The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has announced that actor Dennis Haysbert will narrate this year’s Christmas concerts on December 19, 20, and 21 at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.
Haysbert and actress Ruthie Ann Miles (announced in October) are the featured guest artists in the Choir’s annual Christmas celebration.
Mack Wilberg, music director for the Tabernacle Choir, said he looks forward to performing with Haysbert. “The iconic voice and great stage presence of Dennis Haysbert will greatly add to the spirit and meaning of Christmas at this year’s Tabernacle Choir concert,” he said.
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Dennis Haysbert is an American actor best known for his commanding presence and deep, distinctive voice. He rose to prominence through his work in both television and film. Haysbert’s career breakthrough came with his role as President David Palmer on the hit television series “24”, which earned him Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations.
He has also appeared in a variety of notable films, including “Major League” and is currently appearing in “Holidazed,” a Hallmark+ Christmas limited series showcasing his versatile talent.
Haysbert’s powerful, resonant voice has made him a sought-after narrator and commercial spokesperson, most notably as the voice of “Meet The Press,” where he is heard weekly on TV, radio, and the internet. Beyond acting, Haysbert has supported and entertained troops on many USO tours and has remained a respected figure both in entertainment and activism.
Tickets to this year’s Christmas concerts have all been claimed, but a standby line will form in the Tabernacle on Temple Square at 6 p.m., two hours prior to each Christmas Concert.
Tickets are not required for the 30-minute weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast on Sunday morning, December 22, at 9:30 a.m., following the concerts. Haysbert and Miles are scheduled to perform on the broadcast.
For the live concert in 2023, Broadway’s Michael Maliakel and film and television actor Lesley Nicol joined the Choir, the Orchestra, and the Bells at Temple Square. The event was taped for airing this year. The concert, “Joy: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir,” will be broadcast on PBS on December 17 at 8 p.m. and December 24 at 9:30 p.m. It will also run on BYUtv December 21–25.
The Choir will release the CD and DVD versions of last year’s Christmas concert. A beautifully illustrated book, based on the narration from last year’s concerts, “Victor Hugo’s Wondrous Feast, The True Story of How the Author of Les Misérables Inspired the World to Love,” will also be released. These products went on sale on October 25. More information can be found on the choir’s website, TheTabernacleChoir.org.
A Grammy Award-winning, multiple Emmy Award-winning, all-volunteer choral ensemble, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square is made up of 360 men and women who join their talents to create their trademark, instantly recognizable sound. They are accompanied by the Orchestra at Temple Square, a 150-member symphony orchestra, and the Bells at Temple Square, a 32-member handbell choir, who are all volunteers. Together, they provide inspiring music that has the power to help people feel closer to the divine and celebrate God’s love for all His children.
The Choir has appeared at 13 world fairs and expositions, performed at seven U.S. presidential inaugurals, and sung for numerous worldwide telecasts and special events — all the while broadcasting “Music and the Spoken Word,” the oldest continuing radio network broadcast, a weekly tradition now in its 96th year. In another first, “Music and the Spoken Word” is now also broadcast in Spanish.