Watch party planned Friday night for Tabernacle Choir concert

Published 9:38 am Monday, June 22, 2026

QUINCY — A watch party, set for Friday night in Madison Park, will make available a live performance by the famed Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.

The world-renowned choir performs its “Songs of Hope Benefit Concert” as it returns to the Hollywood Bowl, where it first performed 100 years ago, with guest artists including entertainer Donny Osmond, composer and music producer David Foster and Broadway performer Katharine McPhee.

Local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsor the party which offers free refreshments, games and activities for all ages. All are welcome to bring a picnic, lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy the show.

Activities begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by the concert at 7 p.m.

“We live right now in a world where things are pretty tense. There’s a lot of struggle, difficulty and fear, and this concert’s purpose is to inspire hope, community and love for each other,” said Nathan Seaman, who chairs the watch party committee.

“That in and of itself is a worthwhile reason to come and be inspired to receive hope and peace through the music and messages they share in this performance.”

Committee members worked with the Quincy Park District to offer a large LED screen and premium sound system in the park after Quincy was one of several sites nationwide authorized for a streaming link to watch the one-time broadcast.

“This is about bringing people together,” committee member Alissa Wakefield said. “We want our friends and neighbors to have a fun, uplifting evening where they can relax, connect with others in the community and experience the choir’s unique sound and program.”

The 360-member, all-volunteer choir is known for its weekly broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word, which has aired more than 5,000 episodes. The 200-member, all-volunteer symphony orchestra organized in 1999 to accompany the Tabernacle Choir and its affiliated ensembles. Together, the choir and orchestra share their music and faith with audiences worldwide.

The choir performed a benefit concert in Quincy in 2002.

Given that history, “there would be a lot of people in Quincy that would be very interested in seeing another concert,” Seaman said. “Everybody in Quincy who wants to see it for free can come and watch the concert.”

Ticket sale revenue for the concert, matched by the church, will benefit charities focused on improving the health, education and well-being of women and children.

Tied to that theme, committee members encourage audience members to donate to Quanada or the organization’s Amazon wish list and also take part in a “100 Acts of Kindness” challenge. Seaman said a slideshow prior to the broadcast will highlight local residents and their acts of kindness.

“We’re flattered for them to think highly enough of our organization and the work we do to be the recipient of funds they raise. We are grateful and very happy to have the opportunity,” Quanada Executive Director Megan Duesterhaus said.

Such third party fundraisers are “one of best ways for local orgs to fundraise,” she said. “It’s all done by the volunteer group raising money. We don’t have to be involved in those things directly, and we can focus our time on providing direct services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence rather than hosting fundraisers. It is wonderful.”