The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Jackie Evancho both belted out songs during the presidential inauguration today.
The choir sang a dazzling rendition of “America the Beautiful” in between Mike Pence and Donald Trump being sworn in. Evancho closed out the event with her performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The 16-year-old appeared nervous, with her voice cracking a bit at the beginning, but sang graciously accompanied by the United States Marine Band.
The performances did not come without controversy, with choir member Jan Chamberlin quitting over the event. “Since ‘the announcement,’ I have spent several sleepless nights and days in turmoil and agony,” she wrote. “I have reflected carefully on both sides of the issue, prayed a lot, talked with family and friends, and searched my soul.”
For Evancho’s part, she said it was a long discussion between her and her family before she decided to participate in the inauguration, as they feared a lot of backlash for the singer. “[There was] a lot of conversation between my family because there would be a lot of backlash. We knew that,” Evancho told Fox & Friends. “In the end, this is an honor for me to sing for my country, and that’s all it is. There’s no politics involved for me.”
Despite losing some fans over the decision, Evancho says her album sales have actually increased. “It has helped increase [my] sales and social media, which is great,” she said. “I’m getting new fans. I may be losing some, but the ones that I’m gaining I’m really happy about it.”
While Trump himself claimed that Evancho’s choice caused her sales to “skyrocket,” Billboard says otherwise. “Most holiday albums receive a sales spike in the chart weeks approaching Christmas,” they reported, and added that during the week ending Dec. 22, “sales of all holiday albums increased by 21 percent, and overall album sales were up 18 percent – increases handily beat by Evancho’s 94 percent gain with her Christmas album that week.”
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