Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir 2019

Last night I was able to attend Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir and it was such a beautiful concert.  It featured the choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square, Bells on Temple Square, the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble, and guests Richard Thomas and Kelli O'Hara.  The evening began with "Star in the East" performed by the orchestra and the choir while members of the choir walked down the aisles through the crowd to the stage carrying lights.  This was so dramatic and it gave me goosebumps!  Then they performed a stirring rendition of "In Dulci Jubilo."  Next Kelli O'Hara, a Broadway star who won the Tony Award for her performance as Anna in the revival of The King and I, came to the stage to perform "Mary's Little Boy Child" and "The Birthday of a King." I wasn't very familiar with O'Hara but her voice is absolutely exquisite and she sang these songs so beautifully and effortlessly!  The concert continued with a fun medley of Christmas carols performed by the orchestra.  O'Hara returned to give the audience what she called the gift of Rogers & Hammerstein by performing "A Cockeyed Optimist" from South Pacific, "I Whistle a Happy Tune" from The King and I, and "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music.  I love all of these musicals so I really enjoyed this part of the concert.  Then she sang "Cradle in Bethlehem" which is her father's favorite Christmas carol and she dedicated it to her family.  I found her to be very warm and genuine!  This was followed by "Hallelujah" by Johann Sebastian Bach and "Hallelujah" from Messiah by George Frederic Handel performed by the choir and orchestra.  Richard Elliott performed a fun version of "Jingle Bells" on the organ with a bluegrass group called Cold Creek (Andrea Ivey Banner, Craig Miner, Blaine Nelson, Rob Ricks, and Bill Sprunger).  This was an audience favorite and received a standing ovation.  The actor Richard Thomas, best known for the TV series The Waltons, gave a heartfelt reading of a story by Pearl S. Buck called "Christmas Day in the Morning."  I loved the message about love being the best Christmas present you can give and I loved the set which was designed to look like an old fashioned farmhouse.  My favorite part of the concert came next with O'Hara's rendition of a song called "Baby of Bethlehem (Singing in the Land)."  I had never heard this before but it was absolutely ethereal and I loved it.  Thomas narrated the Christmas story from the Bible while a group of children acted it out (I loved the sheep).  The concert concluded with "Angels From the Realms of Glory" and it was spectacular!  As always, this concert was wonderful and I am so glad that I was able to go!  All tickets have been allocated for tonight's concert but you can get in a standby line at the Tabernacle.  It is well worth the effort (go here for more information).