Charlie Smith’s YouTube channel is all about musical discovery. He lives in the UK and believes that “music is a universal language that binds us all.”
At the request of a viewer, Charlie recorded a reaction video to The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square performing “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Charlie is not a Latter-day Saint and knew very little about the choir and orchestra before watching the video. But his heartful reaction to the inspiring music has garnered over 331,000 views on YouTube and thousands of comments.
Charlie’s Heartfelt Reaction
About a minute into the video, Charlie says, “I’m starting to go,” as tears come to his eyes while he listens. As the song continues, Charlie’s emotions seem to rise, and he wipes tears from his eyes multiple times.
After the song ends, Charlie says, “That was absolutely outstanding. … Can you imagine being a part of something with that many people? That’s what I love about big orchestras and choirs is the collaboration. … It’s the great side of humans coming together and producing something beautiful.”
He also commented on the beauty of the large pipe organ in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square, where the video was filmed.
“Can you imagine being part of that many people in somewhere that looks that grand, standing in front of such a grand, incredible instrument? That is insane.”
Charlie voiced nothing but positivity for the music.
“It just sounded so beautiful. All I want to do is listen to that again. And I might do that a few times before I film another video. That really got to me. I was shaking by the end of it. I did not know what to do with myself. It was exhilarating. I felt like I needed to hold on to something. I felt like I was being taken on a ride like skydiving or something, that level of exhilaration. Incredible.”
You can watch his reaction to “Come, Thou Fount” in the player below.
Members of the Choir Respond
After the video was posted on YouTube, a few members of the Tabernacle Choir left comments.
Jerry Duggar wrote:
“I watched this reaction video while I was standing in the hallway inside of State Farm arena in Atlanta, just as I was getting ready to step out on stage with 400 of my friends in the [Tabernacle] Choir and Orchestra to sing this song (and many others) to a live audience of thousands and a streaming audience of tens of thousands. Your reaction made it very clear to me just how blessed I am to be a member of the choir and to have that opportunity. It also prompted me to pray that each member of the listening audience might have such a personal experience with the beauty of the music and the feelings of the Spirit. Thank you for your video!”
You can watch the performance in Atlanta that Jerry references on the Tabernacle Choir’s YouTube channel.
Another member of the choir, Kim Underwood, wrote:
“It is a powerful, indescribable experience to sing with so many amazing musicians who love God and believe these words with all our hearts. … It is difficult to sing without crying. I loved seeing your reaction and it brings me joy to see the music affect others in the same way it moves me. The Spirit of the Lord is in this music.”
Charlie Attends General Conference
Charlie posted his reaction video about a month before the October 2024 general conference. Following a chain of events that he says happened “really quickly,” Charlie flew to Salt Lake City to watch the choir. He told LDS Living that he attended the Sunday morning session of general conference in person. He saw the choir perform “Rejoice the Lord is King,” “On This Day of Joy and Gladness,” “Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah,” “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need,” and “The Spirit of God.”
Charlie also said he watched the Sunday afternoon session on TV at a friend’s house.
“I had the most amazing time,” Charlie says of his conference experience.
If you missed the conference sessions or would like to watch them again, you can find the recordings on Gospel Library.
For more inspiring music stories, check out the articles below.
▶ An unforgettable moment from the conference children’s choir everyone is talking about
▶ Listen: Latter-day Saint’s jazzy album hits #1 on iTunes Christian chart
▶ Watch: Adorable 11-year-old plays the organ for his ward
