The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square will present "The Joy of Christmas" Dec. 7 and 8 in the Conference Center, with Angela Lansbury as special guest.

Angela Lansbury

Craig Jessop, Tabernacle Choir music director, said that the concert will provide something for everyone to celebrate this Christmas season. "With what our nation is going through and with concerns and worries throughout the world, we wanted to make this celebration even more special than before," he said. "There are people who have had loved ones taken from them, or whose loved ones are serving their country, perhaps overseas. Christmas is a time that brings home and family close together. We want to remind everyone of that timely message of the angel to the shepherds, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.' (See Luke 2:10-11.) That will be the message of our concert."

The Christmas concert will feature the choir and orchestra performing traditional carols of the season and the renowned actress and singer providing narration, reading scriptures and "singing some of the music that has made her famous," according to Brother Jessop.

"Angela Lansbury is probably one of most beloved actresses in world today," he said. "Appealing to all age groups, from toddlers to senior citizens, she has found her way into the hearts of everyone as a beloved person in our culture."

The actress has appeared in 44 motion pictures. In 1991, she was the voice of Mrs. Potts in the Disney animated feature "Beauty and the Beast" and in 1997 was the voice of the Grand Duchess Marie in the animated movie "Anastasia."

She has appeared in a number of Broadway productions, including "Mame," in which she played the starring role for two years and won the Tony Award as Best Actress. She won the Tony for three other Broadway roles. She also has performed on stage in London, where she was born and lived until age 14 when she was evacuated to escape the London Blitz of World War II.

She has had a prolific television career, including her role as Jessica Fletcher in the CBS series "Murder, She Wrote." Other recent starring roles have been in "The Unexpected Mrs. Polifax," and "Mrs. Santa Claus."

She was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 1982, received the Silver Mask for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1992, was named a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994, and was given a Lifetime Achievement award from the Screen Actors Guild in 1997. She has been nominated for 16 Emmy Awards, has won six Golden Globe Awards and has been nominated for an additional eight. In 1997 she was presented with the National Medal of the Arts. In December 2000, she received a Kennedy Center Honor in Washington, D.C.

Tickets for the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square Christmas Concert will become available at 10 a.m. on Oct. 30. Admission is free but tickets are required. The preferred way to obtain tickets is by registering on-line at www.events.lds.org. Tickets may be obtained also at the Conference Center box office, at door #4, or by telephoning (801) 240-0080. Tickets are limited to four per person. Admission is for those 8 years and older.

Those attending the concert are advised to consider seasonal traffic congestion and plan to arrive early. Ticket holders must be in their seats by 7 p.m. for the 7:30 performance.