“HALLELUJAH!” Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, featuring Laura Osnes and Martin Jarvis, CD $17.98, DVD $19.99
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square’s 2015 Christmas concert is on DVD and CD with “Hallelujah!” The concert features Broadway singer Laura Osnes, English actor Martin Jarvis and four soloists from the Metropolitan Opera: Erin Morley, Tamara Mumford, Ben Bliss and Tyler Simpson.
The 15 songs shared on the CD and DVD include traditional Christmas music including “Angels from the Realms of Glory,” “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Other carols include “Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” “Wexford Carol,” “Over the River and through the Woods” and “Fum, Fum, Fum!”
The Metropolitan Opera soloists and Jarvis’ narration help share the story of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.”
The CD includes a booklet with the history and words of each song, and the DVD has bonus interviews with Osnes, Jarvis, Morley, Mumford, Bliss and Simpson.
The concert will also be shown on PBS nationally Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. MT, and then additional showings locally on KUED are scheduled for Dec. 13, at 7 p.m., Dec. 25, at 4 p.m. and Dec. 26, at 3 a.m.
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“MESSIAH,” by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, $34.99
This CD and DVD combo includes the music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s performances of conductor Mack Wilberg’s unique arrangement of Handel’s “Messiah.” The complete oratorio, which features soloists soprano Sonya Yoncheva, mezzo-soprano Tamra Mumford, tenor Rolando Villazon and bass Bryn Terfel, is more than two hours, 20 minutes on CDs.
The set includes a DVD that shares bonus interviews with the soloists, an interview with Wilberg, and the musical background of the “Messiah.” Also, artist J. Kirk Richards shares about creating the cover art. A booklet includes the history of the “Messiah” and background on Wilberg’s arrangement along with the lyrics for the various parts of the work.