The 24-voice Dana College Chorale from Blair, Nebraska, will perform at five Lutheran churches April 4-6 as part of a 3-day mini-tour of Nebraska. Stops include St. John Lutheran Church in Beatrice, Peace Lutheran Church in Deshler, Messiah Lutheran Church in Aurora, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Grand Island and First St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hastings. The tour kicks off with a performance at Millard North High School in Omaha.

The group will be performing a variety of music, including spirituals, popular songs, folk music and original works composed by the conductor. Also featured will be Dana College faculty members Dr. Peggy Holloway, soprano, and Dr. Claire Bushong, organ.

The concerts are free and open to the public. A free-will offering will be collected at each site to help defray the costs of the tour.

Performance dates and times are:

Friday, April 4 - St. John Lutheran Church, Beatrice, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 5 - Peace Lutheran Church, Deshler, 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 5 - Messiah Lutheran Church, Aurora, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 6 - St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Grand Island, during worship

Sunday, April 6 - First St. Paul Lutheran Church, Hastings, 3:00 p.m.

The Dana College Chorale is the premier vocal ensemble of the Dana College Music Department, now in its 94th year. The mixed-voice choir draws members from a wide range of academic disciplines. Historically, the group has traveled throughout the United States, Europe and the Orient. The last European tour was in 2007 when the group performed in Germany and Denmark.

In addition to performing off campus with such noted groups as the Nebraska Choral Arts Society and the Omaha Symphony, the Chorale is a frequent participant in such campus events as homecoming, chapel service, commencement and baccalaureate. The Chorale is the featured performance group at Dana’s annual Sights and Sounds of Christmas celebration that brings thousands of visitors to the campus each December.

The director of the Chorale, Dr. Richard A. Palmer, is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Dana College. He holds a B.F.A.E. from Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, and a Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois—Champaign-Urbana.

Dana College is a four-year, residential, liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college’s 150-acre hilltop campus is located just 17 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska, in the pleasant suburban community of Blair. Here a growing student population of 600-plus students from 34 states and four other nations live and learn together in a unique campus community.

For more information, contact Carrie L. Reed, Director of Alumni Affairs and Special Events, 402-426-7385, creed@dana.edu.