Music and the Spoken Word

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are honoring the Utah Association for the Deaf hosting of the 2005 Western Academic Bowl by having signers using American Sign Language during their long-running "Music and the Spoken Word" on February 20, 2005 in the LDS Conference Center (pictures) in Salt Lake City, Utah. "Music and the Spoken Word" (website) has become the world’s longest-running, continuous network broadcast and is carried on more than 2,000 radio and television stations and cable systems. It will be shown locally in Utah on KSL 5 at 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir music and songs will show off the beauty of American Sign Language. We want to show the world that deaf and hard of hearing people can do anything!

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir will be wearing UAD's colors; men will wear navy blue suits with yellow ties and women will wear royal blue dresses. It was not planned that way and the color selection was made before they knew the colors of UAD. What a nice coincidence.

UAD held auditions and selected 8 deaf and hard of hearing ASL signers in December. These people are practicing weekly to prepare themselves under the direction of Kristi Mortensen, Patsy Walker, and Madelaine Perkins.

Benson, Sean
Broadbent, Emily
Call-Garcia, Camille
Davenport, David

Flygare, Christopher
O'Brien, Dixie
O'Brien, Nancy
Tanner, Kris

This event is not part of the Academic Bowl. There will be reserved VIP seating for the Academic Bowl teams, parents of students on the teams and volunteers. Other reserved seats (upfront) will also be reserved for deaf and/or hard of hearing people. This performance is open to the public. No tickets are needed. Everyone must be seated by 9:00 a.m.

Ron Nelson, President
Utah Association for the Deaf