Bells on Temple Square
Encyclopedia
The Bells on Temple Square handbell
choir is an official music organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was formed in 2005 under the direction of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
. The group is a double handbell choir, typically performing with 27 ringers on 2 sets of Malmark handbells (one 7-octave set and one 6½ octave set) and 2 sets of Malmark handchime
s (6 octaves each).
The Bells on Temple Square frequently accompany the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in concerts and on the weekly Music and the Spoken Word
radio and television broadcast, in addition to performing their own semi-annual concerts, which are typically held in November and June.
The 2006 Christmas concert of the Bells on Temple Square, held in the LDS Conference Center
in Salt Lake City, Utah
, attracted an audience of over 15,000 people, and is believed to be one of the largest crowds ever to attend a handbell performance. The group is led by Conductor Leanna Willmore and Assistant Conductor Larry R. Smith.
Smith earned his Bachelors and Masters Degree in music from the University of Utah. He also spent a semester studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He and his wife Leslie have three children.
Handbell
A handbell is a bell designed to be rung by hand. To ring a handbell, a ringer grasps the bell by its slightly flexible handle — traditionally made of leather, but often now made of plastic — and moves the wrist to make the hinged clapper inside the bell strike...
choir is an official music organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was formed in 2005 under the direction of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...
. The group is a double handbell choir, typically performing with 27 ringers on 2 sets of Malmark handbells (one 7-octave set and one 6½ octave set) and 2 sets of Malmark handchime
Handchime
Handchimes are musical instruments which are rung by hand, similar to handbells. Typically, they are tuned square tubes with an external clapper mechanism....
s (6 octaves each).
The Bells on Temple Square frequently accompany the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in concerts and on the weekly Music and the Spoken Word
Music and the Spoken Word
Music and the Spoken Word is a weekly 30-minute radio and television program of inspiring messages and music produced by Bonneville Communications with music performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir .The radio program is distributed by the CBS Radio Network and its broadcast center is KSL...
radio and television broadcast, in addition to performing their own semi-annual concerts, which are typically held in November and June.
The 2006 Christmas concert of the Bells on Temple Square, held in the LDS Conference Center
LDS Conference Center
The Conference Center, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the premier meeting hall for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Completed in spring 2000 in time for the church's April 2000 general conference, the 21,000-seat Conference Center replaced the traditional use of the nearby Salt...
in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, attracted an audience of over 15,000 people, and is believed to be one of the largest crowds ever to attend a handbell performance. The group is led by Conductor Leanna Willmore and Assistant Conductor Larry R. Smith.
Conductors
So far, the Bells have had three conductors: Thomas Waldron, LeAnna Willmore, and Larry R. Smith.Tom Waldron, Conductor 2005-2011
Thomas M. Waldron, retired conductor of Bells on Temple Square, was a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for many years. Mr. Waldron was asked to form the Bells On Temple Square in 2005, and served as its conductor from 2005 until 2011. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree at Utah State University and a Master of Music degree in Conducting Performance at Brigham Young University. For many years he was director of music at Brighton High School where he organized and conducted a renowned bell choir. He and his wife, Diane, have 7 children and 27 grandchildren. They reside in the Salt Lake City area.LeAnna Willmore, Conductor 2011-Present
LeAnna Willmore has taught choir in the Utah area for forty years. She earned a bachelor of science degree from Weber State University and a master of music degree from the University of Utah. She has served in many leadership positions for the state and national music educators association. Having won many national and state awards as a music educator, she is a frequent guest conductor and adjudicator. Her husband, Ken Willmore, is a structural engineer with WSA and Associates in Bountiful, Utah.Larry R. Smith, Assistant Conductor 2011-Present
Larry R. Smith joined the Bells on Temple Square as Assistant Conductor in June of 2011. Mr. Smith has performed, accompanied, and conducted choirs throughout the world. He was a member of the Utah Ambassadors of Music staff, and conducted and accompanied music in London, Paris, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and St. Mark’s in Venice, Italy. He has taught choral music in high schools for over 16 years, and currently works as the choir director at Bountiful High School. He conducts seven choirs consisting of over 400 students.Smith earned his Bachelors and Masters Degree in music from the University of Utah. He also spent a semester studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He and his wife Leslie have three children.