Andy Reid is scheduled to join the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square as guest narrator for a special broadcast of “Music & the Spoken Word” this July.
The broadcast — to be presented live twice from Salt Lake City on Sunday, July 5 — will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.
As guest narrator, the Kansas City Chiefs head coach will “reflect on the principles of unity, perseverance and faith that have shaped the American story,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“I spent more than a decade just down the road from Independence Hall (in Philadelphia), where our Founding Fathers put pen to paper on the Declaration of Independence,” Reid said in the church’s recent news release.
“They were the ultimate team — facing adversity, staying the course and building something that has endured for 250 years.
“I’m honored to join the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square to celebrate the birth of our nation in a place that reflects the same spirit of unity and faith.”
At nearly 180 years old, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has performed in “renowned venues worldwide,” according to the church’s news release. It was once referred to as “America’s Choir” by then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan and was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President George W. Bush in 2003.
“The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square lends its voice in celebrating the freedom of religion proclaimed to the world in the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago,” said choir president Michael O. Leavitt in the church’s news release.
The special broadcast planned to air for the nation’s 250th anniversary this July is scheduled to go live twice on July 5 — at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. MDT.
The broadcast will be available to watch or listen to on television, radio and the Tabernacle Choir’s YouTube channel.
Tickets will be required to attend the July 5 broadcast in person, and information on how to register and obtain tickets will be released at a later date.
Earlier this month, the church also announced that the Tabernacle Choir is part of “America’s Soundtrack,” a national playlist organized by America250 to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“Music unifies us in a way few things can,” said Rosie Rios, chair of America250, a nonpartisan congressional commission charged with organizing celebrations to commemorate the nation’s semiquincentennial.
“As we engage all 350 million Americans in the 250th anniversary of the United States, ‘America’s Soundtrack’ will give us a powerful way to connect through a shared cultural language — music.”
Learn more about how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is celebrating the nation’s historic anniversary here. And see the milestone the Tabernacle Choir reached just last year here.