Tabernacle Choir begins 13-day tour

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir began a 13-day tour Friday in a sold-out Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall, opening its program with "O Canada" and closing with the Canadian version of "This Land Is Your Land."

A matinee concert nearly filled the hall. For the evening performance, overflow seating was provided in one of the hall's foyers.

Perhaps no one was more excited to see and hear the choir than Hana Gartner, one of Canada's most prominent journalists, who conducted the choir in the encore number of "This Land Is Your Land."

"I've interviewed world leaders, including prime ministers," she told the Deseret Morning News during the choir's sound check at the concert hall a few minutes before she rehearsed. "I've been in intimidating positions and after 32 years as a journalist I've taken things in stride. But today, I feel like a kid. My knees are shaking. I've been sitting here, listening to the choir and orchestra. They are so brilliant. I'm sitting here weeping."

After Friday's performances in Toronto, the choir traveled by bus to New York, where they will perform two concerts at Chautauqua today. Other concerts are scheduled for Cleveland, June 25; Chicago, June 27; Cincinnati, June 29; Nashville, Tenn., June 30; and Memphis, Tenn., July 2. The choir and orchestra are to return to Salt Lake City on July 3.