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.
My Country!
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!
2. My native country, thee,
land of the noble free, thy name I love;
thy woods and templed hills;
my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.
3. Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;
let mortal tongues awake;
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.
4. Our fathers' God, to thee,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright
with freedom's holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.
The song "My Country! 'Tis of Thee" sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a patriotic ode to the United States of America. The song begins by praising the country and its people, specifically its "sweet land of liberty." It recognizes that many have died for this liberty, including the singer's own forefathers, and celebrates the pride that early European settlers took in their quest for a better life.
The second stanza of the song speaks directly to the singer's personal love for their country, calling it their native country, and expressing deep admiration for its natural beauty. Both the rocks and rills and templed hills are cherished as they remind the singer of the beauty of the country. The singer's love of their country creates a feeling of intense euphoria that, like God above, thrills their heart to the core.
Next, the song calls for music to swell the breeze and ring from every tree as a celebration of freedom's song. The singer is calling for all people to partake in the expression of their love for freedom. In the final stanza, the song credits God for the liberty bestowed upon America, calling God the "author of liberty" and asking for protection for the country. The singer prays that the country will stay bright with freedom's light, which will be aided by God's might as the great, almighty King.
Line by Line Meaning
My country,' tis of thee,
Oh, my beloved country, you who are the embodiment of freedom,
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
I sing of the land where people are free to live their lives without any constraints.
land where my fathers died,
The country that has seen my ancestors die while fighting for the freedom we enjoy today.
land of the pilgrims' pride,
The country that the original settlers were proud to belong to, the same pride we feel today.
from every mountainside let freedom ring!
Let the exhilarating feeling of freedom and equality be heard across every part of the country.
My native country, thee,
Oh, my home country, the one I belong to,
land of the noble free, thy name I love;
The country that has always been home to freedom-loving people, whose name I hold dear.
I love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills;
I am in love with the rugged terrain of my homeland, its natural beauty and religious monuments.
my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.
My whole being is filled with joy, like that of the heavenly beings, when I contemplate the freedom and natural beauty of my country.
Let music swell the breeze,
Let the harmony of melodious music blend with the cool breeze,
and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;
Let the trees themselves join in singing the sweet song of freedom.
let mortal tongues awake;
Let everybody, including the common people, come alive and join in the celebration of freedom.
let all that breathe partake;
Let every living being share in the enjoyment of the freedom that we have.
let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.
Even the rocks, which are silent witnesses of time, should come alive and echo the joyous sound of freedom.
Our fathers' God, to thee,
Oh Lord, who was the God of our forefathers,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
Who made it possible for us to enjoy the precious gift of freedom, we sing praises to you.
long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light;
May the light of freedom always shine brightly upon our country.
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.
Provide us with your divine protection and strength, oh great God, our King.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: . DP, MICHAEL T. SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind