volume 4 « number 1

Echoes&Overtonesthe gustavus choir

Greetings and blessings to you as anotheryear of Gustavus Choir tradition continues! A new school year brings us an addition offresh talent to join the returning veterans for a season of learning. The old membersteach the new to carry on cherishedtraditions such as the meaningful CircleSong, our annual choir banquet,entertaining new-member skits, and theever-competitive inter-choir sports games!

As a member of the choir leadership, I findmyself discovering more every day aboutthe mechanics of a choir and, moreimportantly, the importance of eachmember and the knowledge, skills, andability he or she brings to this choir. Ibelieve we are learning to seek a higherlevel of musicality with Dr. Aune’s years ofexperience guiding us.

Of course, we have a plethora of newmusic. We performed Mozart’s Requiem forthe annual Nobel Conference (Dr. A isalways nurturing our nature of singing!), we shared our music with our parents atParents’ Weekend, and we occasionallyworship through music in Daily Chapelservices. As of late, we are brushing up on our Swedish, preparing for the time-honored tradition of Christmas in ChristChapel and its “Julbön” theme.

But even as we join together in makingbeautiful music now, our 2003 tour has beenon every singer’s mind. We’re going to Italy!Three weeks of traveling, singing, and excellentbonding time during our January Term. Wecan’t wait to tell everyone how it turned out!

In the meantime, take time to reminisceabout some of your most memorable choirmoments as you read about ours. Pleasefeel free to write to us and share them! And,as always, we love to have your support inthe audience at our performances.

Peace and Harmony,Annie Joy Johnson ’03, soprano

Buon Giorno! This is a greeting that we’ll allbe using in just a few short months as theGustavus Choir tours Italy. We are allexcited to have such a wonderfulexperience that includes what we all love—singing! Though our primary reason fortouring is to give the Italian people a tasteof an American choral concert, we’ll alsobe enriching ourselves by taking in Italy’swonderful and rich culture. Some citiesthat are on our agenda are Rome,Sorrento, Assisi, Florence, and Venice.

While in Rome (Roma), we’ll have thechance to visit the Colosseum, Forum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Appian Way, theCatacombs, the Vatican Museums, and theSistine Chapel. The Colosseum is the mostfamous monument of ancient Rome, builtduring Emperor Vespasian’s reign andfinished by his son Titus in 80 AD. Duringour free time, we may do more explorationof the city by taking a ride on the Metro(the subway system), getting a taste of

gelato (the American counterpart of icecream in Italy), or maybe visiting the Hard Rock Café, just one of Rome’s many restaurants.

During our stay in Florence (Firenze), we’ll be performing our choral literature at Chiesa Santa Maria dei Ricci as well astouring places such as the Uffizi Galleryand Bargello. We’ll also have anopportunity to participate in an eveningworship service at the Duomo, in theheart of Florence. The Duomo is capturedin nearly every postcard, book, andpainting that advertises Florence. It stands tall, adjacent to the Baptistry and the Companile. It is arguablyBrunelleschi’s best work, and no otherarchitect in Italy has matched his talent.No other building stands higher than the Duomo, which is the largest church in the Catholic world.

Journey continued on page 5

St. Peter’s square in Rome, one of many stops on the Choir’s Italian Tour.

Letter fromthe President

A Journey of Epic Proportionsby Ntxuam Vang ’04, tenor

Conductor’s Columnby Dr. Gregory Aune, Conductor

Greetings from Gustavus, and welcome to anotherissue of Echoes and Overtones! As most of youremember very well, this time of year finds the G Choir and many other musical ensembles oncampus heavily into preparations for Christmas inChrist Chapel. This year’s program, Julbön, willfeature the Advent and Christmas music ofSweden.It has been interesting to learn in depthabout the musical traditions of Sweden associatedwith the Yule season.

I am pleased to announce and share with you thefruits of a generous gift from Ruth and RossHeilman, both members of the Class of 1973 andparents of recent G Choir alums Roy and Jake. TheHeilmans have endowed a special fund forcommissioning new choral works for the GustavusChoir. This gift will allow the Choir to periodically

seek out talented composers to create choral works written specifically for the ensembleand/or special events pertinent to the choir’s mission. Jaakko Mänteyjärvi, aninternationally known Finnish composer, is putting the final touches on a new workcommissioned through this endowment. The piece, titled Death may dissolve, is based ona hymn tune by the early American composer William Billings titled “Chesterfield,” witha text by Isaac Watts. We tentatively plan to premier Death may dissolve during thechoir’s tour of Italy in January 2003, and it will hopefully receive many more hearings.Thank you, Ruth and Ross, for this extraordinary gift and opportunity for the choir!

