In a speech at Brigham Young University in November 1998 President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “What a magnificent thing is the Tabernacle Choir. I think it is the finest choir in the world. It is the choir of this Church, and it is a musical body of magnificence, of wondrous excellence. That status has not been achieved without tremendous work extending over a period of a century and a half. But their present quality is not enough. The world is moving forward, and they must go on and improve, and improve, and improve.” With this charge, the directors of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir established the Temple Square Chorale and Training School and the Orchestra at Temple Square. In announcing the appointments of Mack Wilberg and Barlow Bradford as Associate Directors of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Directors of the Temple Square Chorale and the Orchestra at Temple Square, respectively, President Hinckley responded, “With the rapid growth of the Church and the planned completion of the new assembly building in the year 2000, it becomes more important than ever before to provide the very best musical talent and leadership to meet the demands of the coming century.” The Orchestra at Temple Square will function concurrently as a concert orchestra and as a resource for other instrumental needs at Temple Square. After an initial response from nearly 200 musicians, rigorous auditions were held throughout the summer of 1999 resulting in an orchestra of some of the finest instrumentalists in the Church today.
