Luther College Nordic Choir Embarks on Norway Tour

DECORAH — Luther College Nordic Choir will tour Norway May 20 through June 3. The tour will celebrate both the choir and Luther's Norwegian roots. Luther was the first college in the U.S. founded by Norwegian immigrants. 2025 also marks the 200th anniversary of Norwegian immigration to the U.S. To honor this history, Nordic Choir will perform musical selections celebrating homecoming on the tour. On the tour, students will perform at churches and concert halls throughout Norway. This includes historic villages and cities like Lillehammer, Stravanger and Kristiansand. The choir will also participate in a church service at the Bergen Cathedral. The choir will finish their tour with a performance in Oslo at Uranienborg Kirke, a church located behind the Royal Palace. "Nordic Choir has a long history of impactful music opportunities through its international touring," said Andrew Last, director of Nordic Choir. "This year, Nordic celebrates the college's Norwegian heritage through a tour program that includes themes of 'coming home' and 'flight.' The program will also commemorate the wonderful Norwegian voices through folk song, choral legends and F. Melius Christiansen, the founder of our Lutheran choral heritage." Fifty-nine Luther alumni, friends and parents will tour Norway along with the choir by attending performances and taking in scenery and architecture of the country. Nordic Choir is Luther's principal touring choir in a choral program that includes three upper-class touring choirs and two first-year choirs. Nordic Choir honors the Lutheran choral tradition while exploring new and innovative choral works that span styles and genres. Performances have been described as "thrilling," "breathtaking" and "rock-solid in intonation and rhythmic clarity." Every three years, Nordic Choir tours internationally and tours nationally every year. This past winter, the choir toured the Upper Midwest. The Luther College Nordic Choir was founded by Sigvart Steen and memorably conducted for 57 years by Weston Noble, class of 1943. Previous conductors include Craig Arnold and Allen Hightower. Since 2017, the choir has been under the direction of Last, associate professor of music and director of choral activities and graduate of the class of 1997. He earned a master's degree in choral conducting from Northern Arizona University and a doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln School of Music. Stay informed, stay inspired! Newsletter sign up is free and join hundreds of free subscribers who rely on DecorahNews.com for trusted information and fresh perspectives.