Andy Reid, the Kansas City Chiefs head coach, will join The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square as a guest narrator during a special broadcast of the “Music & the Spoken Word” on Sunday, July 5, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States’ Declaration of Independence.
Reid, a three-time Super Bowl champion and one of the most respected coaches in the National Football League’s history, will reflect on the principles of unity, perseverance and faith that have shaped the American story, according to a March 19 announcement on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“I spent more than a decade just down the road from Independence Hall [in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania], where our Founding Fathers put pen to paper on the Declaration of Independence,” said Reid, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He worked for the Philadelphia Eagles football team as coach and other positions from 1999 to 2012.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. | Doug Benc, Associated Press
The Founding Fathers “were the ultimate team — facing adversity, staying the course and building something that has endured for 250 years. I’m honored to join The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square to celebrate the birth of our nation in a place that reflects the same spirit of unity and faith,” Reid said.
“Music & the Spoken Word” will be presented live twice on Sunday, July 5 — the Sunday after the United States’ Independence Day on July 4 — at 9:30 a.m. MDT and again at 11 a.m. MDT. The broadcasts can be viewed or listened to on television, radio and the choir’s YouTube channel. (See MusicandtheSpokenWord.com to see where to watch or listen.)
The broadcasts will continue to originate from the Tabernacle on Temple Square through 2027. Tickets will be required to attend the July 5 broadcasts, and information on obtaining tickets will be released at a later date, according to the announcement.
Reid previously directed the Tabernacle Choir when the choir performed in Philadelphia’s Mann Theater on July 7, 2003, as part of the choir’s Northeast tour.
Andy Reid, then the Philadelphia Eagles coach, conducts the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in singing his team’s fight song during the choir’s concert in Mann Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday evening, July 7, 2003. | Gerry Avant, Church News
He said of the experience at the time was that it was “the thrill of thrills. I’ve been to the Super Bowl; this was right up there.”
The Tabernacle Choir and orchestra’s rendition of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” is part of “America’s Soundtrack,” a national music collection created to commemorate the 250th anniversary, ChurchofJesusChrist.org announced on March 5.
It’s one of three songs that were on the America250 YouTube channel earlier this month. More music has been added.
About ‘Music & the Spoken Word’
The 30-minute weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast includes several songs performed by the 360-voice choir and 85-musician orchestra, an organ solo and a spoken message. Derrick Porter has been the producer, principal writer and presenter of “Music & the Spoken Word” since June 2024. The broadcasts are free and tickets aren’t required. The all-volunteer choir and orchestra’s Thursday evening rehearsals are also open to the public. See TheTabernacleChoir.org for information about attending.
Tabernacle Choir President Michael O. Leavitt said, “The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square lends its voice in celebrating the freedom of religion proclaimed to the world in the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago.”
The “Music & the Spoken Word” first aired on July 15, 1929, and the 5,000th episode aired in July 2025.
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square sings during the broadcast of the 5,000th episode of “Music & the Spoken Word” at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, July 13, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
About the Tabernacle Choir and orchestra
The choir and orchestra recently returned from a “Songs of Hope” tour stop in São Paulo, Brazil.
They have performed in a variety of venues and events, including the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and multiple U.S. presidential inaugurations. In 2003, the choir was awarded the National Medal of Arts by U.S. President George W. Bush for its “extraordinary contributions to music and the art of choral singing; for the wide reach and impact of its music; and for inspiring audiences worldwide.”
Members of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square sing during the broadcast of the 5,000th episode of “Music & the Spoken Word” at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, July 13, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
These “musical missionaries” are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and choir members have a monthslong audition process.
The choir’s origins date back to 1847, when pioneer members of the Church formed a choir to sing at a conference of the Church weeks after arriving in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley. The orchestra was organized in 1999, and up to 85 musicians from a roster of 200 volunteers perform with the choir during the weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast and other special events.
Members of The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square perform in the Ginásio do Ibirapuera as part of the “Songs of Hope” tour in São Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. | Brian Nicholson, for the Deseret News
Celebrating America’s 250th
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
There have been several invitations and opportunities for Church members and friends.
The First Presidency has invited all to participate in a fast on July 5 “to express gratitude for religious liberty and to pray that it be strengthened throughout the world,” wrote President Dallin H. Oaks and his counselors, President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson, in a letter dated March 12. Also, a video about the significance of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will be released for a fifth-Sunday lesson on May 31.
JustServe is collaborating with America250 — the official nonpartisan initiative established by Congress to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary — to make 2026 a record-setting year of volunteering.
FamilySearch International is also collaborating with America250 with special America250-themed experiences.
The Church is also giving 250 truckloads of food donations to food banks around the country.
