In 1915, two men named Squire Coop and Howard Anderson got together and decided to form a choir.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir was already an institution, but Coop and Anderson wanted to do something a little different, an all-volunteer choir with no religious affiliation, no political affiliation -- no affiliation with anything other than the love of singing.The Oratorio Society of Utah was the result.
That year, the choir performed Handel's "Messiah," the most well-known oratorio ever, which describes the life of Christ with such well-known recitatives, arias and choral sections as "Comfort Ye," "He Was Despised," "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" and, of course, the "Hallelujah Chorus."
While it has never been fully substantiated, it is thought that when King George II was listening to the "Hallelujah Chorus" for the first time in a 1743 performance of the Messiah, he was so moved by the music that he stood up in excitement. Since protocol demanded that no one sit in the king's presence while the king was standing, the entire audience stood, and the tradition has stuck.
(Some wags have surmised that the real reason the king stood up was because he needed to go to the bathroom. Not surprisingly, no rigorous research has been done on the question, but it's probably safe to conclude that theory is unlikely.)
Every year since its formation, the Oratorio Society has sung the "Messiah" on Temple Square at Christmastime -- a string of performances spanning unbroken over 83 years. Utah Christmases wouldn't be the same without it. Trees, tinsel, the lights on Temple Square, presents, snow (most of the time) and the Oratorio Society's "Messiah" in the tabernacle -- it's all part and parcel of Utah's Christmas tradition.
"One woman (in the choir) has been there 50 years," said Oratorio Society President Richard Horak. "Others have been there 30 or 40 years. It becomes something they want to do every year."
(Singers are required to reaudition every three years.)
The Oratorio Society also produces a spring concert and has toured in such places as Canada, Israel and Egypt. Besides the "Messiah," the choir is also known for its performances of Mendelssohn's masterwork oratorio "Elijah."
For the "Messiah," each year the choir is led by a different guest conductor, each of whom puts his own stamp on the performance. Some conductors like to take it slower, some faster, some snappier, some broader.
This year the conductor will be Donald Neuen, distinguished director of conducting and director of choral activities at UCLA.
"I think it's going to be an unusually good performance this year," Horak said. "The conductor has done a lot of preliminary work. . . . We have tried to do it nice and crisp and (help the audience) understand the wording."
Neuen will physically arrive in town Sunday (the choir has been working with a rehearsal conductor in the interim), when he will go through the oratorio twice with the choir. Wednesday he will work with the soloists, and Thursday will be a full-blown rehearsal with the Utah Symphony Chamber Orchestra, soloists and choir.
"It's going to wonderful to hear, let me tell you," Horak said.
The soloists will be soprano Holly Price, contralto Julie Israelsen, tenor James Miller and bass Wayne Shepperd. Price and Shepperd hail from California, while Israelsen and Miller come from Sandy and Salt Lake City, respectively. The Oratorio Society likes to support local artists, so it gets at least two locals to solo each year.
What with paying the conductor, soloists, chamber orchestra and other expenses, this year the performance will cost the Oratorio Society between $40,000 and $45,000. However, "we're not broke," Horak said. The Messiah typically draws an audience large enough to fill between 75 percent and 100 percent of the tabernacle, with tickets costing $5, $8 and $10. Quite a few vouchers for free tickets are also given out on Temple Square.
Tickets are available through ArtTix, 355-ARTS. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. in the tabernacle.