Choir prepares for international tour
For spring break, the Grand View choir will spend 12 days singing in Denmark, Germany
Molly HottleEditor-In-Chief
Last week, 24 members of the Grand View University choir sang to an empty classroom. A week from this Sunday, they will sing to an audience thousands of miles away and across one ocean at a church in Lindelse, Denmark.
On March 11, the choir will embark on their second-ever international tour and spend 12 days in Denmark and Germany, bringing their song to the country of Grand View's founders.
"It'll put it on the map, at least," said choir director Kathryn Duffy, about her students' perception of Denmark. "Right now, it's perfectly possible to go through life at Grand View all day and the only contact you have with Danish anything is to see the flag outside the Humphrey Center."
Grand View was founded in 1896 by Danish immigrants whose traditions, such as Studenterfest, are still alive and in place at the school.
The tour will allow students to sing for three performances each in Denmark and Germany, as well as visit a Danish school and the Wartburg Castle in Lichtenfels, Germany, among other sites.
Angela Coulson, music freshman, has traveled to Europe before and is anticipating making the trip with fellow choir members.
"I just hope I get the words of the songs pronounced right," she said.
This tour's program of music includes 21 songs, three performed in German and two in Danish.
Duffy said that's just one of the challenges the young choir-10 of the 24 members are freshmen faces as they begin their tour.
"The thing that's been harder is that with so many freshmen, they don't know how we do things, so I have to allow time to teach them those things," Duffy said.
In addition, changes in choir members have only allowed the group to practice most of the tour music for only two months.
"At one point, I had five tenors, now I have three tenors and it makes a difference as to which pieces we do," Duffy said. "I changed the literature over the course of the fall and then had to change it again in January to accommodate this combination of voices."
Duffy also said she anticipates her choir will perform quality music to packed houses throughout the two European countries.
"It opens up your eyes to the world, to a different way of receiving music," she said. "In Europe, they can't get enough of choral music. When we went overseas last time, we had packed houses every single night. It was so gratifying."
Anna Juhl, psychology senior, is in her fourth year as a choir member and is looking forward to visiting the country of her heritage.
"My family is from Denmark. I went there when I was little and I've wanted to go back," she said.
Juhl has been a member of the Grand View choir since 2005 and has traveled on three domestic tours. This will be her first international one.
"I think being overseas will be better," she said. "On the domestic tours, we spend most of our time driving and a concert almost every night. This year, we'll have a lot more free time."
After performing seven times on the tour, the choir will return to Grand View to perform a post-tour concert.
"The students will have a chance to deepen themselves into the music," Duffy said. "It will deepen them into the reality of what being Danish might mean."
On March 11, the choir will embark on their second-ever international tour and spend 12 days in Denmark and Germany, bringing their song to the country of Grand View's founders.
"It'll put it on the map, at least," said choir director Kathryn Duffy, about her students' perception of Denmark. "Right now, it's perfectly possible to go through life at Grand View all day and the only contact you have with Danish anything is to see the flag outside the Humphrey Center."
Grand View was founded in 1896 by Danish immigrants whose traditions, such as Studenterfest, are still alive and in place at the school.
The tour will allow students to sing for three performances each in Denmark and Germany, as well as visit a Danish school and the Wartburg Castle in Lichtenfels, Germany, among other sites.
Angela Coulson, music freshman, has traveled to Europe before and is anticipating making the trip with fellow choir members.
"I just hope I get the words of the songs pronounced right," she said.
This tour's program of music includes 21 songs, three performed in German and two in Danish.
Duffy said that's just one of the challenges the young choir-10 of the 24 members are freshmen faces as they begin their tour.
"The thing that's been harder is that with so many freshmen, they don't know how we do things, so I have to allow time to teach them those things," Duffy said.
In addition, changes in choir members have only allowed the group to practice most of the tour music for only two months.
"At one point, I had five tenors, now I have three tenors and it makes a difference as to which pieces we do," Duffy said. "I changed the literature over the course of the fall and then had to change it again in January to accommodate this combination of voices."
Duffy also said she anticipates her choir will perform quality music to packed houses throughout the two European countries.
"It opens up your eyes to the world, to a different way of receiving music," she said. "In Europe, they can't get enough of choral music. When we went overseas last time, we had packed houses every single night. It was so gratifying."
Anna Juhl, psychology senior, is in her fourth year as a choir member and is looking forward to visiting the country of her heritage.
"My family is from Denmark. I went there when I was little and I've wanted to go back," she said.
Juhl has been a member of the Grand View choir since 2005 and has traveled on three domestic tours. This will be her first international one.
"I think being overseas will be better," she said. "On the domestic tours, we spend most of our time driving and a concert almost every night. This year, we'll have a lot more free time."
After performing seven times on the tour, the choir will return to Grand View to perform a post-tour concert.
"The students will have a chance to deepen themselves into the music," Duffy said. "It will deepen them into the reality of what being Danish might mean."
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