A Cappella Choir selected to perform at NMEA conference

The choir was selected to perform at the conference by NMEA officers and President Judy Bush. Concordia’s University A Cappella Choir is conducted by Dr. Kurt von Kampen, professor of music, and will be accompanied by Paul Soulek on organ and piano. Soulek serves as director of parish music at St. John Lutheran Church and School in Seward.

“As a university with an extensive teacher education program, we are acutely aware of the need for dedicated teachers in all areas, music included, and so we are thankful to NMEA for its support and encouragement of the music educators in our state,” Rev. Dr. Brian Friedrich, president of Concordia University, Nebraska, said. “We are proud to partner with NMEA and be associated with the ongoing efforts to enhance and expand music education.”

The concert featured five songs including “God is Gone Up” by Gerald Finzi, “Here is the Little Door” by Herbert Howells, “Zigeunerleben (Gypsy Life)” by Robert Schumann, “Skylark” arranged by Norman Luboff and “Shall We Gather at the River” by David von Kampen.

This year marks the 75th year of the 72-member auditioned choir. Student membership in the ensemble represents a variety of academic disciplines and students come from more than 15 different states and countries. The choir annually tours the United States and travels abroad every four years, performing both sacred and secular music across the choral spectrum. The choir has taken the sounds of Concordia University, Nebraska to 23 different countries including Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania in the spring of 2013.