Mormon Tabernacle Choir's New Album with Angela Lansbury, Santino Fontana & Brian Stokes Mitchell Snags #1 on Billboard Classical Crossover Chart

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square today announced that their latest album, Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends, took the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Classical Crossover chart, marking the 12th time that an album from "America's Choir" has earned the top honor. The album also took the No. 2 spot on the Classical Overall chart.

The album highlights some of the Choir's most unforgettable musical moments in recent history with 11 tracks featuring James Taylor, Sting, Yo-Yo Ma, Angela Lansbury, Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel, David Foster and others.

Three Broadway veterans with a combined 7 Tony Award wins - Angela Lansbury, Santino Fontana and Brian Stokes Mitchell - appear on the album from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which is commemorating its 170th anniversary.

Fifteen years in the making, the album features renditions of Lansbury singing "Beauty and the Beast" and Brian Stokes Mitchell singing "Through Heaven's Eyes" from The Prince of Egypt with the Choir. Santino's "He Lives in You" from the stage version of The Lion King is one of four new tracks recorded specifically for the album.

"This album represents years of collaboration with some of the world's most treasured artists," said Mack Wilberg, music director of the Choir. "We are thrilled with the reception this work is receiving and consider it a great honor to join forces with these incredible friends. We're grateful listeners are enjoying it as much as we loved making it."

Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends is an unprecedented collection of recordings taken from standout performances over the past 15 years, including one with Sting and Yo-Yo Ma at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and a rendition of "Lonesome Road" with James Taylor recorded in the 20,000-seat Conference Center in Salt Lake City. It also includes four new tracks done specifically for the album.

"I'm a Mormon Tabernacle Choir lifer," said David Foster, regarding his experience collaborating with the Choir. "I grew up listening to them on the radio with my father. And it's been a goal of mine to work with this choir. It doesn't matter what religion you are, when you work with the Choir in the Tabernacle, something comes over you. Couple that with an orchestra, and a 360-piece choir playing a song-it's magic."

Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends is available on iTunes and Amazon.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir, conducted by Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy, is a 360-member choir which has performed through the world at acclaimed concert halls, on television and radio broadcasts, and through a growing digital presence. Orchestra at Temple Square is a 150-member, all-volunteer symphony orchestra organized in 1999 to accompany the Choir. With their incomparable medley of voices and instruments and their shared faith in God they are a significant, recognizable presence in the world of music, giving service through song.