SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Over the weekend, the Orchestra at Temple Square celebrated a special milestone, a quarter-century of music.
The Orchestra’s first concert was played on Oct. 29, 1999.
“We express our profound love, admiration, and appreciation for all that they have done for the past 25 years,” Tabernacle Choir Music Director Mack Wilberg said. Wilberg oversees the Orchestra as well.
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Thirty-two people have been with the Orchestra since the beginning. One of those people is harpist Julie Keyes. She told the Church Newsroom that she has treasured every moment.
“I think the most memorable experiences are with the audience, with the people showing how much they love and appreciate what we’re doing for them,” Keyes said.
Wilberg told the Church Newsroom said the Orchestra’s impact on the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has been powerful and the Orchestra added a new layer to the Choir’s live broadcast “Music and the Spoken Word,” which has run for nearly 100 years.
As with the Choir, all the Orchestra members are volunteers, the Newsroom said online, they also say each is a “musical missionary for Jesus Christ.”
Keyes said that she still remembers auditioning for the Orchestra and said that her dad pushed her to audition.
“I said, ‘But why would I want to do that? I’m not going to get paid.’ I think that is what has been one of the most rewarding experiences of playing with the Orchestra,” she said.
Ryan Murphy, who serves with Wilberg, says that both members of the Orchestra and Choir love God and love to serve.
“It’s just a wonderful, joyous atmosphere to be involved in. They are just top-notch musicians and top-notch people,” Murphy said.