While I believe Mack Wilberg will do a great job (his arrangements are terrific), I was holding out hope for Gladys Knight. Now that would have been a choir that rocked.

Well deserved for Mack Wilberg. He has excelled and will continue to bring the Choir to new heights and accomplishments.

Cougraulations to Dr. Wilberg on his hen new call to be the Choir Director for the Motab choir, I know that he will do a good job i have been to many preformances when he did the Men's Choir @ BYU I know that he is good and that he will do good with the Choir now, Congraulations to Dr. Wilberg on a job that will be well done.

I sang for Mack in the BYU Men's Chorus. I was one of the members of that group who was saddened to "lose" him to the Tabernacle Choir, but happy for his great opportunity. He will do tremendous things with the choir.

I for one was surprised but pleased that Mack will be taking the helm. He is such a shy gentleman ("Underdog"), but has definately changed since Craig left. He is sweeter, more patient, kind and loving. "The Redeemer" was sort of a refiner's fire for him. He will be excellent for us, and I can hardly wait to see who the new associate will be. A whole year we have to wait for that! Best wishes to Ed Thompson in the interim.

I sang for Mack in junior high school.
It was a memorable time he was nothing but a professional. I hope he returns to those simpler times. And what about Jessop. Will he teach music?

I am sure that the choir will continue to be regarded as one of the world's leading choirs and a national favourite. Gladys Knight will I am sure return to perform and enjoy the company of the choir.Lets hope mack is around for years to come!

This is good news! Congratulations to Mack as one who certainly can continue the tradition of the MoTab Choir. He is a hard worker and very diligent in addition to being talented. The choir will flourish under his direction.
Ed Thompson would be a fine permanent associate director. I was a student at the U when he was a professor there and the Department Chair. The design and construction of Gardner Hall is the product of his vision, genius and perservereance. His style of leadership is sorely missed in the Music Deprtment at the U now. Congrats to you Ed.
Good luck to both of you and God bless you in this marvelous work.

I am proud to have served as Elder Wilberg's mission president 1974-77. We was as talented then as he is now, and gave his "all" as a wonderful missionary. We applaud his calling and wish him well.

to Brother Wilberg. An excellent and well deserved appointment...

This is very good news! Mack Wilberg's arrangements are beautiful. I've sang with him, as well. He was a guest conductor once for my high school choir. It was a wonderful experience.

Wilberg is a genius. I'm sure his passion and expertise in the field of music will push the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to new levels of amazing performance and awe inspiring sound. He has one week until General Conference, not much time to step in and be ready. I have no doubt he will astound. :o)

As a former member of the choir with Richard Condie,
Jay Welch, and Jerold Otley, I am amazed at the schedule they now keep and continue to get a better sound. I was with Ed Thompson for 23 years with the Utah Symphony Chorus and I am so jealous that I am not with the Tab Choir now to enjoy his sense of humor,great direction and sweet spirit. Way to go Ed, and congrats.

I couldn't be more pleased when I heard of Mack Wilberg's appointment. He is just the leader to direct the choir to even greater heights. He really is a genius, and his perfectionism will serve the choir well. I look forward to hearing a marked improvement in the choir's already high technical merits under his direction.

No offense, but she would not be the right thing for the choir. The Tabernacle Choir isn't that type of choir and for good reason. The choir is right to be as it is.

I had a friend say that he slept during choir parts of conference once. I couldn't have been more disappointed. I write music, it is my life. I study the great music. Music in the world today is falling apart and missing what is good. People are more tone deaf than ever before because they don't know what tone is. People listen to garbage without form and with vulgar meaning.

People have listened to Bach for hundreds of years and will continue to. There is a reason why he will last longer than any fad that is produced today.

No offense ESPECIALLY to Gladys Knight, but really, she is not the right thing for the choir.

I'm on the list of those privileged to sing under Mack as a member of the BYU Men's Chorus. He consistently arranged music in ways that brought new understanding of its meaning, and the power to inspire in its delivery. This is fantastic news.

