Guest artists share what it was like to perform at the Tabernacle Choir’s 2024 Christmas Concert

SALT LAKE CITY — Despite the immense size of the conference center, guest artists at this year’s Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert said the space felt intimate during Thursday’s performance.

Broadway actress Ruthie Ann Miles said she has performed in front of large crowds but has never seen such a large space that felt like a Broadway house.

“There aren’t very many stages that feel this level of connection to the audience. … I can look people directly in the eyes and talk to them, which is my favorite way to tell stories,” she said.

Dennis Haysbert, an actor known for his deep voice narrating the concert, said despite the venue’s size, “It also gives you a good hug.”

The guest artists and choir directors spoke at a news conference Friday following the first of three Christmas concert performances by the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square and the Bells at Temple Square. Concert tickets have all been snapped up, but there will be a hold for anyone wanting to attend this weekend’s performances.

“It just fills me up”

Haysbert said when he heard about the story told through this year’s Christmas concert, his participation was “a done deal.” However, he said that it was difficult for him to get through the first paragraph of the script – he couldn’t imagine a six-year-old being left alone.

“It’s a really hard story to get through, but I love the feeling that comes over me when I tell it,” he said.

He said that with music it was even harder to contain his emotions, but it was a “wonderful” and “delicious” feeling.

“It just fills me up and I just hope it resonates with the audience,” he said.

Haysbert said meeting the man whose story is told, Charles Mulli, who was a surprise guest at the concert, was like meeting a lost friend.

He spoke about going off script during Thursday night’s concert, saying that because of the closeness of the two and the questions he had, their conversations could last for hours.

Mulli spoke at Friday’s press conference about struggling with self-employment as a child, becoming a Christian and working long hours when he started a business.

“For ten years, God really let me survive. I think and believe that he had a goal for my future,” Mulli said.

He said God touched his heart one day as children approached his vehicle on the street and he remembered where he came from. At 40, Mulli said God told him to give it his all. He said his wife and eight children were afraid when he told them he was giving it all away – but God used him and drew people to himself.

Now, Mulli said, his organization cares for over 8,000 children, giving them “free love for Jesus Christ,” free food and education through Mulli’s own schools.

“God is really real; (I know) because I saw it,” he said. “I am so happy to have this opportunity to speak and share that God is bigger and very loving,” he said.

Mulli said that through faith people can do good, not for themselves but for God. He said his organization feeds 5,000 families every Christmas and also distributes meals to children in its schools and Kenya’s public schools throughout the year.

Haysbert said he decided to travel to Kenya and meet the children served by Mulli’s organization. “When I tell the story, I am not here, but in Kenya. And I have no idea what Kenya looks like, but I know I’m there and then I’m coming out,” he said.

He said stories like Mulli’s bring people together around the world.

“When you think about this man and what he went through, you don’t see color. You don’t recognize race. I mean, we are all one race. We are human beings and we are in this together,” he said.

Mack Wilberg, the choir’s director, said the focus of this year’s concert is hope and service. He said they hope people leave the concert with a spirit of hope and service.

He said it was “the icing on the cake” that Mulli came to tell his story in person. He thanked him for allowing the choir to share its story with millions of people over the next year.

Wilberg said it takes some inspiration and luck to find the right story for each concert this year. He said sometimes they tell stories of people who are no longer alive – like the story of Victor Hugo in last year’s concert – but because this year’s story is contemporary, they can bring Mulli on stage.

“Integrated into the company”

Both Haysbert and Miles said they have long been familiar with the music of the Tabernacle Choir. Miles talked about listening to the music with her mother, who was heavily involved in her own church’s sacred music growing up.

She emigrated to the United States when she was five, and when she learned English, the two communicated best through music. She talked to her mother about singing harmonies while driving.

“I never imagined that one day I would be able to stand on stage and perform with them, with the added gift of having my mother in the audience,” she said.

Miles praised the choir and orchestra’s conscious musicality and discipline. She said their first training session together took place on Tuesday and everyone was prepared with their parts of the program.

When she arrived, she said she was welcomed there and felt like she was being “inducted into a company.”

“It doesn’t happen often… it really felt like a welcome, like we were wrapped in a blanket of love,” she said.

Wilberg said they played through the songs twice with everyone before the first performance. He said directing the choir was a “great privilege” but also “a lot of hard work.”

He said he strives for unity and contrast when choosing music for the program. And although the Christmas concerts have been held for many years, the construction of the concert center 25 years ago has made the annual event what Church members know today. He said each concert takes on a life of its own and has a unique meaning.

Mike Leavitt, president of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, thanked the guests who shared their talents and stories for the concert.

“This performance exudes Christmas spirit on a monumental scale,” he said.