During the 2025 Church Music Festival held at the Salt Lake Tabernacle on November 15, Elder Ethan Rodabough demonstrated exceptional musical versatility, seamlessly switching between seven instruments. He skillfully played violin, clarinet, saxophone, flute, penny whistle, bass, and piano, presenting his unique arrangement of the hymn “There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today,” which he titled “Fantasia on Sunshine in My Soul.” Caleb Saunders accompanied him on piano.
Rodabough, a service missionary from Bountiful, Utah, reflected on his performance, saying, “I hope that when people hear me, they get a new viewpoint. Church music isn’t necessarily boring.” Beyond his performance, he serves with the Temple Square performances team, responsible for organizing musical events at Temple Square outside those involving the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.
The 2025 festival, themed “Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise,” was recorded for on-demand viewing and will be available through the Church Music Festival archive. Established in the 1970s as a celebration of the musical heritage of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the festival this year offered a blend of traditional and contemporary hymn arrangements, varying from reflective pieces to more energetic songs.
Katie Bastian, a music manager with the Church’s Priesthood and Family Department, highlighted the festival’s uniqueness: “These arrangements and covers of hymns and songs showcase how members make them their own using their unique mix of skills, culture, and stylistic approach. Bringing different things to the table can have a unifying effect on the audience — that is our hope.”
Increasing Faith in Jesus Christ
The festival’s complete program featured a diverse lineup:
- “Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise” — Institute Choir and Church Music Festival Choir
- “Jesus Is Risen, Is Risen Today!” — Church Music Festival Choir
- “Jesus Has Risen” — Children and Youth Choir
- “Come, Thou Fount (Jupiter)” — Jill Plumb (cello) and Shelle Bird (piano)
- “Fantasia on Sunshine in My Soul” — Elder Ethan Rodabough (multi-instrumentalist) and Caleb Saunders (piano)
- “Oh, What Songs of the Heart” — Institute Choir Women
- “I Believe That Jesus Loves Me” — Children and Youth Choir
- “This Little Light of Mine” — Emma Murdock (via music video)
- “God’s Gracious Love (Day by Day)” — Church Music Festival Choir and Jill Plumb (cello)
- “High on the Mountain Top” — Institute Choir and brass ensemble
- “Glory to the King” — Alan Birdsall
- “Amazing Grace” — Benjamin Nichols (saxophone), Corey Christiansen (guitar), Matt Larson (bass), Jacob Ward (drums)
- “Thy Tender Mercies Bless Me” — Church Music Festival Choir
- “Hark, All Ye Nations!” — Institute Choir Men
- “The Day That Changed Everything” — Ella Nielsen with Shelle Bird (piano)
- “Go, Tell It on the Mountain” — Unity Gospel Choir
- “A Prayer” — Gerta Wiemer (piano), Jeralee Johnson (oboe), Erika Hubbard (violin)
- “Joy to the World” — Institute Choir
- “O Holy Night” — Emily Rice (violin), Becky Fullmer (violin), Julie Aamodt (viola), Jill Plumb (cello), Tamara Oswald (harp), Maria Phippen (harp)
- “Standing on the Promises” — Institute Choir and Church Music Festival Choir
- “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me” — Kasey Bradbury
Project coordinator Michelle Blauer noted the festival’s musical variety, emphasizing that the paramount selection criterion for all pieces was whether the music “increases faith in Jesus Christ.” She said, “That’s the whole purpose, and that’s why we do this. … We’re worshipping together.”
Elder Rodabough added insights on music’s spiritual impact, stating, “Music is powerful in a gospel context because it transcends spoken language. The Holy Ghost can convey a lot of things through music that would take a long time to teach with just words.”
The festival showcased a wide array of musicians and choirs from various church communities, highlighting their shared devotion and the unifying power of sacred music.
— The Violin Post Editorial Staff
