The latest Mormon Tabernacle Choir album has taken the world-famous choir to the top of the Billboards for the 12th time.
The 11-track album, "Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends," was No. 1 on Billboard's Classical Crossover chart and No. 2 on the Classical Overall chart, the choir announced Thursday.
The album, which features prominent artists like Amy Grant, Santino Fontana and Brian Stokes Mitchell, was "15 years in the making," according to broadwayworld.com.
"This album represents years of collaboration with some of the world's most treasured artists," said Mack Wilberg, the choir's music director, in a press release. "We are thrilled with the reception this work is receiving and consider it a great honor to join forces with these incredible friends. We're grateful listeners are enjoying it as much as we loved making it."
The choir created the album by pulling from past performances with celebrity guest artists, such as Sting and Yo-Yo Ma at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, as well as James Taylor, Angela Lansbury and David Foster. The new release also includes new tracks recorded specifically for the album.
"I'm a Mormon Tabernacle Choir lifer," Foster said of performing with the choir. "I grew up listening to them on the radio with my father. And it’s been a goal of mine to work with this choir. It doesn’t matter what religion you are, when you work with the choir in the Tabernacle, something comes over you. Couple that with an orchestra, and a 360-piece choir playing a song — it’s magic."
Email: ttoone@deseretnews.com Twitter: tbtoone