Augustana Bach Collegium (Vocal & Instrumental Ensemble)

Founded: Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA

Choral Ensembles at AU

Augustana University choral ensembles include Angelus, the Augustana Choir, Bach Collegium and VikingKor. Each perform at campus events, chapel services and other concerts throughout the academic year.

Angelus

Angelus is a choir of treble voices, and is directed by Natalie Campbell, instructor of voice. This ensemble performs the rich and varied repertoire for this medium and combines with other choral ensembles for large-scale concerts.

Augustana Choir

The Augustana Choir has a rich history spanning more than 100 years. Founded in 1921, and chartered by the faculty of then Augustana College, its mission has always been to "serve God, the church and our school" through choral music. The choir's founding conductor, Dr. Carl Youngdahl, envisioned a group that would "perform a cappella and could thereby appear in the smallest of churches as well as the largest, and our concert would be a sermon in song." Today, the Augustana Choir continues to bring choral music of many styles and of the highest caliber to audiences around the region, nation, and world. By embracing both sacred and secular music the Augustana Choir seeks to ensure that its legacy will both evolve and endure; reflecting the dynamic nature of choral music in the modern world and honoring the tradition from which it hails."

The Augustana Choir has taken its mission most seriously and its traditions have been upheld and nurtured under the tutelage of conductors Dr. Carl Youngdahl, Dr. Arnold Running, Dr. Olaf Malmin, Dr. James Johnson, for a 1-year term following the retirement of Johnson and Dr. Weston Noble. Dr. Paul Nesheim joined the choir as its 5^th conductor on Sept. 1, 2012, and Dr. Russell Svenningsen was appointed as the 6^th conductor of the Augustana Choir on June 1, 2022.

Members of the Augustan choir and their other choirs are auditioned from the student body of Augustana University and represent all academic majors. These singers are devoted to bringing their "sermon in song" to audiences anywhere in the world, from Carnegie Hall to the churches of the American prairies to the cathedrals of Europe. To be the inheritors of such a wonderful legacy gives the choir a profound pride in being able to continue the strong choral traditions of the colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Augustana Bach Collegium

The Augustana Bach Collegium is an elite choral-instrumental ensemble dedicated to the study and performance of music mainly by J.S. Bach with historical-informed practices, directed by Dr. David Chin. Members are invited to join this ensemble each year through an invitation based on audition and selected repertoire.

Sources:
Augustana University Website
Bits & pieces from other sources
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (October 2024)

David Chin: Short Biography | Ensembles: Augustana Bach Collegium
Bach Discography: Recordings of Vocal Works
Bach Festivals: Hong Kong Bach Festival | Malaysia Bach Festival

Links to other Sites

Choral Ensembles at AU (Augustana University)