SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Governor Jon Huntsman today declared 30 April 2006 "Mormon Tabernacle Choir Day."
Sunday, 30 April 2006, marks the 4000th broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s weekly radio and television broadcast — an event the governor called "truly extraordinary."
"The 4000th anniversary of Music and Spoken Word is a benchmark in the history of the choir," said choir director Craig Jessop. "It represents the accumulated efforts of singers, directors, organists, musicians, producers, technicians and broadcasters. It is a living legacy of faith and inspiration. It has provided a weekly respite from the cares of a troubled word in times of war and peace and is still going strong today."
Speaking after the governor signed the declaration, choir president Mac Christensen said: "I am always struck by people’s reactions to the choir. People don’t just hear something. They feel something."
The first Music and Spoken Word aired on the radio on 15 July 1929, and the program celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2004. The show is the world's longest continuous network broadcast.