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Utah Inaugural performers seeing strong online backlash

Posted at 6:07 PM, Jan 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-19 20:07:52-05

WASHINGTON D.C. -- For the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, it's Presidential Inauguration number seven, though they've never seen the level of controversy they're seeing this year.

The protest has been loud enough to get an online response from Choir President Ron Jarrett.

"The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has a long tradition of performing at inaugurals of U. S. presidents of both parties," Jarrett stated. "Singing the music of America is one of the things that we do best. We are honored to be able to serve our country by providing music for the inauguration of our next president."

On the choir's Facebook page, negative remarks dominated the conversation, and Utah's famed Piano Guys, who performed at the "Make America Great Again Welcome Concert" and are scheduled to perform at an inaugural ball, have seen more backlash.

The Piano Guys posted an explanation of their decision to perform on their Facebook page, saying in part:

"We would have been honored at the opportunity no matter who was being sworn in. We strive to make all vital decisions a matter of serious soul searching and prayer."

The post did little to satisfy online commentators. The more than 4,500 comments skewed negative by a wide margin. The full post is embedded below: