O.C. Tanner Gift of Music


The O.C. Tanner Gift of Music is a series of free concerts presented in Salt Lake City by the Utah Symphony and the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, with soloists, conductors and other choirs as guests. The concerts have been hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square since 1983. The thirtieth anniversary gala concerts were held September 6 and 7, 2013.

Origins

In the 1970s two neighbors Obert C. Tanner, founder of the O.C. Tanner company and Gordon B. Hinckley, a member of the First Presidency of the LDS Church, worked together to foster unity in the growing community of the Wasatch Front. They included the president of the Utah Symphony, Wendell Ashton, and the president of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Oakley Evans in these efforts. Their intent was to create a series of free concerts funded by an endowment from Obert and his wife Grace. These concerts would feature the combined talents of the world-famous Choir and the Symphony. Adding famed soloists, conductors and other choirs as guest artists would make these world class concerts.

Gifts Of Music

1983–89

1983: Verdi ''Requiem''

Friday, September 16, 1983
The Salt Lake Tabernacle

1985: Americana

1987: Mendelssohn ''Elijah''

  • Mormon Tabernacle Choir
  • Utah Symphony --- Jerold Ottley, conductor
  • , ''soloist''

1989: operatic and concert selections

Friday & Saturday, February 24 and 25, 1989
Salt Lake Tabernacle

1991–99

1991: operatic and concert selections

Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9, 1991
Salt Lake Tabernacle

1994: Berlioz">Hector Berlioz">Berlioz ''Requiem''

Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23, 1994
Salt Lake Tabernacle

1996: DeMars ''[An American Requiem]''http://www.jamesdemars.net/12m.html

Friday and Saturday, November 1 and 2, 1996
Salt Lake Tabernacle
  • Mormon Tabernacle Choir
  • Utah Symphony ---, composer & conductor
  • , soloist, soloist
  • Robert Breault, soloist
  • Simon Estes'', soloist''

1998: an Atlantic bridge

Friday and Saturday, November 13 and 14, 1998
Salt Lake Tabernacle

1999: Brahms">Johannes Brahms">Brahms ''Requiem''

Saturday, February 13, 1999
Salt Lake Tabernacle

2000–09

2000: Vaughan Williams">Ralph Vaughan Williams">Vaughan Williams ''Hodie''

Friday & Saturday, November 3 and 4, 2000
Salt Lake Tabernacle

2002: Mahler">Gustav Mahler">Mahler Symphony no. 8

Friday and Saturday, November 15 and 16, 2002
Salt Lake Tabernacle
  • Mormon Tabernacle Choir
  • Utah Symphony --- Keith Lockhart, conductor
  • , soloist
  • , soloist
  • Mary Ellen Callahan, soloist
  • , soloist
  • , soloist
  • , soloist
  • , soloist
  • Les Young, soloist
  • Utah Symphony Chorus, guest
  • Choristers of the Madeleine Choir School, guest
  • , guest
  • , guest
  • SUU Concert Choir, ''guest''

2005: a Celtic celebration

Friday & Saturday, October 21 and 22, 2005
Conference Center

2008: an American songbook

George M. Cohan, Richard Rodgers, John Williams, Woody Guthrie, Irving Berlin and other American composers
Friday & Saturday, September 19 and 20, 2008
Conference Center

2009: Mahler">Gustav Mahler">Mahler Symphony no. 2

Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21, 2009
Salt Lake Tabernacle

2011–present

2011: Berlioz">Hector Berlioz">Berlioz ''Requiem''

Friday & Saturday, September 16 and 17, 2011
Salt Lake Tabernacle

2013: 30th anniversary gala

Friday & Saturday, September 6 and 7, 2013
Conference Center

2019: Golden Spike 150th Anniversary

Friday, May 10th, 2019