Tabernacle Choir Points Hearts to Jesus Christ in São Paulo

The Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square concluded their weeklong “Songs of Hope” tour in São Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Hundreds of thousands heard the musical message of hope and peace. More than 400 locations throughout Brazil held watch parties, thanks to Saturday night’s concert being streamed on YouTube.

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“Everyone had a smile on their face. They could feel something different,” said Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following the concerts held in Ginásio do Ibirapuera. “And I can tell you that [because] I know so many of the people attending these concerts. I grew up here. This is my land, my country, my language.”

The Choir last performed in Brazil in 1981 in the very same venue, a concert attended by Elder Soares and his wife, Rosana, when they were dating and had a “dream of seeing the Choir sing.”

“It was such a beautiful memory to cherish, especially because we were so excited to see the Choir,” said Elder Soares. “To come back 45 years later and accompany the Choir as a representative of the Savior Jesus Christ, bringing this message of hope to my own country, is deeply touching.”

Elder Soares welcomed the crowd at the start of each show with an invitation:

“As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that all are invited to come unto Christ and to find in Him a constant source of light, divine guidance and inner renewal.”

The Apostle continued, “This concert, ‘Songs of Hope,’ is a sincere expression of that invitation. Through sacred music, we desire to point hearts to Him, Jesus Christ — the One who is, for us, the true source of hope.”

The arena was at maximum capacity each night, with hundreds more waiting and listening from the streets as music echoed into the neighborhood.

“I was expecting to just listen to beautiful songs, but I [felt] the songs,” said concertgoer Shellen Orteney. “I want to remember this feeling for the rest of my life.”

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Each night, the Choir performed several songs in Portuguese, including “Let Us All Press On,” “The Spirit of God” and “God Be with You Till We Meet Again,” and one verse of “I Believe in Christ.”

Henrique Bermann, who attended Saturday night’s concert, could not believe it. “I was not expecting the Choir to sing so beautifully, especially in Portuguese.”

The Tabernacle Choir Director Mack Wilberg believes performing in the language of the audience is part of the Choir’s mission.

“It binds us a little bit more together, and it shows that we truly care about communicating with those for whom we are performing,” said Wilberg.

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Dallen Herzog, a bass in the Choir, agrees.

“It takes a lot of work to learn a language. It takes a lot of work to learn a song. But it connects you to the people,” Herzog said. “When they hear [music] in their own language, it makes them feel a special connection to the song [and] to us.”

Wilberg also knows the Choir has had help in accomplishing this undertaking.

“We always feel providential help in our ability to learn this many songs in Portuguese — and in such a short time — [it’s] a miracle in and of itself,” he said.

To help connect with the local audience, the Choir was joined by several guest stars who performed alongside them.

At the Sala São Paulo on Wednesday, February 25, Myra Ruiz and Fabi Bang joined the Choir. They are known for their roles in Brazil’s version of the musical “Wicked.”

Ivete Sangalo was the surprise guest artist, with her appearance being announced an hour before her first performance with the Choir.

Nathan Pacheco, Beatriz Marmelo, Gabrielly Lourenço, João Daniel and Nicole Luz — all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — lent their voices to share uplifting and inspiring music.

“One of the main reasons why I love music is because I feel like it’s kind of a lifeline between me and heaven,” said Pacheco. “It helps shorten the gap and breathes hope back into my heart.”

Luz said she hoped audience would feel connected.

“I think we connected some generations and [did] something new, something fun, something special, something that will be remembered,” she said.

Daniel said he felt the power of the music within himself and hoped the audience felt the same.

“I heard ‘I Believe in Christ’ today, and it went deep within my heart,” Daniel said. “I believe that everyone felt something. And I believe that a lot of people heard the Choir today, and they will have the desire to come back to Christ.”

Providential Hand at Play in São Paulo

When asked why he wanted to go on tour with the Choir, the Rev. Dr. Amos Brown said, “I consider it providential.”

In an interview following his devotional message to the Choir earlier in the week, the Rev. Dr. Brown expressed his desire to share hope.

“I love this choir. People will be inspired, and we [will] have hope and not live in moments of depression and dejection and division,” he said.

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Providence’s hand came into play again when the Rev. Dr. Brown took a tour of the São Paulo Brazil Temple Visitors’ Center and was reunited with Saiida Webb.

Webb is currently serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ in São Paulo. In 2024, she traveled to Ghana as part of the Amos C. Brown Fellowship and spent 10 days in West Africa learning to become an ambassador of racial harmony.

“It was such a privilege to see the Rev. Dr. Brown and his wife again here at the São Paulo Visitors’ Center,” Sister Webb said. “It was amazing to have the Rev. here and give him a tour and center it in our shared love for Jesus Christ.”

Following the tour, the sister missionaries and the Browns sang “God Be with You Till We Meet Again,” the same song the Choir sang to conclude each of their concerts.

Reflecting on the week, President L. Whitney Clayton of The Tabernacle Choir Presidency said, “We’ve met new friends down here. We’ve brought friends with us. It’s a blessing to be here with Elder Ulisses Soares. He brings warmth and light and happiness to everything he does.”

He concluded, “I think people have felt closer to the Lord and like they’re part of a great big celebration of faith. It has been a wonderful week.”