Let’s Go On with the Show!by Andrew Hasty ’03, tenor

It all started with a casualconversation between a fewchoir members over dinner:“How can we help raise moneyfor Italy?” Someone said, “Howabout a Broadway revue?” Andbefore you knew it, membersof the Gustavus Choir pulledtogether to organize thisextravaganza; posters wentup, tickets were printed,press releases were sent,and a program was set.

Audience members packedinto Björling Recital Hallon Sunday, November10, at 7:30 p.m. to see members of theGustavus Choir perform

some of their favorite musical theaterselections. The ticket proceeds wenttoward outings for the whole choir, such as dinner or the opera, for their upcominginternational tour of Italy.

The concert opened with a standardBroadway hymn, “There’s No BusinessLike Show Business” from Annie Get YourGun. Other selections came from Rent, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Godspell,South Pacific, Miss Saigon, and even moreshows. Our illustrious Choir president,Annie Johnson, and chaplain, AnnHumburg, hosted the evening’s festivities.The evening closed with a stellar finale,“Seasons of Love” from Rent. You neverknow—some day you may see one ofthese singers on Broadway!

Contact Information

For more information about theGustavus Choir, its tour itinerary,concert appearances, or any of thearticles in Echoes & Overtones,contact:

; Dr. Gregory Aune, ConductorDepartment of MusicGustavus Adolphus College800 West College AvenueSaint Peter, MN 56082-1498Ph.: 507/933-7347<gaune@gustavus.edu>

; Dean Wahlund, Tour ManagerOffice of Public RelationsGustavus Adolphus College800 West College AvenueSaint Peter, MN 56082-1498Ph.: 507/933-7521<dwahlund@gustavus.edu>

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Check Out theGustavus ChoirOnlineFor more information about theGustavus Choir and its concert andtour schedules, check out theGustavus Choir’s home page at:

www.gustavus.edu/oncampus/academics/music/choir/index.cfm

Reverberations!Alumni choir members, parents, andchoir friends are invited to share theirmemories, experiences, highlights,photos, and practical jokes with theother readers of this newsletter. We’realways on the lookout for thosemeaningful moments that havecontributed to the tradition thatsurrounds the Gustavus Choir. Sendyour stories and photos to TourManager Dean Wahlund or ConductorGreg Aune (see page 2 in this issuefor addresses).

CDs Available OnlineChoir recordings, including theGustavus Choir’s CD of itsgroundbreaking 1999 tour of South Africa, Sing South Africa, are available from the Book Mark on the Gustavus campus. Check out the Book Mark’s Web site at<www.bookmark.gustavus.edu>, or call them at 507/933-7587.

This newsletter is published two timesduring the academic year for GustavusChoir members, alumni, parents, andfriends. Production is coordinated bySteve Waldhauser ’70, publicationscoordinator at the College andGustavus Choir alumnus; SteveHogberg ’69, associate vice presidentfor gift planning at the College andGustavus Choir alumnus; and AllisonHawley, vice president of the2002–03 Gustavus Choir.

Attending a choir performance is amemorable experience for many reasons.There is electricity in the air—a lingeringsense of anticipation for what theperformance will hold. Some questions wemight ask are: What will the choirperform? Will I, the audience member, likeit? How will I be different after theperformance? The choral force is at itsprime, focused on the man with the baton.

But what is everyday life like as a choirmember? What lurks in the seeminglymundane? We will take a gander into the lifeof “Joe,” a current Gustavus Choir member.

Joe begins his daily choral experience inthe hallway next to the folder slots. Hefinds pleasure in socializing there with hischoir friends. Time marches on toward4:30 p.m., and Joe casually makes his wayto room 214, where he finds the rest ofthe choir chattering away. Joe minglesaround the room until he hears thefamiliar pounding of a C major triad—Dr. Aune’s signal that it’s time to startwarm-ups. Joe loves warming up.Sometimes he gets so excited that he

harmonizes with the warm-ups, much to Dr. A’s dismay. Sometimes he getsbackrubs. Joe’s favorite warm-up is anarpeggiation over an octave while singing,“I loooooooove to siiiiiiiiiing!” Boy, doesJoe love to sing!

After the choir is warmed up, Joe eagerlyopens his folder and takes out his pencil(much to Dr. A’s delight!), so he’s ready toscribble down any pointers that will help

him achieve a higher degree of musicality.Joe sings piece after piece, by Brahms andSchütz and Swedish composer afterSwedish composer, trying his best toenunciate all the foreign languages. Dr. Astops occasionally to fix notes or suggestdynamics, or to make a witty comment ortwo (or five!). That Dr. A is such a kidder.

