very young;

It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
It's so young that it even has trouble standing up when its mother licks it with her tongue to clean it;

I shan't be gone long.
Again, I won't be away for too long;

You come too.
Do you want to come with me to see the little calf?

Contributed by Addison F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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