PHILADELPHIA — Alan and Doris Babel sat on the front row of Philadelphia's Mann Theater July 7, wondering aloud if their seats might be too close to the famed amphitheater's stage. Once the 360 singers in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and 25 players from the Orchestra at Temple Square began performing, the couple discarded all concern.

Photo by Gerry Avant

Alan and Doris Babel, who sat on the front row of Philadelphia's Mann Theater, were among the thousands who gave several ovations to the Tabernacle Choir during July 7 performance. There's no place they'd rather be than the concert, they said.

Photo by Gerry Avant

With Harry Smith on the performer's stage, choir awaits performing in Boston, Mass.

From the program's opening with the National Anthem through its presentations from the masterworks, hymns, folk songs of the world, songs and anthems of Americana and encore numbers, they sat in those front-row seats, tapping their feet, nodding their heads, looking over at each other from time to time and smiling. Their smiles spoke volumes, sending out one emphatic message: There was no place on earth they'd rather be.

After the last notes faded into the hot humid air, they were asked, "How was the concert?"

"Fantastic," said Mr. Babel. "No, more than fantastic. It was the most fantastic program I've ever seen."

Mrs. Babel asked, "Do you think they'll come back another year? I hope they come back."

The Babels were only two people among tens of thousands who attended concerts along the choir's 10-city tour in the northeastern United States June 24-July 11. Their response seemed typical. Overwhelmingly, audiences showed love for the Tabernacle Choir.

This was a record-setting tour. Never has the choir performed before so many people while on tour. More than 600,000 people saw and heard the choir perform with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra on the Fourth of July.

The final concert, at Tanglewood Festival at Lenox, Mass., with the Boston Symphony was July 11, after Church News deadline, so precise attendance figures could not be provided. It is estimated that audiences at concerts along the tour totaled more than 70,000.

Added to the live audiences were television audiences. The Fourth of July celebration was televised nationally. However, while the live performance was nearly two hours long and featured several numbers by the choir, the televised portion was less than an hour and the choir was featured only once. Also, the choir made an appearance on NBC's "Today" show.

But this tour was not about numbers. The only number that mattered to choir officers and leaders, singers, the orchestra ensemble and staff was "one," as in touching hearts, inspiring and lifting one person at a time.

As the tour got under way, Mac Christensen, president of the Tabernacle Choir, told the choir and orchestra ensemble that their mission was not to just entertain audiences; they were to inspire people. By the time the choir and ensemble pulled out of Philadelphia near the tour's end July 8, President Christensen could have said, "Mission accomplished."

Members of the Tabernacle Choir stayed focused on their duty as set-apart missionaries — musical ambassadors — to open doors, soften hearts and expose people to the Church. Just like "regular missionaries," choir members sacrificed to fulfill their calling. Many of those sacrifices came in the form of performing in nearly insufferable heat after nearly unbearably long days. At Wolftrap near Washington, D.C., for example, the temperature at the outdoor venue was 98 degrees F; when stage lights were turned on, the choir performed in temperatures exceeding 110 degrees. Still, from the audiences' perspective they looked composed and sounded strong.

This was not an easy tour, but the choir made it look easy. The tour was extremely well organized, with every consideration given to efficient transportation, comfortable hotels, nutritious and plentiful food. Still, there were times of all-night travel, rushed meals — in one case no opportunity to eat dinner before performing because of unexpected traffic delays.

"There are 24 hours in a day; we've been going 26," President Christensen said in emphasizing the schedule. "We've not had an extra second. Nor have we touched so many hearts in such a short period of time.

"These choir members are unbelievable," he said. "I've never heard them do so well. They've been easy to be with. A yeoman's job was done by everyone."

Craig Jessop, the choir's music director, said the singers and orchestra ensemble were "models of consecration, sacrifice and devotion. Touring is not glamorous. It's hard with long hours, and sometimes things are less than ideal. Without exception, they've given their best. They've inspired listeners."

Before the concert at Philadelphia's Mann Theater, Brother Jessop commiserated with the choir regarding the heat and humidity, the long bus rides and the general exhaustion that comes with a tour of such duration. "Welcome to the Philadelphia sauna," he said. It was a fitting quip. Nearly everyone looked wilted. Other than comments about the hot weather, there was no complaining from the choir.

As Brother Jessop coached them regarding pitch and tone, he said, "Our bodies tell us we're tired. We have a tendency to want to sing flat. But our spirits are overpowering our bodies. We know what's wrong and can rise above it."

And they did, time after time.

E-mail: gerry@desnews.com