Tabernacle choir. Some might call it americas choir. The mormon tabernacle choir was organized in 1847 when the first pioneers came into this valley. It was a small group of people who met in a bowerytype building, very rustic, and they asked for a choir to perform, but it was in 1849 that welsh pioneers came to the valley and they sang in fourpart harmony, they sang in welsh, and thats when president Brigham Young really decided you need to be the nucleus of a great choir. So it really started 1847, 1849. They used to sing in a building over on a square that was just a temporary building, but they called it the tabernacle, and thats how the name came, the mormon tabernacle choir. When that was too small, they startedtabernacle. They started this particular building, which was in the late 1860s. It was completed at the end of the civil war. The choir moved into this building at the time and it has been the home of the choir ever since. As we have visitors come to temple square, we invite them into the tabornacle. Built by early pioneer stock and becomes a centerpiece for people to begin to look and think, wow, this is really an amazing experience. Then we see the choir np front of them and makes a great picture. Whenever you see a photograph of a choir, this organ is right here in the center of the photograph. And its accompanying the choir since 1867 because the choirs been around and even longer. This is the oldest building on temple square. Its even older than the temple itself. And the oldest thing inside of the tabernacle is this organ case. Have looked down on decades and decades of history and have seen all kinds of things. Lots of american president s have spoken from the pulpit and seen the choir perform here. A lot of history in this case and in the building. 3hc the sound of the organ is really unique. This instrument, most of the pipes were built by the company in 1948. And it was considered their magnum opus. The president of that Company Really considered this one of his finest if not the finest instrument that he built. And part of that is because the pipes are so beautifully voiced for the room. But part of it is the room itself. This dome ceiling does a remarkable job of projecting even the softest sound from the organ with great clarity to the back of the room. The sound envelopes you. Its like a warm bath when you hear this organ play. As you can imagine when youre accompanying a choir this large and this well trained, and this passionate about what theyre doing, its a hairraising experience every time. Whenever i sit on this bench and hear those voices, its this huge wall of sound going over me and going out into the room. And its still electrifying. Ive been accompanying the choir for, i think, 23 years now. And i still, im still thrilled as much as i was the first time i heard them. One great story has to do with helen keller who was here back in the early 1900s. And spoke at the pulpit just behind where im seated here. If you can call it speaking. Her situation, she was deprived of her eyesight and learned to speak in a very guttural voice. But she came here and gave a presentation to a packed house. And when she had finished, they asked if there was anything she would like. And she said id like to hear your famous organ play. And so the organist came over and played a hymn that strongly identified with the church. And the president of the church walked her right up to the organ case and placed her hand on the wood of the case. And a person said who was there at the time said that helen keller just wept as she felt the throbbing of the great instrument and the sound of those pipes playing the song that the pioneers had sang as they came across the plains. Theres something unique about this choir that comes across to audiences. And i think its a combination of things. Its not just the size of the choir, not how well trained they are and how professional they are. I think its their sincerity about their message. And when they turn to the audience at the end of any performance or the broadcast saying god be with you until we meet again, i see tears in the eyes of the people out there. And i know the stories of the choir members. I know what theyre going through in their families. And i know theyre really singing from the heart. And that comes across when the audience hears them sing. Throughout 2014, cspans cities tour has featured the history of communities throughout the country. Today we feature the music of several of these cities. So right now were at the douglas theater. Probably one