Before Joe realizes it, choir rehearsal isover, and announcements are being madeabout upcoming choir events. Joe can’twait to play broomball in December withthe rest of the choir. He’ll show those altosand basses a thing or two! But most of all,Joe can’t wait until tomorrow, when hecan start his choir day all over again.

Meet Joe! by Dan Roeder ’03, tenor

G Choir rehearsal under the direction of Dr. A.

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You may have encountered terms andphrases in past choir newsletters thathave confused you, but fear not! The“Gustavus Choir Glossary” is anintroduction to the culture and traditionsthat pervade choir members and choirhistory. Below, you will find a list ofterms that will help you read (andunderstand!) future newsletters.

Duane & Ozzie: Our loveable busdrivers! Duane and Ozzie drive two tour buses that have carried us on everychoir tour since… who knows when! They won’t be with us in Italy—’causebuses can’t drive through the ocean. We’ll miss them.

“500”: A bridge-like card game involving four choir members. Each yearon tour, the choir plays an annual 500tournament, with the winners receivingsuch illustrious prizes as plasticsaltshakers and cafeteria trays. Mostgames are played on the bus usingpillows for tables, or at churches before meals.

The Thank You Song: Sung in bothSwedish and English. The Choir sings the Thank You Song to thank our mealproviders at each tour stop, usually a church.

Lasagna: Our favorite (and often, only)tour meal!

The Circle Song: “O God, Our Help In AgesPast.” The Choir sings the Circle Song afterevery performance, while standing in acircle and swaying. This song has replacedthe Remember Song (remember that?!).

Clap-up: An act performed by a choirmember, usually to their chagrin; clap-ups occur almost exclusively on tour, buthave been known to crop up at anymajor choir function. A table of choirmembers, while eating, will decide to“clap-up” another choir member byclapping three times and then yelling,“Hey, [insert name], do [humiliating and devastatingly funny act]!” Theselected person must then perform theact, or be shunned by fellow choirmembers for the rest of the tour. Choirmembers are always clapped up to singtheir high school songs in theirhometowns, should the choir stop thereon tour. Dr. A’s favorite clap-up? The“Ewok Song” from Star Wars as performedby former tenor Scott Doerrie! Ourfavorite clap-up? Dr. A. serenading wifeJulie with a romantic song of his ownchoosing—by Led Zeppelin.

New-Member Skits: Each new choirmember is required to perform a skit atthe annual Fall Choir Banquet, to get toknow each other and to amuse the seniorchoir members! Rarely do the skits makesense, but they are always hilarious.

Choir Football: The annual “Fall FootballSpectacular” that always immediatelyfollows the Fall Choir Banquet. The altoand basses take on the tenors andsopranos for section bragging rights for the rest of the year (or until the ChoirBroomball game).

Choir Broomball: A new event! Samedeal, same teams, different surface,different ball. Same injuries!

Dr. Aune’s Dry Humor: Our fearlessleader is blessed with the driest witaround, often pausing in the middle ofrehearsals to throw out such gems as:“Molto Legato? That was Molto In-Your-Face-o!…I think the stranger the thing I say, the longer you’ll remember it.”He’s irreplaceable!

Now that you are familiar with the GustavusChoir traditions, feel free to stop by arehearsal, concert, or tour stop, and clap,sing, dance, eat, and laugh with us!

A Gustavus Choir Glossary by Paul Biederman ’03, bass, and Allison Hawley ’03, alto

Choir members have a long-standing tradition of playing 500 in the tour bus.

Tenor Drew Hasty was “clapped up” at the Fall Choir Banquet to sing “I’m a Little Teapot.”

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So this is usually the article that most altosand basses would rather not read. Manyprobably pass it over year after yearbecause they already know that it will

read: “Sopranos and Tenors Waltz Allover the Altos and Basses Yet Again,” orsomething to that effect. However, thetheme of this year’s article shall be

“Altos and Basses Make a Joyful Noise,”as they beat the tenors and sopranos bya score of many to few!

The now three-time MVB (Most Valu-able Bass) Steve Backues (’03) failed to disappoint once again. He hadnumerous tackles and an interception tocap off his impressive performance.Rumor has it that he has turned downoffers from the NFL, opting for a careerin chemistry instead.

