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.
The Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored
He has loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on (gloria)
Glory, glory, hallelujah (gloria)
Glory, glory, hallelujah (gloria, gloria)
Glory, glory, hallelujah (gloria)
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
I can read His righteous sentence in the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory glory hallelujah
His truth is marching on
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
As He died to make men holy let us live to make men free
While God is marching on
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory glory hallelujah
His truth is marching on
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory glory hallelujah
His truth is marching on, amen, amen
The Battle Hymn of the Republic is an American patriotic song attributed to Julia Ward Howe during the American Civil War. The lyrics describe events from the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, where God comes to judge the world, puts an end to slavery, and triumphs over his enemies. The first stanza asserts that the Lord is coming to destroy evil and punish the wicked. The second stanza describes how people have built an altar to worship God and can see his judgment even amidst the shadows and flickering lamps of the night. The third stanza adapts an image of Jesus Christ from John Brown's Body, replacing a war leader with a messianic figure. The last stanza asserts that the nation must follow in Christ's footsteps and fight for freedom and justice as the Lord continues to march on.
Overall, the lyrics reflect a Christian worldview of apocalyptic judgment and divine providence. It is a battle hymn that invokes God's power to defeat the enemies of the nation and deliver his people from bondage. The song also aligns the cause of the Union with God's plan and reinforces the idea that the United States was a nation with a divine destiny to uphold freedom and democracy.
Line by Line Meaning
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
I have personally witnessed the great and majestic arrival of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored
He is purging the wickedness and sin from the earth
He has loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword
He has brought forth His divine power and judgement
His truth is marching on (gloria)
His righteousness and pureness prevails and is spreading
Glory, glory, hallelujah (gloria)
Rejoice and proclaim His greatness and goodness
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
I have seen evidence of His presence in numerous places and situations
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
They have erected a monument or symbol of His worship and honor
I can read His righteous sentence in the dim and flaring lamps
I can understand His just and fair ruling as shown by the flickering flames
His day is marching on
His power and influence continues to grow and move forward
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea
Christ was born in a place of pure and natural beauty, far away from here
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
He contained a divine light and radiance that transforms and elevates us
As He died to make men holy let us live to make men free
As He sacrificed Himself for our sanctity, we should strive to bring liberty to others
While God is marching on
As God's power continues to spread, we shall follow in His footsteps
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Rejoice and praise the Lord
His truth is marching on, amen, amen
His wisdom and purity persist into the future and beyond, so be it
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: Julia Ward Howe, William Steffe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aliciahickman817
The original lyric was about the abolitionist named John Brown:
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,
His soul's marching on.
And,—
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,
His soul's marching on.
According to an 1890 account, the original John Brown lyrics were a collective effort by a group of Union soldiers who were referring both to the famous John Brown and also, humorously, to a Sergeant John Brown of their own battalion.
@maggiealadgem6195
I am far from being Mormon, but this choir is amazing. Always a joy to hear them.
@user-kt4iu5wc3c
Amen.
@TradRomanCath
Are they Mormon?
@southernlight6
This song by the Tabernacle Choir reached to #13 on Billboards top 40 in 1959. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing this great anthem sung by the world's greatest choir.
@MegaLokopo
And now if you have kids you will never get the tune out of your head.
@dalegehrking2862
The kids in our schools are
not taught this kind of music anymore.
@matthewk2175
“As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free.” Such power in those words.
@ethanhoman4162
The original lyrics are actually "As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free," I've always felt that was more powerful
@disoriented1
@Ethan Homan so do I..it evokes the actual determination of those Union soldiers...
@toddcunningham3213
"Let us die to make men free."