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.
Holy
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics
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It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
'Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees!
Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night, O holy night, o night divine!
O night, O holy night, o night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wise men from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King!
Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King!
Before him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord!
Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
The song "O Holy Night" beautifully captures the awe and wonder surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. The opening verse sets the scene, with the stars shining brightly on the night of his birth. The world was lost in sin and darkness until the Savior appeared, bringing hope and light to all. The line "till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth" speaks to the deep sense of fulfillment and joy that comes with the presence of Christ in our lives.
As the song continues, we are invited to join the wise men in gazing upon the newborn king, the "King of kings" who came to be our friend and our savior. The imagery of kneeling before him in humble adoration is powerful and moving, reminding us of the reverence due to Christ as our Lord and Savior.
The final verse of the song is a call to action, as we are reminded of Christ's message of love and peace. His gospel teaches us to love one another and to work towards ending oppression and injustice. The song ends with a joyful chorus of praise, celebrating the power and glory of our Lord and Savior.
Line by Line Meaning
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
On this sacred night, the stars are gleaming brilliantly in the sky,
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.
Tonight is the night when our beloved Savior was born.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
The world was lost in sin and ignorance for a long time,
'Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
Until Christ came and the Holy Spirit bestowed its grace,
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
A surge of optimism fills the tired world with joy,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Because the dawn of a new and magnificent era is upon us.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
Let us kneel down and listen to the voices of the angels!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born,
This is the holy evening when Christ, the divine, was born,
O night, O holy night, o night divine!
Oh, glorious night, oh, holy night, oh, divine night!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
Guided by the shining light of faith and serenity,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
Our hearts aglow, we stand by His manger.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Across the world, a star is shining sweetly,
Now come the wise men from out of the Orient land.
The wise men from the East have arrived.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger,
The King of all kings, lay in a humble manger,
In all our trials born to be our friends.
Born to be our friend in times of hardship.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
He knows our struggles and weaknesses well,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Humble yourself before Him!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
He taught us how to love one another truly,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
His teachings are all about love, and His message is of peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
He will break the chains that bind us, for we are all brothers.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
In His name, all forms of oppression shall come to a halt.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let us sing joyful hymns filled with gratitude and praise,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
With all our hearts, we give praise to His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
Christ is our Lord! So let us continually praise and worship Him,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
And keep proclaiming His power and glory forevermore!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Adolphe Adam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nanikdasani4547
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy, Merciful and Mighty!
God in Thy Glory through eternity!
Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore Thee;
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
All the world shall praise Thy Name in earth and sky and sea,
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty!
God in Thy Glory, through eternity!
God in Thy Glory, through eternity!
@greentiger1730
@John Marquardt the original song was like this:
Holy, holy, holy!
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning
Our song shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy!
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons (This is the place)
Blessed Trinity! (And here as well)
@olayinkasanni8191
God in threee persons, blessed trinity, Father, Son & Holy Spirit! Amen & Amen.
@Elizabeth-rk3do
God in three persons, blessed trinity! ❤
@jessieyoung2178
I like the words as they are presented in this version of this wonderful song I learned as a child in the Methodist church. I know the scriptures are clear that the Godhead is made up of three separate and distinct persons: Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost---three persons who are one in purpose.
@seymoorepoone9512
If it ain’t thunderous, boisterous, spine chilling, and tear jerking, it ain’t worth listening to.
This version is the best.
@helleaarma1362
This was my Dad's favorite. 1911-2005
@adelaidefront4715
C'est devenu vital pour moi d'écouter le choeur du tabernacle merci
Je suis heureuse d'été membre de ,'église de Jésus Christ des Saints des derniers jours💛💛💛💛💛
@markmaiz1550
Holy, Holy, Holy, is one of the first hymns that I sang for God. Greetings from Lima Peru. Brothers in Christ Jesus.❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰🙏🙏🙏😍😍😍😍🇵🇪🇵🇪🇵🇪
@boat6float
As a Methodist church kid, this is one of my favorite hymns.
@g.alistar7798
2:17…those trumpets, The Lord shall return with a mighty shout and the trumpet shall sound!
@fayelewis5476
Holy, holy, holy!
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity!