Top medal for Tabernacle Choir

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Wednesday received the nation's highest award for artistic excellence — the National Medal of the Arts.

President George W. Bush awarded the Mormon Tabernacle Choir the medal in a special ceremony held in the White House Wednesday. Nine other individuals and organizations were also recognized, ranging from country music star George Strait and the public television series "Austin City Limits" to classical music conductor Leonard Slatkin and Academy Award-winning movie director Ron Howard, who is also a former TV star.

"We congratulate the choir on this significant national honor," said President Gordon B. Hinckley of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a prepared statement.

"The secret of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is that its 360 members sing from their hearts. They are wonderful. They are all volunteers who have achieved excellence through their hard work, their faith, and their deep devotion. We are grateful for this well-deserved recognition on their tremendous efforts," he said.

The choir originated in the mid-19th century as the first pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. Since then, the choir has become world-renowned through its many recordings, tours and weekly TV and the radio broadcast, "Music and the Spoken Word," the longest-running continuous network radio broadcast in the world.

Choir President Mac Christensen accepted the honor at the White House on behalf of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Craig Jessop, music director; Mack Wilberg, associate director; John Longhurst, Tabernacle organist; Stan Parrish, assistant to the choir president; and Lloyd Newell, announcer for "Music and the Spoken Word," also attended the ceremony.

"This is just an incredible recognition of the choir's long history and service to the nation," Jessop said.

He said President Bush indicated that it was a long overdue award, because of the choir's cultural and spiritual achievements.

Where will the choir go from this high honor?

"The choir will continue to do what it's always done," Jessop said — meaning another "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast on Sunday. "That's what we do best."

The National Medal of Arts, a bronze disc designed by sculptor Robert Graham, is awarded annually by the president to individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the creation, support and growth of the arts in the United States.