Largest U.S. Collegiate Men's Choir Supports LDS Missionaries Through Song
As a continuation of its Set Apart project, the Brigham Young University (BYU) Men’s Chorus shares its newest release, “Come, Lord Jesus,” as a free download this December. The original Set Apart: Beloved Missionary Hymns album, originally released in April 2013, is still available as a free download. Both can be downloaded at setapartalbum.com. Hymns for the free Set Apart album were thoughtfully selected to especially honor prospective and current missionaries, and was originally created as a gift to all who share in the love of missionary work. Since the initial album release, songs from the album have been downloaded more than half a million times in 168 countries. Giving away a song for free as a Christmas gift has become a BYU Men’s Chorus tradition. “We want to change the world through music,” said Stephen Richardson, president of the BYU Men’s Chorus. “That may sound naive to some people, but we mean it when we say that we want to reach out to the world and change it for the better.” The BYU Men’s Chorus is the largest collegiate men’s choir in the nation. It serves as one of the pillars of the College of Fine Arts and Communication’s performing groups, with 180 members and decades of rich, musical history. With the download on December 5, the choir hopes to spread joyful messages to everyone. Rosalind Hall, the director of the BYU Men’s Chorus, is excited for the new download. She said that the free release of the crowd-favorite, “Come, Lord Jesus,” is partially a result of its popularity among fans. “We’ve had so many requests for the recording and the arrangement of this particular song,” Hall said. “We think this will make an ideal song to present to missionaries and to the world this Christmas.” While Hall and Richardson both hope those preparing for missions will download the hymn, they hope that everyone will happily receive the chorus’ Christmas gift. Notable arrangers, including Daniel McDavitt, Matthew D. Nielsen, David Zabriskie, Lane Johnson and Ron Staheli generously forfeited licensing rights so the BYU Men’s Chorus could offer the hymns on the album for free. About the Brigham Young University Men’s Choir Throughout the academic year, the Brigham Young University Men’s Chorus sings hymns about Christ and also frequently entertains sold-out audiences with renditions of Broadway tunes and other popular songs. They create music videos, perform acts of service and give performances outside Utah. Established in 1958, the choir is comprised of 180 male voices and has been under the direction of Rosalind Hall since 1999. Click below to download the album.
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