{"id":96,"date":"2019-07-29T15:30:36","date_gmt":"2019-07-29T20:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/choir\/?page_id=96"},"modified":"2025-12-15T09:49:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T15:49:35","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/choir\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"St.<\/figure>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tThe St. Olaf Choir performs at Benaroya Hall, Seattle, Washington in 2018<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tAnton Armstrong, Conductor<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\t\t
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\"St.The renowned St. Olaf Choir has brought its message of hope and faith to audiences around the world for more than a century.<\/em><\/h3>\n

The St. Olaf Choir<\/strong> was founded in 1912 by F. Melius Christiansen, whose work established the ensemble\u2019s standard of excellence and its tradition of bringing music to audiences outside of campus. Christiansen chose spiritually profound music and pushed student musicians to perfect a tone that was disciplined, controlled, and free of excessive vibrato. That sound \u2014 securely in tune, controlled in pitch, smooth in delivery \u2014 became the choir\u2019s hallmark.<\/p>\n

\"St.
The St. Olaf Choir and its founding conductor, F. Melius Christiansen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Olaf Christiansen \u201925, who succeeded his father as conductor of the choir in 1943, remained deeply committed to retaining the St. Olaf Choir\u2019s purity of tone while exploring new genres and interpretations of music. He added contemporary compositions, more Renaissance music, and American folk hymns to the repertoire of traditional church chorales.<\/p>\n

\"Olaf
Olaf Christiansen and the St. Olaf Choir in 1964.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1953, Kenneth Jennings \u201950 \u2014 an alumnus of the choir \u2014 returned to campus to join the music faculty, and later became the third conductor of the St. Olaf Choir in 1968. Until then, the choir had largely performed a smaller, art song\u2013like repertoire of motets and anthems. Jennings programmed larger choral works, including oratorios, masses, and passions, as well as more 20th-century pieces, focusing on historically informed renditions. He retained much of the choir\u2019s a cappella repertoire, but also introduced pieces with instrumental accompaniment, opening the door for full orchestral collaborations. Jennings also changed the \u201cshape\u201d of the choir by turning students toward the audience and using wider and deeper risers. One reviewer noted that the choir now had \u201ca more vibrant, warm tone \u2014 a resonant, lively, brilliant sound that rings with vitality and conviction.\u201d The choir expanded its global reach with a tour of Asia in celebration of its 75th anniversary in 1986. In 1988, it was one of only five choirs in the world \u2014 and the only non-professional one \u2014 invited to participate in the Olympic Arts Festival in Seoul, South Korea.<\/p>\n

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Kenneth Jennings conducts the St. Olaf Choir at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 1985.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Anton Armstrong ’78 took the helm in 1990, his vast knowledge of music and his ability to articulate a vision to singers and audiences alike took the St. Olaf Choir to the next level, adding more flavor to its signature sound and further expanding its repertoire to include music of the Pacific Rim, Africa, and Latin America.<\/p>\n

Armstrong is in his 36th year as conductor of the St. Olaf Choir. The renowned ensemble has had only three other conductors: Kenneth Jennings \u201950 (1968\u201390), Olaf Christiansen 1925 (1941\u201368), and F. Melius Christiansen (1912\u2013 43).<\/span><\/p>\n

Each conductor has built upon the choir\u2019s foundational ideals of sharing choral music that stirs the souls of listeners. Over the course of the choir\u2019s 114-year history, its outreach and sound has expanded both globally and culturally, and today the St. Olaf Choir is a leader in the worldwide music community. The ensemble tours extensively throughout the United States and abroad, and collaborates with numerous professional ensembles while continuing to set the pace in choral repertoire and pedagogy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe choir\u2019s palate is broader and more colorful, retaining its characteristic sound while adding a lot of spice,\u201d Armstrong says. The ensemble also has begun to move, as members sway back and forth \u2014 sometimes choreographed, sometimes not \u2014 during certain pieces.<\/p>\n

Under Armstrong\u2019s leadership, the choir continues to expand its tour horizons, engaging capacity audiences in major concert halls throughout the United States and worldwide. The ensemble has toured internationally 15 times. The St. Olaf Choir traveled to Japan and South Korea in 2017, presenting an eclectic program of regional folksongs, American music, and traditional pieces by Bach and Brahms. In 2019, the choir embarked on its eighth tour of Norway \u2014 having first visited the country in 1913 \u2014 in solo concerts and joint performances with the St. Olaf Orchestra, the first of which was attended by King Harald V. The choir sang new pieces by Norwegian composers, as well as African American spirituals and beloved choral works from masters such as Bach, Mendelssohn, and Grieg. In June 2024, the St. Olaf Choir embarked on its first tour to South Africa, performing throughout the country alongside local choirs including TUKS Camerata, Quava Vocal Group, the Drakensberg Boys Choir, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Anton
Anton Armstrong leads the St. Olaf Choir in rehearsal at Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The choir\u2019s many honors include being chosen as American Public Media\u2019s sole American representative at the prestigious European Broadcasting Union\u2019s Choral Competition, at which it was named one of four finalists. The choir\u2019s 2013 PBS Christmas special, filmed in Norway, won two Upper Midwest Regional Emmy awards. In March 2017, the St. Olaf Choir was among the 6 St. Olaf ensembles invited to perform the St. Olaf Christmas Festival program at the National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association, held at Orchestra Hall.<\/p>\n

While Armstrong embraces the choir\u2019s rich legacy and tradition, his eyes are firmly fixed on the future. As technology advances and audiences connect with choral music in new ways, Armstrong is confident that the St. Olaf Choir will remain at the forefront of choral singing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe seek to be a transforming force in society through choral performance, bringing understanding, mercy, justice, peace, and hope to a world that desperately cries out for these things.”<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div> \n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t

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Conductors of the St. Olaf Choir<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t<\/header>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
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\"\"F. Melius Christiansen<\/h5>\n
1912\u201343<\/h6>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\"\"Olaf C. Christiansen<\/h5>\n
1941\u201368<\/h6>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\"\"Kenneth Jennings<\/h5>\n
1968\u201390<\/h6>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\"\"Anton Armstrong<\/h5>\n
1990\u2013present<\/h6>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div> \n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n

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