James Taylor to perform with Utah Symphony & Mormon Tabernacle Choir

The O. C. Tanner Gift of Music has invited singer and songwriter James Taylor to perform with the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in two concerts that will take place Friday, Sept. 6 and Saturday, Sept. 7, at 8 p.m. in the Conference Center on Temple Square of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first concert in the Tanner Gift of Music series, the Verdi Requiem, was performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle in 1983 under the baton of guest conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewksi. The 30th anniversary concert will be conducted by Mack Wilberg, music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Speaking of the repertoire for the upcoming concert, Wilberg said in a press release, "We've asked Mr. Taylor to choose from among the many pieces he has performed with symphonies and choruses and also to be sure to include his fans' favorites. We have wanted to have him join us in concert for many years, and this 30th anniversary program just seemed like the perfect opportunity."In order to make this gift available as broadly in the community as possible, tickets are being distributed in a number of ways. Because of very high demand for tickets to this event, the largest portion of tickets is distributed through a random selection process (see below). O. C. Tanner, the Utah Symphony and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are each working closely with community groups to distribute tickets to those groups. A limited number of tickets are also available to individuals who become season ticket holders of the Utah Symphony or Utah Opera (call 801-533-6683 for details). Those interested may register on the Internet at www.lds.org/events for the opportunity to receive tickets from Saturday, July 27, at 12:01 a.m. through Monday, 5 August 2013, at 11:59 p.m. Those without Internet access may register over the phone at 801-570-0080 (local) or at 1-866-537-8457. All registrations received during those two weeks will have equal chances of receiving tickets in the random selection process. Not all registrations will be selected to receive tickets, and only one registration per household can be accepted. The maximum number of tickets that a household may request is two. Tickets will be mailed to those selected shortly after the registration process closes. Patrons not selected to receive tickets will be notified by email. Standby tickets will not be issued. However, patrons are invited to stand by for last-minute seating each evening. The standby line will form at the north gate on Temple Square. Overflow seating will be available in the Tabernacle. The doors of the Conference Center will open at 6:30 p.m. for the evening performances. The length of each evening performance will be approximately 90 minutes.Seating is limited to those 8 years of age and older.