Norsemen and Aurora to perform spring concert May 1

Norsemen and Aurora, will present a spring concert Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Center for Faith and Life.

The concert is open to the public with no charge for admission.

Norsemen will perform works by Boyd Bacon, Franz Biebl, Eugene Butler, Jester Hairston, Allister McGillivray and Harold Moyer.

Aurora will perform works by Maurice Duruflé, Ola Gjeilo, Daniel Hall, Kinley Lange, Libby Larsen, Otmar Machá, Steven Paulus, and arrangements by Nancy Grundahl and Moses Hogan.

Norsemen and Aurora will combine to perform works by Keith Hampton and Randall Thompson.

Gregory Peterson, assistant professor of music, will perform as a collaborative artist on the organ and Jessica Paul, associate professor of music, will perform as a collaborative artist on piano.

Area students in Norsemen and Aurora include Kelsey Klimesh (Calmar), Abigail Nance (Cresco), Ben Gardner, Jordan Humpal, and Teresa Procter (Decorah), Abby Kriener (Fort Atkinson), and Sarah Bieber (Waukon).

Sandra Peter is an assistant professor of music at Luther, where she directs Cathedral Choir (90 sophomores, mixed voices) and Aurora (98 first-year women). She also teaches introductory and advanced choral conducting. 

S. Peter recently led All-State choirs in Minnesota, Colorado, North and South Dakota, honor choirs in New York, Virginia, Wisconsin and Illinois, and a choral/orchestral performance in Carnegie Hall.  Upcoming engagements include the Concert Choir of the 2009 Lutheran Summer Music Academy and the 2010 High School Women’s Honor Choir of the Northwest Division of the American Choral Directors Association.

S. Peter holds degrees from Concordia College, the University of Arizona and the University of Iowa.

Timothy Peter, head of the music department and professor of music at Luther, conducts the Collegiate Chorale (90 juniors and seniors, mixed voices) and the Norsemen (98 first-year men). 

He has conducted All-State choirs and festivals in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin, and abroad in Germany; Namibia, Africa; Oman, Middle-East; South Africa and South Korea.

T. Peter holds degrees from Luther College and the University of Arizona.

The Peters live in Decorah with their two teenage sons, Andrew and Michael.