SALT LAKE CITY —; Cherished by generations as "the most trusted man in America," Walter Cronkite will be the guest narrator for this year's Christmas concerts by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.
Cronkite, best known as the anchor for the CBS Evening News for 19 years, will join the Choir and Orchestra on a concert program entitled "Silent Night, Holy Night." The concert will feature Christmas songs and sacred anthems appropriate for the season by the Choir, with an original treatment of a holiday story narrated by Cronkite. The Orchestra will also be featured with a solo orchestral number.
"We are thrilled and honored to have America's senior statesman of broadcast journalism join us for this year's Christmas concerts," said Craig Jessop, Music Director for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. "We felt he was the perfect choice to complement our program this year and his narration will be the centerpiece of the program." While not wanting to give away the surprises in this year's concert, Jessop promised a special treat for concertgoers.
Walter Cronkite's accomplishments —; both on-air and off — have won him acclaim and trust from his broadcast colleagues and American viewers alike. In his more than 65 years in journalism, his voice has come to symbolize honesty, objectivity and good humor.
Since stepping down as the anchorman for the CBS Evening News, he has continued as special correspondent for CBS and serves as host for many PBS specials and other documentaries. He is a founder of The Cronkite Ward Company, which has produced more than 60 award-winning documentaries for the Discovery Channel, PBS and other networks.
The Christmas concerts will be presented in the Conference Center on Thursday, 12 December (preview performance), Friday, 13 December and Saturday, 14 December, at 7:30 p.m. The weekly half-hour CBS radio broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word on Sunday, 15 December, at 9:30 a.m. in the Conference Center will also feature Cronkite as guest narrator. It will be followed by a mini-concert with additional music from the concert program.
The doors of the Conference Center will open at 6:30 p.m. for the 12 December preview performance and at 6:00 p.m. for the Friday and Saturday, 13-14 December performances. The length of the performance will be approximately 90 minutes. Seating is limited to those 8 years of age and older. Given the increase in traffic due to other scheduled downtown holiday events, guests are asked to allow extra time for travel and parking in order to be seated 30 minutes before the performance begins. Standby tickets will not be issued. However, patrons are invited to stand by at the North Gate of Temple Square for last minute seating.