May 29, 2007

The Dana College Chorale leaves May 30 for a 12-day tour of northern Germany and Denmark. The Chorale will have the opportunity to perform in cathedrals and even a 12th century church as part of its tour. They will also be featured on the Viking Stage in Legoland theme park in Billund, Denmark. The 25-voice ensemble will be performing music with an American theme, including spirituals, popular songs, folk music and original works composed by the conductor. The Dana College Chorale is the premier vocal ensemble of the Dana College Music Department, now in its 93rd 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 group’s first tour to Denmark was in 1929. The last European tour was in 2003. Performances are scheduled in Bad Segeberg and Oeversee, Germany; as well as Ribe, Legoland, Vejle and Odense, Denmark.

“ This is an awesome opportunity for our Dana Chorale students every four years,” said Dr. Richard Palmer, director of the Chorale and professor of music at Dana. “The students are able to showcase Dana College to very appreciative audiences in communities the college has developed a relationship with.”

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.

Performance schedule:

June 1: Bad Segeberg, Germany - Otto Flath Art Hall - 6:00 p.m.

June 2: Oeversee, Germany - St. George's Kirke - 7:00 p.m.

June 4: Ribe, Denmark - Ribe Domkirke - 5:00 p.m.

June 5: Billund, Denmark - Viking Stage, Legoland - 2:00 p.m.

June 6 - Vejle, Denmark - Vejle Musikteatret - 7:30 p.m.

June 7 - Odense, Denmark - Odense Domkirke - 7:00 p.m.

For more information,
contact Carrie L. Reed, director of college relations and marketing,
Dana College, 402-426-7385, creed@dana.edu