I love everything arranged by Wilberg. He really has an ability to penetrate the heart through his arrangements. But no one has said a word about Jessop. Why did he resign? He has certainly put enormous amount of love and passion into the Mormon Tabernacle Choir too.

Marky Mark will be the new music director? That's pretty cool!! I look forward to hearing Good Vibrations.

PLEASE Brother Wilberg, bring back the Choir singing hymns of Zion, instead of African war chants and Southern Spirituals. While each of these has its place in our music, it is NOT what I believe the CHurch as a whole wants to hear from the Tab Choir. Just open the hymnbook and pick any song, rearrange it if you want, bring in all the classical music you want, but leave the other stuff alone.

Hey Scott! The choir sings the Hymns of Zion at all conferences and spiritual meetings. The other songs of the world which are acceptable are also sung...This is what helps to bring acceptance of the choir to the religious and secular world...This is also the program of the church in our spiritual meetings like Conferences and Sacrament Meetings...Other meetings have the choice of other acceptable music. Read the Church Handbook of Instructions Book 2 for reference...

Scott's attitude certainly is illustrative of why so many perceive the LDS people to be prejudiced, clannish, and narrowminded. Let's remember, Scott, that "the Church as a whole" now has more members outside the US than within our borders. If the choir were to truly represent "the Church as a whole," we wouldn't be hearing much music performed in the English language. It certainly is most appropriate for the choir to flavor it's repertoire with all types of wholesome music reflecting the many cultures that comprise the worldwide membership of the Church.

I had the wonderful opportunity of singing under Mack Wilberg's direction with the BYU Men's Chorus for five of my six years at BYU. (The first year I had the equally wonderful experience of singing for his predecessor, Ralph Woodward.) Mack's hand has been obvious over these past nine years, (for a quiet, shy man he's always had a penchant for the grandiose in his presentations).

I know this is pushing him so far out of his comfort zone, but I know his excellence will continue to bless the choir, and it will also help to continue bringing in the world class talent they have been attracting for their Christmas concerts.

Congratulations, Mack. I was honored to sing with you and am always touched when you remember me. Good luck and God bless.

Congratulations, Brother Wilberg...you will continue to build the choir in every way.

Can I say that Brother Jessop has created a foundation of excellence with the choir that is recognized and appreciated by music lovers all over the world - thankyou for the hours of joy you have brought to us all. We love you.

Having sung in the Tabernacle Choir under the direction of both Craig and Mack, and in many other choirs at collegiate level, I can truly say that there are no finer choral directors in the world than these 2. Mack is truly a gift in every way to the church, the choir, and the world of music. The choir will continue to create awe and inspiration to its listeners under Brother Wilberg's direction.

Congrats to Ed Thompson! I had the privilege of singing with him while a student at the University of Utah. What a fantastic director. Kudos to the Tab.

I wish his name was Mark Wahlberg.

Brother Wilberg . . congratulations to you. You are a great educator for all, a composer and arranger of great reknown, and we have been fortunate to have one of your students as a conductor here in our school district in Arizona. The Choir's music and the spirit it creates led me to the gospel, as it has done for many others . . .and will continue to do so under your inspired leadership.

I like some of Mack Wilberg's arrangements and some of them I don't care for. I do however fully support his appointment as the 15th director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and pray for his sucess as it's new director. I have been delighted over the years to watch him direct the Tabernacle Choir he is such a professional of the highest and finest caliber.I am looking forward to the "Wilberg" era at the helm of the choir as he weild his baton it promises to be thrilling and exciting, and I and the church join our united prayers in his behalf.

A finer person could not have been selected to be the new leader of the choir. Dr. Wilberg is one of the most gifted writers/arrangers/directors on the church music scene today, not only in LDS circles, but worldwide. His talent for arranging is probably what he is best known for, and rightfully so. Choirs from all over the world perform his arrangements regularly. However, most importantly, he is a great man of God who has dedicated his life to His service. That, along with his great musical gifts, make him a perfect choice to lead the choir. Bro. Wilberg, we salute you and pray for you as you assume this awesome responsibility. And we look forward to the choir achieving even greater heights in the days to come!