The St. Olaf Choir
| St. Olaf Choir | |
|---|---|
| Choir | |
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| Origin | Northfield, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Founded | 1912 (105 years ago) |
| Genre | a cappella, classical, gospel |
| Members | 75 |
| Chief conductor | Anton Armstrong |
| Affiliation | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| Website | www |
The St. Olaf Choir is a premier a cappella choir based in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1912 by Norwegian immigrant F. Melius Christiansen, the choir has been influential to other church and college choirs for its performance of unaccompanied sacred music. Conducted since 1990 by Anton Armstrong, there have been four conductors in the choir’s 105 year history.
Previously founding the St. Olaf Band, professor F. Melius Christiansen formed the St. Olaf Choir in 1912 from the worship choir of nearby St. John's Lutheran Church. After a successful tour of the American Midwest that same year, the choir began planning a tour of the college’s cultural homeland, Norway. This 1913 tour included performances in front of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud. In the 1920s, the St. Olaf Choir began touring regularly after a highly acclaimed tour of the East Coast. Subsequent tours, recordings, and radio broadcasts spread the group’s fame among the choral community, transforming the Midwest into a hotbed of choral activity.
In 1943, Olaf Christiansen succeeded his father as conductor of the St. Olaf Choir. Graduating from St. Olaf College in 1925 and singing in the choir under his father, Olaf had earned advanced degrees at Union Theological Seminary and taught at the Oberlin Conservatory. After 27 years as conductor, Olaf retired in 1968. .
The third conductor of the St. Olaf Choir was Kenneth Jennings, a 1950 graduate of St. Olaf College who sang in the choir under his predecessor. Under Jennings’ direction, the choir expanded its repertoire and began occasionally performing accompanied music and larger works. Jennings also expanded the choir’s global reach with a 1986 tour of Asia. In 1988, it became one of five choirs in the world to sing at the Olympic Choral Arts Festival in Seoul, South Korea.
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