The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square will visit seven cities on the Classic Coast Tour this summer — including a stop in Berkeley where they will perform at the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre on the University of California, Berkeley campus on Saturday, June 23. The last time the Choir performed in Berkeley was over a hundred years ago in 1902. The Choir and Orchestra appeared in the Bay Area over a decade ago in 2005 with appearances in San Jose and Oakland. The Choir and Orchestra will also appear at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on June 25, 2018.
In addition to these two Bay Area appearances, the 2018 Classic Coast Tour will also include stops in Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, Rohnert Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle, Washington with concerts scheduled from Tuesday, June 19 through Monday, July 2. The tour takes its name from the classic musical experience the audiences and performers will share at the specially-selected venues for this tour. Performances by the traveling ensemble will feature 300 voices of the world-renowned choir and 65 members of the Orchestra at Temple Square. The Choir’s extensive repertoire will be showcased on the tour with musical selections ranging from music of the master composers, to folk music from around the world and spirituals to signature hymns and anthems.
Choir member Mark Williams grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and says he is thrilled to be returning home to perform. “As I look back throughout my life, music has always been a driving force that helped me grow as a person in every way. When I found music, it was like I found my people. I love how you can communicate things through music that you can’t communicate with words alone.”
Ron Jarrett, president of the Choir, added: “There is nothing quite like hearing the Choir and Orchestra live in concert and experiencing their signature all-encompassing sound. We love going on the road to connect with our audiences and seeing first-hand the pure joy music can bring to the hearts and minds of our fans."
Since its first tour outside of Utah in 1893, the Choir has toured extensively across the United States and abroad. It has performed throughout Europe and in music capitals from Israel and Russia to Japan and Australia. Its travels have also included performances at the inaugurations of seven U.S. presidents. A full complement of the Orchestra has traveled on tour with the Choir since 2005. The all-volunteer Choir and Orchestra usually tour every other year since all of the performers must take vacation time from their jobs and leave their families to undertake the travel.
At home, the full 360-voice Choir, accompanied nearly every week by the Orchestra whose roster includes 200 instrumentalists can also be heard weekly as part of the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast. This 30-minute program is the world’s longest continuing network broadcast which will shortly begin its 90th year of broadcasting. It currently airs on over 2,000 radio, TV, cable and satellite stations worldwide. The Choir and Orchestra are active recording artists with their own recording label, Mormon Tabernacle Choir. With over 200 recordings since their first one in 1910, they have just released the 36th CD on their label entitled Tree of Life: Sacred Music of Mack Wilberg.
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Where: William Randolph Hearst Greek Theater, Berkeley & Shoreline Ampitheater, Mountain View
When: Saturday, June 13 & Monday, June 25
