The Gustavus Choir, Gregory Aune, conductor
The Gustavus Choir, one of the nation’s foremost Lutheran college choirs, will present it annual Home Concert at 7:30 p.m., Saturday evening, February 16, at Christ Chapel on the Gustavus Adolphus College campus. Under the direction of Dr. Gregory J. Aune, the choir is returning from its nine-day concert tour through California, Arizona, and New Mexico to present this concert. The performance is open to the public at no charge.
The Gustavus Choir is recognized for its musical approach to singing and high standards of performance. The concert program will feature a diverse spectrum of choral music, with notable repertoire from both historical and stylistic genres. Conductor Gregory Aune states, “Part of the experience of singing in the Gustavus Choir is the opportunity to learn about and be exposed to new music, whether it is centuries old or written within the past year. The students then share their discoveries with those people who come to hear us sing.” Highlights of this year’s concert tour program will include important choral works by Josquin des Prez, Claude Debussy, Josef Rheinberger, Felix Mendelssohn, and Arvo Pärt. The choir will also perform selected hymn settings, folk songs, and two spiritual arrangements.
The choir has toured annually throughout the continental United States and abroad during its 81-year history. In the past twenty-five years the Gustavus Choir has also appeared at cathedrals, conservatories, and cultural centers in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, Asia, and South Africa.
In addition to its Home Concert, the Gustavus Choir is celebrating the release of its newest recording, Be With Us. The CD is a compilation of works from the past season of Gustavus Choir performances and was recorded by Doug Geston of Westmark Productions. The recording includes works by Ola Gjello, Kenneth Jennings, Johann Pachelbel, Eric Whitacre, David Dickau, Elaine Aune, Paul J. Christiansen, and Egil Hovland, along with arrangements by Jack Halloran, Thomas E. Miller, Bruce A. Bengtson and Margareta Jalkeus Bengtson. Be With Us will be available at the Choir’s Home Concert on Saturday and for sale at the Gustavus Book Mark.
The Gustavus Choir’s Home Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, February 16, at Christ Chapel. The performance is open to the public at no charge.