Augie performers plan spring tours

Three Augustana College music groups will be going on U.S. tours this spring, two of them across the Midwest.

Augustana Symphonic Band, directed by James Lambrecht, will tour the Midwest in March. The 50-member ensemble will perform in four cities from March 22-26.

The tour kicks off at Galesburg High School on March 22, with performances following at Blue Valley Southwest High School, Overland Park, Kan.; Washington High School in Washington, Iowa; and a final performance at Messiah Lutheran Church, Wauconda, Ill. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. A free-will offering will be accepted.

This marks the Augustana Symphonic Band’s first domestic tour since the 2020 pandemic. The band typically alternates between regional and national tours. Most recently, the band toured Japan in spring 2023.

“The Augustana Symphonic Band looks forward to reestablishing the historic tradition of the yearly spring band tour,” Lambrecht said in a college release. “The opportunity to share this wonderful music with various audiences throughout the greater Midwest will foster a connection with those outside of Augustana and create lifelong memories for the band members.”

This year’s tour will feature the following works: “Burning the Wicker Man” by Julie Giroux; “Be Thou My Vision” by David Gillingham; “Acadiana (Settings of Cajun, Creole and Zydeco Music)” by Frank Ticheli; “Three Dance Episodes from On the Town” by Leonard Bernstein; “On a Hymnsong” of Philip Bliss by David Holsinger; “The White Rose March” by John Philip Sousa; and “Dancing Fire” by Kevin Day.

The Augustana Symphonic Band, which performs music of the highest artistic quality written for the wind band, was established in 1874. In addition to touring nationally and the Japan tour, the band has performed in the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain.

Choir in California

Augustana Choir, under the direction of Jon Hurty, will perform concerts in California March 21-25, followed by a home concert on April 6 in Davenport.

The 54-voice ensemble, known for its innovative programming, attention to detail and musical excellence, will perform at five Southern California churches. The tour will include collaborations with choirs directed by Augustana alumni Brent Wilson and Jens Hurty, Hurty’s son.

“This year’s program includes a mix of traditional and modern choral selections, including works by Alberto Grau, Ēriks Ešenvalds and Alice Parker, as well as a number of new composers from a variety of countries,” said Hurty. “A primary theme of the first half of the program is caring for the earth — a topic that many recent choral composers have addressed in their compositions.”

Previously the director of choral activities at Concordia University in Irvine, Calif., Hurty said he always enjoys returning to California and sharing a part of the Midwest choral tradition with friends, family and colleagues.

Established in 1931, the Augustana Choir has been conducted by Hurty since 1996. Under his direction, the choir has performed at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City, as well as many major cathedrals and concert venues in Sweden, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, Austria, Japan, Korea, Spain, France and the Czech Republic.

Most recently, the group toured Germany and the Czech Republic in the summer of 2022 and the Midwest U.S. in the spring of 2023.

A free-will offering will be taken at each concert.

Jenny Lind Ensemble

Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble, under the direction of Michael Zemek, will perform three Illinois concerts during an April tour, in Elmhurst, West Dundee and Northbrook.

Jenny Lind is a select treble ensemble for students who wish to develop advanced choral skills and better understand various styles of choral music composed for sopranos and altos. The choir performs on campus and at community events.

The compositions featured during the April tour include music from Ukraine, Finland, Sweden and Indonesia. They highlight some of the most important women composers writing for choirs today.

“By intentionally performing more music composed by women, the Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble is contributing to a more inclusive and diverse musical landscape, enriching the experience for performers and audiences alike,” said Zemek. “Singing their music inspires and empowers us as we celebrate the expansion of our repertoire to include more artistic voices.”

The Jenny Lind ensemble is named after Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind (1820-1887), known as the “Swedish Nightingale.” She was considered the finest coloratura of her day and is well regarded for her philanthropic concerns, offering financial support to the Augustana Lutheran Church, which ultimately formed the college bearing its name.

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