'Rediscovering the Tabernacle Choir'
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One of the biggest media attractions in Utah these days is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
With the approach of the 2002 Winter Games, media outlets from throughout the world are sending crews to Salt Lake City to gather feature stories, news reports, video highlights and photos pertinent to the Olympics' host city. Many from the media make their way to the Tabernacle on Temple Square to sit in on a rehearsal, attend a Sunday morning broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word or interview choir leaders and singers.
"It's just unbelieveable," said choir music director Craig Jessop of the media attention. "I've never seen anything like it." He rattled off names of news organizations that have come for interviews or photo opportunities, including the NBC Today Show, National Geographic Television, ABC Television, and various reporters and crews from more than two dozen countries. As many as 11 media crews have shown up at one time for the Sunday morning broadcasts, giving the choir unsurpassed visiblity in many parts of the world.
"I think people are rediscovering the Tabernacle Choir and taking a great deal of pride in it as an American institution that's been here through the ages, in good times and in bad," Brother Jessop said. "Without exception, all the media people I've interfaced with have been just kind and gracious and genuinely interested and moved by the choir and what the choir is. I haven't had one negative experience so far."
Bob Meyer, one of the producers on the weekend editions of the NBC Today Show, said they wanted to do an overview of the city. "We thought we should do something on the Family History Library and said, 'We have to do something on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.' That was how we decided how to sort of introduce the city to a national audience that may be aware of the choir but has never quite placed them in this city at this time."
In speaking of the national appeal of the Tabernacle Choir, Mr. Meyer said that he watched the 60 Minutes II segment broadcast about the choir several weeks ago. "It was just beautiful," he said. "There were a number of people there. When they started to hear the choir on the television, everybody sort of filtered into the room with the kids. We all sort of sat and watched it. I think there's just a universal interest in the choir and also a curiosity about the Church, too. It's something that everybody knows a little bit about but one of the things I found out — this is the third time I've done the Olympics — is that people think they know a lot about a city or about an institution in a city. They really don't have a lot of information. This is a great opportunity for that kind of exposure to a national audience."
Asked if he concurred with the choir being called "America's choir," he said, "I don't think I could stop anyone on the street who would know of a choir of more renown. They're about as spectacular as anyone I've ever heard. . . . There is no one better."
