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The renowned St. Olaf Choir, under longtime conductor Anton Armstrong ’78, heads southeast for its annual national tour, with stops in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, among other states.

Joining the choir for the tour, which will run from January 19 to February 11, is St. Olaf organ faculty member Catherine Rodland.

Founded 107 years ago , the St. Olaf Choir is internationally recognized as a creative force behind America’s a cappella choral tradition. Now in his 29th year as conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, Armstrong is only the fourth conductor in the ensemble’s history. In addition to his role as Tosdal Professor of Music  at St. Olaf College, he is in demand in the international choral scene as a guest conductor and lecturer.

Armstrong has divided this concert program into four sections with themes that reflect how music serves the wider world: 1) We Are Called to Sing and Praise, 2) We Sing of Light and Love, 3) We Are Called to Compassion and Care of Our Neighbor, and 4) We Sing of Hope and Love.

“In all of these sections I want the music to remind us of our responsibility to one another,” Armstrong says, “especially sharing messages of hope and love in a dark world.”

This is the latest in a long line of tours for the St. Olaf Choir. In recent years, the ensemble has performed for capacity audiences in major concert halls across the nation and overseas, including a 2017 tour in Asia and a 2013 tour to Norway.

This spring, Armstrong will lead the St. Olaf Choir on a concert tour of Norway, the fourth to that country during his tenure as conductor and the seventh tour there since the Choir’s founding in 1912. This year’s tour expects to attract 25,000 people to the choir’s shows.

Tickets for the tour are available at stolaf.edu/tickets or by calling 800-786-5487.