1920 St. Olaf Choir Tour
Enter the 1920 Choir Tour Exhibit1920 St. Olaf Choir Tour
The St. Olaf Choir, led by its founder, conductor and violinist extraordinaire F. Melius Christiansen (1871-1955) departed on its inaugural tour throughout the East Coast of the U.S. on Easter Sunday (April 4, 1920). This exhibition provides a tantalizing glimpse into both published and manuscript materials documenting this exciting series of concerts which ranged from Chicago, IL to Washington D.C. Of particular note is the concert program commemorating the Choir’s premiere performance at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall in NYC on April 27, 1920.
Special highlights of this exhibition include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Excerpts from F. Melius’ own letters home to his wife and family while on tour.
- Pages of alumni scrapbooks capturing students’ memories from their personal experiences on tour.
- Various newspaper advertisements and reviews of concerts (most of which were extremely well received by the general public).
To begin viewing the virtual exhibit, click the “Enter the 1920 Choir Tour Exhibit” gold button on the photo above.
This exhibition has been lovingly curated by the current ensemble librarian at St. Olaf College, Dr. Courtney Kleftis. Don’t hesitate to contact her with any comments or questions about the content.
All images and items are from the St. Olaf College Archives, unless otherwise stated. Questions about archival material can be directed to college_archives@stolaf.edu.