The Gustavus Choir has embarked on a two week tour of Spain, France, and Italy, performing at some of the best venues that the countries have to offer. As a gift, they are giving their last performance of their tour at Gustavus Adolphus College.
The concert will be held on Saturday, February 11 at 7 p.m. in Christ Chapel. Admission is free to the public, making this an event that everyone can attend and enjoy.
“This has certainly been a grueling couple of weeks as we prepared 17 pieces of music for our international tour, including rehearsals with our alumni choir,” said Gustavus Choir director Dr. Brandon Dean. “I was amazed at the positive energy and their willingness to work hard for long hours, especially at first, when the task was so daunting.”
When asked about his favorite song, Dean responded that it was “Bar Xizam,” with the reasoning behind it being absolutely beautiful. He urged the choir to have a much-needed discussion about the song.
“This conversation centered on feminism and music and the struggles of women abroad and within our own choir”, says Lindsay James ’24. “We highlighted the similarities of issues of religious freedoms for women both in Iran and the countries we’re touring in. Female student leaders facilitated full and small group discussions and created a brave space for members of the choir to share their personal stories, experiences, and wisdom about what this piece means to them.”
Established in 1932, the nationally renowned Gustavus Choir is the flagship choir in an active and highly integrated choral program that is comprised of nearly 300 students. Members of the choir are selected by audition and represent a broad spectrum of academic and life interests.