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Musical Europe
Two Department of Music ensembles tour European continent.
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One Iowa State music group took the more traditional tour of Europe,
performing and sightseeing in Germany and Austria.
Another took a more unconventional approach with stops in Sweden, Finland,
Latvia and Estonia.
Regardless of their destinations, students and staff members of the Iowa
State Singers and the ISU Wind Ensemble would agree on the end results.
"I'm still getting e-mails from students every day about the tour,"
said Michael Golemo, associate professor of music and director of bands,
two weeks after the group's return to Ames. "We had an eight-day
tour and if we could have stayed another eight days they (the students)
would have been thrilled."
Both musical ensembles toured Europe immediately following the conclusion
of the 2003 spring semester. The ISU Wind Ensemble primarily toured and
performed in Germany and Austria, while the Iowa State Singers, under
the direction of James Rodde, the Louise Moen Chair of Music and director
of choral activities, chose instead to spend 12 days in Scandinavia and
the Baltics.
"The students decided to go to these countries," Rodde said.
"It's not the typical tour for a choral group, but there is a strong
choral heritage in that part of the world.
"Many people don't know this, but there are more choirs per capita
in Sweden than anywhere else in the world. Our guide told us that 'everybody's
in a choir.'"
During their stay in Scandinavia and the Baltics, the 39 members of the
Iowa State Singers gave nine performances, many in local churches in Stockholm,
Helsinki, Tallinn and Riga. The ensemble met with Eskil Hemberg, current
president of the International Federation of Choral Music, whose first
American commission, "Signposts," was by the Iowa State Singers
in 1968.
But for Rodde and many of his students, the highlight of their European
adventure was a day the group spent in the small town of Jurmala.
"When we go out on tour, regardless of if this is overseas or just
in Iowa, I try to schedule a smaller community performance," said
Rodde. "I try to find somewhere along the way that the students can
have a more intimate event."
That was just the type of response the Iowa State Singers got at Jurmala.
Not only did Iowa State's premiere vocal ensemble perform before a packed
house at a local church, but also they were treated to a reception, dinner
and gifts. In addition, the church's choir and handbell choir performed,
as did a young cellist.
The ISU Wind Ensemble had similar experiences during their performances
at U.S. military bases in Germany and the Salzburg Cathedral in Austria.
At their concerts at the military bases, the group was often joined by
high school and middle school bands.
The concert at the Salzburg Cathedral was a highlight of the tour according
to Golemo. Mozart had performed and actually premiered many of his famous
compositions at the church.
In Salzburg, the 46-member ISU Wind Ensemble performed during an evening
mass and at a benefit concert for the cathedral's organ afterwards.
"That concert was really special for the students because we were
in such a beautiful and historic cathedral, performing as part of the
Saturday evening mass and with such incredible acoustics. We had to perform
an entirely different program than we prepared for our military base and
outdoor performances," Golemo said. "It was incredibly memorable
for all of us."
Both Golemo and Rodde feel that such tours add to their students' education.
"There's a sign in the Union that says 'Going to college shouldn't
prepare you alone to earn a living, but to teach you how to live a life,'"
Golemo said.
"These types of experiences make us all realize and appreciate different
cultures and ways of life."
Rodde says that these types of tours help bring the groups together both
musically and socially.
"To paraphrase a student who went on the trip, 'We grew more as a
choir in 12 days than we did in a year,'" he said. "Some real
deep expressiveness evolved through our performances during this tour.
And the social aspect of growing together is something you can't generally
get simply rehearsing and performing on campus."
Around
LAS
September 8-21, 2003
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