They sang.

They clapped.

They rang bells.

They raised the roof. (Well, almost.)

The celebrated Mormon Tabernacle Choir delivered a marvelous thank-you address in song Friday night, one which most in the sold-out crowd of 1,700 at Morrison Theater will not soon forget.

"It was everything I expected and more," said Dan Womack of Quincy. "It was great. It was just great."

The choir's 19-song offering, which included a pair of encores over a one-hour, 45-minute performance, stretched the audience's gamut of emotions to the limit.

From "Glory to God in the Highest" to "This Land is Your Land" to "Climb Every Mountain" to "Cindy," the choir touched a full range of music and style.

"They were wonderful ... it was inspiring," said Debbie Ernst of Quincy.

The performance was a gift from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the city of Quincy. The city provided shelter in the winter of 1839 for approximately 5,000 early church members who were being driven out of Missouri.

The $75,000 in proceeds from the concert were dedicated by the church to the Quincy Area Community Foundation, a non-profit public charity. The choir is also performing this weekend during dedication ceremonies for the Nauvoo Temple.

An awesome thing: State Sen. Laura Kent Donahue, R-Quincy, was among the dignitaries in the Morrison Theater assemblage. She had nothing but praise for the choir and the church it represents.

"I have had a long association with the Mormon church," she said. "We have worked on a number of things together. They are wonderful, caring people. (The church) has a special bond with Quincy.

"I heard the choir the first time it was in Nauvoo about 10 to 12 years ago. It was an awesome thing."

By the numbers: For those who might be wondering, the choir has:

* 186 women, 174 men. * 91 sopranos, 95 altos, 81 tenors and 93 basses. * 20 husband-wife combinations. * Many families boasting two or more generations of choir membership. The longest is six generations.

Choir members practice a minimum of five hours each week and must live within 100 miles of the home base in Salt Lake City.

Celebration: Not only was church president Gordon B. Hinckley celebrating the dedication of the Nauvoo Temple this week, he was blowing out some birthday candles, too. He turned 92 on June 23.

Hinckley became the 15th president of the church in 1995 and has been a driving force for the building of dozens of temples. He has dedicated more temples than any other leader in the 172-year history of the church. He is leading the dedication ceremonies this weekend for the Nauvoo Temple, the 113th such structure in church history.

Hinckley, who has traveled to approximately 60 countries to meet with, instruct and inspire church members, realizes the choir's place in American history.

"The Mormon Tabernacle Choir must be the highest exponent of the choral art in the land, but it must always sing to the people," he said.

Fittingly, the Morrison Theater crowd seemed to enjoy the choir's "Songs of the Land" and "Songs of Hope and Celebration" the most. The upbeat and good-natured "Cindy," an American folk song arranged by associate director Mack Wilberg, arguably drew the loudest ovation.

Quite a place: Craig Jessop, the third-year music director and conductor for the choir, was impressed with Morrison Theater. "The Morrison Theater is a world-class facility," he said. "It is an elegant auditorium."

Jessop is a former member of the choir, having performed while he was in college.

"My passion has always been music and the power of music helping other people in lifting their spirits," he said. "And whenever we're on tour, I see the emotion that the choir can generate from an audience. It's a wonderful experience."

Quite a goal: Mac Christensen, the president of the choir, has a goal.

"I want every single person in the world to hear the choir," he says. "The music the choir makes will bring spirituality and goodness to the whole world. We can bring people together through song."

Christensen manages the operations, staff and marketing of the choir. He also makes sure programs stay within budget.

Former president Ronald Reagan once labeled the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as "America's Choir." Christensen disagrees, to a certain extent.

"It shouldn't be this country's choir, it should be the world's choir," he said. "The music is so good and so uplifting. Everyone should get to experience the sight, sound and spirit of the choir." Friday night in Quincy, 1,700 did just that.