In all seriousness, the annual footballgame is an important bonding time forthe choir, as a way for new members toget to know everyone in a non-choirsetting. Almost everyone who was therehad a great time, regardless of section,even though the loss left some with hurtfeelings. Last year we added a softballgame in the spring, and this year we areadding a broomball game. Within a fewyears, we might be playing games moreoften than we sing. But hey, it’s fun!

St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice where the Gustavus Choirmembers will be performing during their 2003 tour.

Journey continued from page 1

Our last stop is Venice (Venezia), but before we hit Venice we’ll pause for aquick stopover in Verona to see the Roman Amphitheatre and Romeo andJuliet’s Balcony. Once in Venice, we’ll unpack our luggage at the Grand HotelPrincipe and then head as a choir for a wonderful Venetian dinner. Some ofthe sites we’ll get to see include St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace, andwe will perform in an evening concert at St. Mark’s Basilica. On our time off inthis splendid city, we’ll get a chance to take a gondola ride or even hop fromone island to the next by way of water-taxi. Perhaps we’ll see first-hand someVenetian glass blowing, which has existed for over a thousand years.

Besides getting to see the many wonders of Italy, we’ll also have quite a repertoireof music. Our choral literature includes pieces by Thomas Tomkins, HeinrichSchütz, Charles Wood, Johannes Brahms, Sarah Hopkins, and many more.

Out of the many pieces that we’ll be singing, Hopkins’ Past Life Melodies isa piece that is unique in more ways than one. Hopkins, a native of Australia,wrote this piece in 1991 and commissioned it for the St. Peter’s Chorale inBrisbane, Australia. This musical work comprises three different melodies. Thefirst is one that haunted the composer for many years and came to her atmoments of deep emotion. The second melody reflects her interest in music ofvarious world cultures, in this case, Australian Aboriginal music. The lastmelody utilizes the concept of harmonic overtone singing. Harmonic overtonesinging allows singing in two different voices simultaneously. It has its roots inHoomei “throat” singing, which is indigenous to Western Mongolia and theovertone chanting of Tantric Tibetan Buddhism. Who knew that weMinnesotans would be singing Australian music while traveling in Italy?!

We look forward to our tour, and hope also that you look forward to hearingabout it in the next newsletter! Arrivederci!

Sports News: the Football Spectacular! by Paul Biederman ’03, bass

The Altos and Basses—Victory at last!

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Although Christmas in Christ Chapelservices of the past few years have rangedfrom quite traditional (last year’s “CelticPilgrimage”) to thought-provoking (year2000’s “Heaven and Nature Sing”) todownright unexpected (1999’s “Scenesfrom the Revelation”), the 30th annualChristmas in Christ Chapel swings theCollege around full circle to face itsheritage, in a traditional Swedish prayerand hymn service—Julbön.

As always, the heart of Christmas in ChristChapel rests in the music that students andalumni share together, and Julbön is noexception. The Gustavus Choir, along withother music ensembles, is presenting a“hymn collage”—a medley of differenttraditional Swedish hymns that make up the centerpiece of that country’s Christmascelebration—just as our American Christmascarols do for us. Most of the hymns are sungin Swedish, giving the choir a chance topolish foreign language skills for the upcomingItaly tour…is Swedish spoken in Italy?

At the center of the Gustavus Choirrepertoire for Julbön, however, is a pieceperformed in English—“Lo, How a RoseE’er Blooming.” Although originally aGerman folk song, the setting to beperformed in Christmas in Christ Chapel is by Swedish composer Jan Sandström.Coincidentally, the Gustavus Choirperformed it two years ago at the 2000Christmas in Christ Chapel celebration,“Heaven and Nature Sing.” Since the piecewas recommended by nearly everySwedish music director consulted, andsince it was so popular with audiencemembers two years ago, the GustavusChoir will be performing it again.

Please join us in celebrating Christmas inthe true Gustavus Choir manner—couldyou really stand to miss out on thebeautiful music, the heartfelt prayers, and“O Come, All Ye Faithful”?

Christmas in Christ Chapel FeaturesTraditional Swedish Hymns

by Allison Hawley ’03, alto

Tentative TouringPlans for theYears Ahead2004 – High Plains

(Touring Week)North and South Dakota,Montana, Minnesota

2005 – Eastern Tour(January Term or Touring Week)Middle States, East Coast,or Florida

2006 – Midwest/West (Touring Week)Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Colorado

2007 – International TourScandinavia or SouthAmerica

Is the Choir touring in your area? Do you know of a good venue? Call Tour Manager Dean Wahlund at 507/933-7521 with yoursuggestions.