To open the show, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed a beautiful rendition of “Alleluia/Praise to the Lord, The Almighty”. The skill of the choir is really shown in how skillfully the members utilize the bells, all while maintaining control over their voices and the melody of the song. I was so impressed with how easily singing comes to the members, it was as if the singing was coming from one voice because of how well they pulled off the harmonies.  

After “Alleluia” came “With Joyful Voices Sing”. The dreamy tune featured a bright tone and brought peace to those listening. The experience of the choir is shown through their professional navigation of such a vocally challenging piece. 

Following the introduction by members of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, The choir performed an array of moving spirituals, including: “How Excellent Thy Name”, “Alleluia”, and “Alleluia (Psalm 150).  These were very powerful pieces that spoke to me, and I appreciated how the use of instruments didn’t overpower the choir, just as the choir didn’t overpower their accompaniment. After these songs of praise were: “Ah, El Novio No Quere Dinero!”, “Gamelan”, and “Cindy”. These songs were a nice change of pace from the traditionally American songs that preceded them. I found these pieces much more interesting, the instruments really added depth to the performance and made it seem much more theatrical. 

Following this was a selection of  upbeat songs: “Music Everywhere, “In The Garden” and “To God be the Glory”. The melodies contained a message of unity to finish off this section just as strongly as they started it. 

The Morehouse College Glee Club came after the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and gave a performance of two songs: “Great Glorious” and “I Ain’t Got Weary Yet”. This performance was an ode to African American spiritualism. The richness in the voices of the Glee Club members helps to portray this mood, as well as creating a unique sound. 

Spelman’s choir performed after Morehouse, setting the tone for the show by sharing three classic Spelman tunes, “Wade in the Water”, “Children Go Where I Send Thee”, and “A Choice to Change the World”. The choir utilized the call-and-response technique in “Wade in the Water”, likely a nod to the call-and-response tactics used during the era of slavery. The next two songs were performed as strongly as they always are, and the choir was able to put a more modern feel on the show with the rap section of “Children Go Where I Send Thee”. 

When the Mormon Tabernacle Choir returned, they did so with a very special guest, Kristen Chenoweth. Chenoweth gave a moving performance of “Angels Among Us” as a tribute to those who fought to save victims during 9/11. Her voice utilized operatic stylings and mouth movements. She then performed “How Great Thou Art” with a similar operatic style. 

To close out the show, all the choirs duetted and performed 5 closing songs ending with “‘Till We Meet Again”.