Mormon Music

Latter-day Saint congregations may lack professional music ministries, yet musical talent and skill is widely shared and quality can differ considerably depending on its composer or arrangement. LDS musicians have excelled at modern popular styles while Mormon-themed classical pieces have also found great success on charts and airwaves.

Hicks’ essays provide vital research that situates Mormon music within historical and contemporary cultural settings.

History

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has an impressive history of producing records, dating back to 1910. They have since released over 160 albums.

Early recordings by the Tabernacle Choir were experimental, as sound recording technology was still evolving at that time. A microphone designed for telephone use proved useful when recording solo artists or small ensembles; however, large groups such as the Tabernacle Choir proved more challenging to record in one session.

Despite these obstacles, the Church’s first experimental recordings proved both musically and technically successful. These sessions showcased the talents of an amazing group while showing the capability of new recording technology. Even their record company expected failure, yet these early sessions instead proved an enormous triumph.

Styles

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides a range of musical styles. Their internationally acclaimed Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs at presidential inaugurals and tours across Eastern Europe; local Church choirs tend to perform less formal songs during each meeting.

Mormon folk music is also very popular. Utah folklorist Austin Fife collected and recorded many traditional Mormon folk songs from throughout Utah and beyond during his academic career; some of these can be found in his book Folksongs from the Beehive State.

Mormon rock stars have also made waves in the music industry. Brandon Flowers of Provo, Utah stands out as an exceptional Mormon artist in both The Killers band and his solo career: his album Flamingo peaked at #3 on Alternative albums chart.

Influences

Music is an integral component of Mormon culture. While its religious music remains the core, its influence can also be felt throughout other genres and subverting homogenous cultural stereotypes can challenge libertine cliches found within pop music itself.

Provo is home to Mormon husband-and-wife duo Low, which has amassed an ardent fan base due to their atmospheric drone-style music. Velour provides the ideal venue for their performances – its relaxed yet reverent environment ensures even toddlers wearing footy pajamas may enjoy themselves there!

Mormon composers have also ventured beyond the church’s circle, seeking conservatory training in Europe or elsewhere. While retaining elements from church music, these composers also developed unique artistic voices of their own. While weaker LDS artists may take in such influences without becoming derivative, stronger LDS artists manage to do it without sounding derivative; unfortunately for Utahns though, Utah has an abundance of excellent artists making an impressionful mark with their talents.

Genres

Mormon musicians have come to embrace a wide variety of genres and styles over time. Ranging from upbeat Christian pop music to instrumental hymns and even some rap, there’s something for everyone in Latter-day Saint communities.

Ryan Raddon – better known by his stage name Kaskade – fills stadiums and earns millions each night performing his dance hits worldwide. Yet despite these impressive accomplishments, this LDS musician remains humble and grounded.

Mafala’s daughter Nabulungi shines the spotlight on Utah through emotive imagery such as Serengeti winds, sunrise on Savannah grasslands and Nelson Mandela tears – while also giving Nabulungi more agency over her village life and connections. Parts of this song were revised in 2021 to give Nabulungi more power.

A funky beat and cadence set against an impressive list of Mormon commandments give this first attempt at Mormon rap song an original sound that may come across as boastful but can’t deny its creativity and energy.