Music Review: 2014 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Pioneer Day Concert

The Momon Tabernacle Choir Pioneer Day Concert this year was not your typical year of singing pioneer songs, except for the first couple numbers, but was a year of Broadway show tunes.  This included the choir singing "Heigh Ho" and "Whistle While You Work" from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "When You Wish Upon a Star" from "Pinochio."  It also included man Broadway tunes such as the choir singing "Tonight" and "Some Where" and guest singer Santino Fantana singing "Something's Coming" from "West Side Story."  Fantana then sang "Ten Minutes Ago" from Cinderalla for which he was nominated for a Tony.  Fantana then gives advise to the men with singing "How to Handle a Woman" from "Camelot."  Another relationship song, "She Likes Basketball" from "Promises, Promises," followed.  After an orchestral organ piece, Fantina than pleased the crowd with "Never Land" from "Peter Pan."  The concluding number was actually a medley of songs about "Happy."  This was an arrangement by Sam Cardon and Ben Stillman.  This lead to a reprise which brought down the house and closed the show. 

Music Review: Pioneer Day Celebration 2006

I watched the Pioneer Day Celebration of 2006, sesquicentennial of the handcart pioneers.  This concert features the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra.  It also features the Brett Family Singers.  I taped it on VCR when it was presented on BYUtv.  The choir sang four folk songs arranged by Mack Wahlberg.  The Brett Family Singers sang songs from musicals and other popular songs: "The Impossible Dream," "Where Is Love," "You Build Me Up" and "Let There Be Peace."  "The Impossible Dream" is one of my favorite, but I didn't care for their arrangements with an echo quality throughout.  However the other songs were well done.  "You Build Me Up" was dedicated to President Hinckley.
There was a violin solo as part of the choir song "Lead Thou Me On."  It was very moving.  The choir also sang to video excerpts from the film "Sweetwater Rescue."  This portion concluded with the song "Dear Zion," which was commonly sung by the pioneers.  President Hinckley spoke briefly.  "We should never forget the pioneers and their sacrifice."  The performance then concluded with " Come, Come Ye Saints."  Very moving.  My only regret is I could not find it on the LDS Website or You Tube to share.