Minot State choir begins Norway experience at Norsk Høstfest
MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University students, faculty, and alumni will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to Norway for an exclusive Group Choir Tour in May 2019.
The opportunities to work with individuals from Skien, Minot’s Norwegian sister city, begin this week as the city of Minot is hosting the 41st Norsk Høstfest at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds Wednesday through Saturday.
Minot State’s choir and music faculty will help open the festival by singing the national anthems of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Canada, and the United States Wednesday morning. On Saturday, Minot State officials and students will meet with Rolf Haugen, a representative from Skien, to discuss the program itinerary and learn about the partnerships between Minot State, the city of Minot, and the Telemark County region in Norway.
“In addition to exploring this beautiful and inspiring country, MSU music students have the rare opportunity to benefit from rich connections between Minot and Skien,” said Libby Claerbout, Minot State director of international programs. “The three-decades long international relationship has broadened horizons and increased connections for residents in both countries ever since.”
The city of Minot and Skien began informal partnerships between the two cities in the 1980s. The first sister city agreement was signed in 1993 and those long-standing ties were renewed in 2017. With the formal agreement, cultural exchanges between the two regions have moved forward in culture, music, and the arts.
The Norway Choir Tour’s itinerary has been tailored specifically for the Minot State choir. Most of the activities have been coordinated and sponsored by partner organizations in Telemark County, including the University College of Southeast Norway (one of MSU's partner schools since 2007), the Skien city council, and the Telemark County council. Of particular interest, the MSU music students have been graciously invited by Skien city council to participate in the official Syttende Mai (Norwegian Constitution Day) city celebrations on May 17.
“While the Norwegian heritage and traditions hold such importance here in Minot, as an Alaskan, there is much that draws me to Norway as well,” said Emerson Eads, Minot State director of choral activities. “But more importantly than the fjords and mountainous landscapes that will be awe-inspiring, and the musical opportunities that will be unforgettable, the once in a lifetime opportunity for relationships to be forged with our Norwegian friends, and friendships and memories to be made among the choir itself, will be ones that are cherished for a lifetime.”
While in Norway, the MSU choir will perform in a variety of venues, including historical stages and world-famous contemporary musical centers. Participants in this program will learn about numerous musical traditions, including Norwegian folk music, classical choral arrangements, and modern blues and jazz. The schedule also includes museums dedicated to Norwegian history and culture, important architectural and heritage sites, and will encourage unique culinary experiences.
“The Minot State University Choir’s trip to Norway will be, quite simply, epic! The 12-day itinerary is peppered with musical opportunities including singing in lovely and historic buildings (such as the Skien Cathedral and Brekkeparken- an open-air museum containing heritage buildings from across Telemark), singing folk songs with the men’s Shanty Choir as we sail into Langesund Fjord, learning about the rich history of Norwegian folk song at the University of Southeast Norway, the opportunity to record an album together as a choir in the Notodden Blues Center’s music studio, as well as ample time in Oslo,” Eads said.
There will be a fundraiser for the Minot State choir students traveling to Norway on Friday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall. The Norway Fundraising Fall Concert is titled We Remember You “In Memoriam: Our Veterans & The WWI Armistice of 1918,” by the Minot State University Choir under the direction of Eads, featuring works by composers Joseph Gregorio, Jake Runestad, Eric Whitacre, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Dan Forrest, Stephen Paulus, and Eads.
“We hope the community will support the Minot State University Choir and consider giving students the chance to enrich themselves, and in turn enrich the lives of every person they come in contact with as teachers, as citizens, as friends, and neighbors,” Eads said. “The gift of international travel and cultural enrichment profoundly enhances the lives of the students themselves, and in so doing, richly enhances the fabric of our local Minot State University community.”
For more information on the trip or find out ways to help Minot State Choir fund the event, contact either Claerbout (libby.claerbout@minotstateu.edu) or Eads (emerson.eads@minotstateu.edu).
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
| Published: 09/25/18 |
