A casket draped with the flag of New Zealand was a final tribute to a man of music who had a deep love for his adopted home in the South Pacific.
Former Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square Music Director, Jerold Ottley, died last week at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
DOWNLOADHe served as music director of the world-renowned choir for 25 years, from 1975 until 2000. The choir, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Ottley’s relationship with New Zealand began decades earlier when his parents, Sydney and Alice Ottley, were called to serve as mission leaders in the New Zealand Mission in 1951.
While there, they lived in Auckland and young “Jerry” attended Auckland Boys Grammar School and then worked as a volunteer labour missionary on the building site of the Church College in Hamilton.
In 1953, he was called as a full-time missionary, for two years, in the same mission that his parents served in.
After his missionary service he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in music and sang in the Tabernacle Choir from 1963 to 1969.
He earned a Ph.D. and later gained an appointment to the faculty at the University of Utah and was appointed as music director for the choir in 1975.
During his tenure, he oversaw 15 tours to 25 countries and conducted 45 album recordings. He also did more than 1200 Sunday morning live broadcasts called “Music & the Spoken Word.” It has run weekly since 1929, making it the longest running continuous broadcast in the world.
But he never lost his love for the South Pacific.
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- New-Zealand-soloist-Dame-Malvina-Major-with-Music-Director-Dr.-Jerold-Ottley-after-a-performance-with-the-Tabernacle-Choir.
- Jerold-Ottley-(left)-worked-with-Bonneville-International-executive-and-native-New-Zealander-Iain-McKay-to-plan-for-the-Tabernacle-Choir-tour-in-1988-to-Australia-and-New-Zealand.
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Ottley was influential in the decision to bring the choir to New Zealand in 1988 as part of a tour that also included Hawaii and Australia. In New Zealand, there were sold out concerts in Wellington and Christchurch, and the Wellington performance was recorded and sent to the USA for the choir’s weekly broadcast.
Jeannie Watkins and Margie Ahmu Puriri grew up in the Church in New Zealand and later emigrated to Utah and became choir members. They were thrilled to return to their native land to sing, especially the Māori verses of the song “Now is the Hour” during the choir’s performance of that song in concert.
Margie knew young “Jerry” during his early days in New Zealand. “He and I sang together in a quartet in Auckland when we were teenagers, and he played trombone in my father’s dance band.”
DOWNLOADOttley also developed friendships with prominent New Zealand musicians including Dame Kiri te Kanawa and Dame Malvina Major.
Dame Malvina performed with the choir both in New Zealand and in the USA. She was the soloist for the Wellington performance.
When hearing of his passing, she said, “I will never forget the many times that I have been privileged to sing with the Tabernacle Choir here at home and in the USA. In particular, I loved singing “The Holy City” with Jerry conducting that remarkable choir. He was such a gifted conductor that he knew how to bring out the best in both the choir and the soloist.”
New Zealand musician and broadcaster Peter Averi ONZM, served as manager for the New Zealand tour as well as eight organ performances in Salt Lake City. He remembers Jerold Ottley with respect and admiration.
“He had a generous spirit, a great sense of humour, the warmest smile and a great understanding of performance, backed up by his deep knowledge and skills as a musician.”
Native New Zealander, Iain McKay MNZM, was a broadcasting executive with Bonneville International who worked with Ottley for many years, and they became close personal friends.
DOWNLOADThey worked tirelessly to make the Australasian tour happen. There were formidable logistical challenges in transporting over 500 choir members and support staff from Salt Lake City to the Pacific. But coming back to New Zealand was the highlight for Ottley.
“When we arrived in Auckland, Jerry really felt like he was coming home,” McKay remembers. “It was so very meaningful to him to come back here and to be able to share this amazing group of musicians with the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand that he loved so much.”
A link to the full obituary can be found here.