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.
O Holy Night
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 lyrics of Mormon Tabernacle Choir's song "O Holy Night" encapsulate the joy and solemnity of Christmas - the night when the long-awaited Savior finally arrived. The first verse begins with describing the stars shining bright on the night of "the dear Savior's birth." It speaks of how the world was lost in sin and error until He appeared, and it was then that the Spirit felt the worth of the Savior's coming. This is followed by a sudden thrill of hope, which is shared by the whole world for a new and glorious morning is here. The chorus then urges everyone to fall on their knees to hear the angel's voices and celebrate the divine night of Christ's birth.
The second verse then portrays the scene of the Savior's birth in a stable, with the wise men coming from afar to visit Him. The King of kings lies in a manger, born to be our friend and bear our trials. The verse ends with an invitation to behold the King and bend before Him in humble admiration. The final verse acknowledges the teachings of Christ, in which He taught us to love one another, and His laws are laid down in the form of love and peace. He came to break the chains of oppression and make the slave our brother. The verse ends with a chorus of sweet hymns of joy and a proclamation of Christ's power and glory.
Line by Line Meaning
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
This is a holy night when the stars are shining brilliantly.
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.
This is the night when the beloved Savior was born.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
For a long time, the world was lost in sin and mistakes.
'Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
Then He appeared, and the Spirit realized its value.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
The exhausted world celebrates a surge of hope.
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Because a new and magnificent era is dawning.
Fall on your knees!
Come to your knees in worship!
Oh, hear the angel voices!
Listen to the voices of the angels!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born,
This is a sacred and divine night when Christ was born.
O night, O holy night, o night divine!
This is a holy night, a divine night!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
Guided by the beaming light of faith serenely.
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
Our hearts are alight as we stand beside His cradle.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
A star is softly shining over the whole world.
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 kings rested humbly in a manger.
In all our trials born to be our friends.
Born to be our companion amid our tribulations.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
He understands what we need and knows our weaknesses.
Behold your King!
Look at your King!
Before him lowly bend!
Humbly bow before Him!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
He taught us to love one another genuinely.
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
His law is love, and His gospel preaches peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
He will break the chains because the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Oppression will end in His Name.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
We sing sweet hymns of joy, lifted in appreciation.
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
With all our hearts, we exalt His holy name.
Christ is the Lord!
Christ is the Lord!
Then ever, ever praise we,
Praise Him forever and ever!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
Announce His glory and power constantly.
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
Announce His glory and power constantly.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Ultra Tunes, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Adolphe Charles Adam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind