Ever since the arrival of the Mormon settlers in Salt Lake City, music praising God has rung out from Temple Square and has lifted the spirits of millions of listeners around the world. In keeping with that musical tradition, a new sound will soon be heard ringing out from Temple Square — handbells!
In March, a new group of volunteers, the Bells at Temple Square, will be organized under the umbrella of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to perform two concerts throughout the year and accompany the choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square, and other organizations as invited.
Tom Waldron, a longtime member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, will be the conductor for the new handbell group. "I am excited about this project and have been looking forward to it for some time," Mr. Waldron remarked when speaking about his responsibility of creating and directing this unique musical ensemble.
The Bells at Temple Square will consist of 15 to 25 volunteer bell ringers, who will practice once a week, Wednesday nights, in the conference center. Church members wishing to join this group should be between the ages of 20 and 50 and live within 100 miles of Temple Square. Auditions for positions in the group will be held the first two Saturdays in March. Applicants need not have experience with bell ringing, though musical aptitude and physical coordination is necessary. A letter of recommendation from the musician's bishop is required.
Church members interested in auditioning for the Bells at Temple Square are invited to download application materials from www.mormontabernaclechoir.org (click on "Auditions") or call the Mormon Tabernacle Choir office at 801-240-4150 to request an application by mail.