Spent most of this morning and early afternoon visiting Temple Square and surrounding area, 35 acres in downtown Salt Lake City. The Temple is the most prominent and important building of the Mormon faith. While the public is not allowed into the Temple, in the Visitor Center there is a miniature replica of the building with a cut-away section so the inner rooms and ceremonial areas are shown. In addition, there is a wonderful display in the Visitor Center with information on the building of the Temple which took 40 years, from 1853 to 1893. The granite stone had to be cut by hand and moved into place by wagons pulled by oxen at first and then later, after the railroad was established in this area, they moved some of the stone by rail.
Main fountain in Temple Square with Church Office Building
At noon I heard an organ recital in the Tabernacle, the organist playing varied music to demonstrate the wide range of the instrument and the excellent acoustics of the hall.
Had a late lunch at The Green Pig Pub - house burger w/provolone & soup & Solstice beer - and watched part of a World Cup match (Mexico vs. France).
This evening I heard the Tabernacle Choir rehearse for their Sunday church service, which is broadcast on both radio and television. They have been broadcasting a Sunday service for 82 years! The choir is quite large and they perform with orchestra and organ. I was impressed by their sound. Usually a chorus of this size overwhelms with a large sound, but they were able to sing lovely pianissimos. All the music was sung in English and most of it simple 4-part writing. There was a great deal of unison singing and they did that very well. However, they sang one piece, probably by Handel (although there was no program to consult) with a lot of melissmas and they executed them well. Altogether an enjoyable experience. (Sorry the photo is blurry)
Here are some other interesting buildings in Salt Lake City that caught my eye:
Grand America Hotel
City & County Building
Perry Hotel
My car and I both got a rest today - no driving. Tomorrow morning I'll check out a bakery that Fred recommended and then I'm off to Wyoming.
City & County Building
Perry Hotel
My car and I both got a rest today - no driving. Tomorrow morning I'll check out a bakery that Fred recommended and then I'm off to Wyoming.
I have to give credit for the bakery (Les Madeleines) to Angela. Hope you enjoy it, and get there right as the Kouing-Amans are coming out of the oven.
ReplyDeleteDid the tabernacle organist drop a pin in a bowl and tear a sheet of paper to demonstrate the acoustics of the building? If I remember correctly, that's the tradition.
Yes, Fred, he did just that. It is amazing the fine acoustics of that building.
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