European Singers Join Renowned Tabernacle Choir

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has won scores of awards, and enthralled audiences around the world. It is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Five Europeans have been selected to sing with the Choir in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The occasion is the Church’s General Conference held 5-6 October 2024. 

The participants are Christian Wolfert and Florence C. Meissner-Adamer from Germany, Elise Gauthier from Austria and France, Laura Echarri Hermoso from Spain, and Nicolas Watbled from France.

Due to the Tabernacle Choir’s rigorous practice schedule, Choir members are required to live near Salt Lake City, but in 2023, a new Global Participants Programme began to include singers living outside the United States. Since then, the programme has continued as the Choir has welcomed more global participants during each subsequent General Conference event. This opens the door for others with exceptional musical abilities to also engage on a temporary basis, allowing the Choir to be represented by individuals from all over the world.

When Christian Wolfert, originally from Stadthagen, now of Frankfurt, Germany, was seven years old, he was humming in a class at church and his teacher said, “who is humming wrongly in the back?”  This was because he was already singing an octave lower than the other kids.  That did not deter Wolfert, who continued to sing in school and church choirs. He said, “I am grateful for the many people that fostered my development as a singer; apparently I had a loud voice but needed some fine tuning for hitting the right notes.” As a young adult Wolfert helped create a choir of his peers that toured Europe comprised of singers from Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark singing a religious repertoire.  He shared that “feeling the Spirit means connecting with the divine and feeling God’s love and singing helps me do that. I hope everyone feels that God loves them when listening.”

Those who were invited to audition for the choir were required to send in a recording, have an on-line interview and a technical audition. The last requirement was a 15-minute live online audition with the Assistant conductor of the Tabernacle Choir, Ryan Murphy, and Cherilyn Worthen, Director of the Choir School for the Tabernacle Choir. “These were quite possibly some of the most excruciating 15 minutes of my life!” explained Wolfert.

Born in Germany and raised in Vienna, Austria, Florence C. Meissner-Adamer has been educated in music since her early years. Besides her love for music, Meissner-Adamer is in her final year of obtaining a medical degree at the University of Tuebingen, Germany.

“I think we underestimate music. It is a very powerful key to body and soul. Music is healing,” she remarked. When Meissner-Adamer was selected for the Choir as part of the Global Participant Programme she said, “Due to my intensive and demanding medical studies, I haven't had much time to pursue music to the same extent, but yet when the urgent need for a respite arises then music brings balance in my life. As a global participant it feels like something was given back to me.”

About this opportunity Meissner-Adamer expressed her excitement, “I was very pleased about this welcoming offer to interact with members of musical background from all over the world. This is something very, very special. It gives me a sense of honour to stand as a representative for Jesus Christ in the world through music.”

Elise Gauthier is also thrilled to have this unique opportunity to sing with the Choir. Born in France, she began studying music at the age of six beginning with the violin and then the piano. At the age of 12, she picked up the viola and began singing with the choir of her conservatory in Brive la Gaillarde, France. Describing her love for music, Gauthier said "music makes it possible for us to express what is inexpressible with words only because it is simply too big.”

At university, Gauthier studied English and American history, literature and linguistics and earned a Bachelor's degree as well as a Master's degree. She, however, kept studying music on the side because of her love for it. After graduating, she made the decision to move to Vienna, Austria, to benefit from the musical environment and knowledge available there. Gauthier expressed “music has always been very spiritual to me and I feel very blessed and loved to have this opportunity to sing with the Tabernacle Choir.”

The goal of the Choir is to reach throughout the world to bring peace and healing. The Choir Mission Statement reads: “The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performs music that inspires people throughout the world to draw closer to the divine and feel God’s love for His children.”  

Music has been very important in the life of Laura Echarri Hermoso of Pamplona, Spain since she was a very little girl.  Her parents always loved music and she enjoyed singing with her dad and siblings.

Several months ago, Echarri was thinking about joining a choir but felt she couldn’t devote the time because of work, studies and other priorities.  Although she enjoyed conducting choirs at church, she felt a need to sing with other people. Echarri shared, “after having expressed my feeling to the Lord, I was contacted to audition for the Tabernacle Choir a week later.”  Of this experience she said, “the fact of having this opportunity was a miracle!  I cried so much and I did not know if I would be chosen, but I felt that my prayer was answered.  Heavenly Father is always aware of our feelings and our deepest desires.” 

The Global Participants traveled to Salt Lake City two weeks ago to begin practicing with the Choir. In addition to their participation, each participant receives a calling to be an ambassador for the Church and share their goodwill and faith through music. The global participants speak different languages and have different life circumstances, but they share a passion for music and a desire to share it with others.