55°F
weather icon Clear

Youth ensembles bring Mormon history to life

A group of musicians and devout Mormons will share their love of music and religion with a special concert Sunday celebrating the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the Las Vegas temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“House of the Lord” will be presented at 5 and 7:30 p.m. at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave. It showcases the Zion’s Youth Symphony and Chorus.

The original work is a collaboration between Wendy Randall, a 1991 graduate of Boulder City High School, and brothers David and Jeffrey Skouson. The three were involved with Red Mountain Music Co. for about 10 years, Randall as executive director, Jeffrey Skouson as music director and David Skouson as conductor.

“Jeffrey, Wendy and I talked about two and a half years ago about the 25th anniversary of the Las Vegas Temple. We decided to do what we in the church call a temple pageant,” David Skouson said. “It’s not officially sanctioned.”

The hour-long concert is based on journals and historical documents and retells the story of how Mormons settled in the Las Vegas area.

According to David Skouson, who has worked on Broadway and considers himself an honorary Boulder City resident, the concert features a range of music, including pieces that could be classified as hymns, ballads, cinematic and hoedowns.

Randall said she had been trying to convince David Skouson for years to take his “beautiful compositions” and turn them into something more than pieces for his own amusement.

“We’ve put together a lot of shows, … but this is the first one I’ve written scripts and lyrics for and collaborated in songwriting,” said Randall, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English with a creative writing emphasis from Brigham Young University.

She said the concert is similar to an oratorio, with various musical numbers connected by a narrative.

“It’s more dramatic than a concert,” but with the size of the two ensembles it has to be presented concert style, without sets as you typically would see in a musical, Randall said.

The two ensembles are composed of high school students — 180 in chorus and 90 in symphony — who must audition to join. Although membership in the LDS church is not required, most of the participants are members, Randall said.

There are 13 Boulder City students involved in the show. Arianne Hess plays violin in the symphony and Tyler Campbell, Ben Fraser, Tommy Fraser, Payton Hess, Conner Leavitt, Garrett Leavitt, Gavin Morris, Monte Morris, Tyson Morris, Jess Randall, Joren Selinger and Emma Torgesen sing in the chorus.

“I’m most excited for the kids,” David Skouson said. “This music isn’t easy music; there are some pretty complicated rhythms. Most of the kids’ backgrounds is high school band or high school orchestra. This has been a lot of work for them, and they’ve done a great job.”

Special guest soloists for the concert are Brandon Albright, Kelly Albright, Jordan Bluth, Benjamin D. Hale, Brodie Perry, Michele Ringer White and Chelsea Wilson Calder.

Tickets for the concert are free but limited. For more information, visit www.zionsyouth.org.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
Rating reflects teachers’ commitment and determination of students

There’s no better way to begin this school year than by celebrating a truly incredible accomplishment of Garrett Junior High School officially earning a 5-Star school rating. This distinction represents the highest level of achievement under Nevada’s School Performance Framework and recognizes not only strong academic performance, but also growth, teamwork, and a positive school culture.

Everything from A to Z available at Country Store

Whether you call it a garage sale, yard sale or tag sale, Grace Community Church’s Country Store is one of the largest of its kind in the area.

Homecoming: Small town tradition

There’s something special about Homecoming in Boulder City.

Student achievement main focus at Mitchell

Mitchell Elementary has enjoyed a great beginning to our school year as our staff continues to serve our students and families as their children learn and grow their leadership skills.

What is a PSA test and why you need one

PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) is a protein produced by the prostate gland, which is found in small amounts in the blood. The PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test is a blood test used to screen for prostate health and to help detect prostate cancer.

Wurst Fest kicks off fall event season

For nearly three decades it kicks off a very busy event season in Boulder City; one that goes up into the holidays.

Chugging Along

Photos by Ron Eland/Boulder City Review

Class In Session: Bobcats hit the ground running

The 2025-2026 school year is off to an exciting start at Garrett Junior High School. From impressive academic growth to new STEAM classes, our Bobcats are showing what it means to learn, lead, and succeed.

BCHS going strong at 85

The 2025–26 school year is off to a fantastic start at Boulder City High School.

Falls at home place seniors at significant risk

We may crack up watching slip and fall accidents on TikTok or “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, but in real life, especially for seniors, it’s no laughing matter.