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! 'Tis Of Thee
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 © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: . DP, MICHAEL T. SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steve Repa
Моя країна про тебе це є
Солодка земля свободи,
Про тебе співаю я
Земля, де померли батьки мої!
Земля гордості пілігримів!
З кожної гірської сторони
Нехай жe лунає свобода!
Моя країна рідна, ти
Земля вільним благородним,
Ім'я твоє люблю я
Я люблю каміння твої та скелі,
Твої ліси і храмові горвини;
Моє серце з захопленням наповняється
Подібно ж до вершного.
Нехай музика наповняє вітри,
І дзвонить з усіх дерев
Солодка пісня свободи.
Нехай проснуться людцкі язики;
Нехай всі що дишать, участь беруть ;
Нехай каміння розбивають свою тишину
Той звук продовжуйте.
Бог наших батьків, Тобі,
Автор цей свободи
Тобі співаємо ми.
Довго земля наша буде яскравa
Святим світлом свободи
Охороняй нас могутьністю твоєю
Боже великицй, наш король!
Tony Barde
If you are German, here are your lyrics:
Heil dir im Siegerkranz,
Herrscher des Vaterlands!
Heil, Kaiser, dir!
|:Fühl in des Thrones Glanz
Die hohe Wonne ganz,
Liebling des Volks zu sein!
Heil Kaiser, dir! :|
Mthermavrick
Say what you want about the Mormons. (and a lot can be said) they have the best Choir in the world.
4ever
To all the people talking about sopranos, technicalities, quality and world top lists I wan to say. The Tabernacle Choir is the best not because it has all those "requirements" but because every song they sing and present is an offer to God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Every choir member is a faithful or at least try to be as faithful as they can to bring that offer to Him with the best they can. This is why this choir is especial among the great choirs of the world. Because they don't sing for the masses or for personal gain or recognition but to our Father in Heaven. Their music is a sacred offer not entertainment. Their singing just feels different.
Jared Hancock
As a former practitioner of the LDS church, I'll agree. I'm a choral lover. But I've never heard a choir that matches. I believe it's because of their love of music. It comes from the bosom and heart. It's not competitive. It's just life. And they just nail it
Ray May
@Boomer Harris He means the .U.S.S.R.
Boomer Harris
@tmoney43 I am aware this is three years late, but uh fam, Russia was formed in the 1500s by Ivan the Terrible, its got about 300 years on the ole US of A
spencer Jensen
Thank you mthermavrick
tambirane
I am so, so, so, so grateful and deeply thankful to be born and raised in the US.
Ben Calabro
@John 3:16 you took the melody from the french lmao. Imagine not having a massive empire like we do in the US, cope.
Cory Branch
@John 3:16 Cope
John 3:16
You do realize, of course, that Americans took the melody from this song (which is actually the British National Anthem) and changed the words. I much prefer "God Save the Queen" over this weak and diluted version. Hail Britannia and long live Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.