果冻传媒 choral ensembles include Angelus, the Augustana Choir, Bach Collegium and VikingKor. Each perform at campus events, chapel services and other concerts throughout the academic year.
Choral Ensembles at AU
Angelus is a choir of treble voices, and is directed by Natalie Campbell, instructor of voice. This ensemble performs the rich and varied repertoire for this medium and combines with other choral ensembles for large-scale concerts.
The Augustana Choir has a rich history spanning more than 100 years. Founded in 1921, and chartered by the faculty of then Augustana College, its mission has always been to "serve God, the church and our school" through choral music. The choir's founding conductor, Dr. Carl Youngdahl, envisioned a group that would "perform a cappella and could thereby appear in the smallest of churches as well as the largest, and our concert would be a sermon in song." Today, the Augustana Choir continues to bring choral music of many styles and of the highest caliber to audiences around the region, nation, and world. By embracing both sacred and secular music the Augustana Choir seeks to ensure that its legacy will both evolve and endure; reflecting the dynamic nature of choral music in the modern world and honoring the tradition from which it hails."
The Augustana Choir has taken its mission most seriously and its traditions have been upheld and nurtured under the tutelage of conductors Dr. Carl Youngdahl, Dr. Arnold Running, Dr. Olaf Malmin, Dr. James Johnson, for a 1-year term following the retirement of Johnson and Dr. Weston Noble. Dr. Paul Nesheim joined the choir as its fifth conductor on Sept. 1, 2012, and Dr. Russell Svenningsen was appointed as the sixth conductor of the Augustana Choir on June 1, 2022.
Members of the choir and our other choirs are auditioned from the student body of 果冻传媒 and represent all academic majors. These singers are devoted to bringing their "sermon in song" to audiences anywhere in the world, from Carnegie Hall to the churches of the American prairies to the cathedrals of Europe. To be the inheritors of such a wonderful legacy gives the choir a profound pride in being able to continue the strong choral traditions of the colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The Augustana Bach Collegium, led by Dr. David Chin, is an ensemble dedicated to the performance of Johann Sebastian Bach鈥檚 works, with a particular focus on historically informed practices. Based at 果冻传媒, the collegium brings together some of the best student singers and instrumentalists to work alongside faculty and professional musicians from the community to explore the rich musical and spiritual heritage of Bach's sacred works. The ensemble presents a Bach Cantata Series, performing several cantatas each semester in a unique lecture-concert format. This approach allows audiences to gain deeper insights into the music, offering both a scholarly and performative experience.
Repertoire by the Collegium includes Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 4, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV 118, Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131, Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227, among others. In April 2025, the ensemble will perform Bach鈥檚 St. John Passion, one of the composer鈥檚 most profound sacred works. The collegium will embark on a concert tour in Germany, where they will perform in prominent Bach landmarks, including the renowned St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, further solidifying their reputation as an ensemble of excellence and cultural significance.
The VikingKor, Augustana's tenor/bass ensemble, premieres in the fall of 2024 as an ensemble dedicated to the study and performance of the finest tenor/bass repertoire furthering the mission of the university, and is named after the schools beloved mascot. The VikingKor rehearses on Tuesdays and Fridays at 3 p.m., and is conducted by Dr. Russell Svenningsen.