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Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus

The Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus (often abbreviated MYSC) was an official musical organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1969 to 1999, composed of young musicians aged 18 to 33. The choral arm of the group provided music for the church's annual and semi-annual general conferences, usually during the Saturday afternoon sessions. The group was disbanded during the 1999 reorganization of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and resulting creation of the Orchestra at Temple Square.

The MYSC was organized in 1969 with a primary commission to promote a "greater understanding between all peoples and cultures." The group was composed of young musicians ages 18 to 33 who have participated in school or community orchestras and choruses. These musicians come from various communities in Utah and rehearse two hours each week.

The MYSC performed approximately thirty times each year, including formal concerts in the tabernacle, conference appearances, firesides, tours, broadcasts, and recordings. The programming was changed to the "Boston Pops" format when Conductor Robert C. Bowden received the baton in 1974. Bowden conducts and also composes and arranges much of the music for the groups. Tours have covered the United States. During the Bicentennial celebration of the Constitution in Washington, D.C., the symphony and chorus performed in the Kennedy Center. Many nationally prominent visiting artists have performed with them.

The Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus won fourteen national awards for television specials, including two Emmys, two George Washington Awards from the Freedom Foundation, and the Angel Award from Religion in Media. It has also performed for several national and international groups; such presentations have included a television special for the Norwegian Broadcasting Company as well as specials for American Veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, and for the National League of American Pen Women. The MYSC has eighteen commercial recordings to its credit.

 

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References

Encyclopedia of Mormonism (Merrill Bradshaw)

Copyright © 1992 by Macmillan Publishing Company