CATHEDRAL CHOIR - REPERTOIRE LIST
2005-present
Luther College, Decorah, Iowa
Dr. Sandra Peter, conductor
(updated August, 2012)
Cathedral Choir is one of six auditioned choirs at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
The ensemble is comprised of select singers drawn exclusively from the rich talent of the
college’s sophomore class. Cathedral Choir participates actively in campus worship, in
the Christmas at Luther concerts, and at special events and concerts during the academic
year, including an annual spring tour.
The choir was honored to perform at the 2010 North Central American Choral Directors
Association conference in Minneapolis, conducted by Eric Whitacre, in a session
focusing on his compositional process. Whitacre also requested that the group premiere
a new piece, “Very soon.”
Cathedral has collaborated with Collegiate Chorale, Nordic Choir and the Luther College
Symphony Orchestra to perform major choral/orchestral works such as Brahms’ A
German Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and the 2011 premiere of Luther Mass by
Stephen Paulus. These performances have been produced and released on DVD by
Luther College Recordings.
Active in the creation of new music, Cathedral has premiered choral works by Ola Gjeilo,
Mack Wilberg, Daniel Kallman, Sir David Willcocks, Gwyneth Walker, Ben Allaway,
Daniel Pinkham, Eric Whitacre, Stephen Paulus and Amy Engelsdorfer.
Cathedral Choir has been conducted by Dr. Sandra Peter since 2005.
Each year’s repertoire list begins with the spring tour concert program, listed in
order of performance.
2011-12
PART I
Exultate Deo
Let all mortal flesh keep silence
I sing as I arise today
PART II
Requiem
I. Salvator mundi
II. Psalm 23
IV. Psalm 121
There will be rest
Giovanni Palestrina
Edward Bairstow
James Fritschel
Herbert Howells
Frank Ticheli
PART III
Weeping Mary
The earth adorned
Amazing grace (premiere)
VoiceDance
I’m gonna sing ‘til the spirit moves in my heart
Beautiful Savior
arr. Brad Holmes
Waldemar Ahlén
arr. Amy Engelsdorfer
Greg Jasperse
arr. Moses Hogan
arr. F. Melius Christiansen
Addition Christmas repertoire
Jeg er saa glad (premiere)
arr. Sandra Peter
Tour – April 13-15, 2012
First Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids, IA
Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Excelsior, MN
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi, MN
Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Rochester, MN
The April 17 Homecoming concert was live-streamed for the first time.
2010-2011
PART I
Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir, BWV 228
Johann Sebastian Bach
PART II
Jubilate Deo
Pilgrims’ hymn (The Three Hermits)
Vinea mea electa
Infant holy, infant lowly
I believe this is Jesus
Agneta Sköld
Stephen Paulus
Francis Poulenc
arr. Paul J. Christiansen
arr. Undine Smith Moore
WITH COLLEGIATE CHORALE
Luther Mass
Kyrie
Hope for resolution
Stephen Paulus
arr. Paul Caldwell/Sean Ivory
Tour – April 1-3, 2011
Urbandale High School, Urbandale, IA
Lutheran Church of Hope, West Des Moines, IA
Luther Memorial, Madison, WI
Celebrate 150 years with Luther College concert (April 16-17, 2011)
Missa in angustiis (Lord Nelson Mass)
Franz Josef Haydn
Luther Mass (premiere)
Stephen Paulus
Performances with Collegiate Chorale, Nordic Choir and LCSO
April 16 at the CFL; April 17 at Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN
2009-2010
PART I
Coelos ascendit hodie
Charles Villiers Stanford
Sing we merrily unto God our strength
Martin Shaw
The one
Ola Gjeilo
(premiere performed by Cathedral, Christmas at Luther 2009)
The silence
Andrew Bleckner
PART II
When David heard
Requiem
Eric Whitacre
Eliza Gilkyson, arr. Craig Hella Johnson
PART III
O Lilizela
South African, arr. Molly Stone
hope, faith, life, love
Eric Whitacre
Very soon
Eric Whitacre
(premiere performed by Cathedral at NC-ACDA)
A boy and a girl
Eric Whitacre
PART IV
Sokombia
Lay up your treasures
Blue skies
Traditional Caprivi song
Pepper Choplin
arr. Melba Williamson
Additional Christmas repertoire
Joy, joy, joy
arr. Robert Page
Special events
December, 2009: Ola Gjeilo visited campus for the premiere of “The one,”
commissioned by Luther College for Cathedral Choir, Christmas at Luther 2009.
January, 2010: Several of our singers participated in the J-term course, Choral singing in
Namibia and South Africa, taught by Dr. Timothy Peter and Dr. Gregory Peterson. These
students helped teach us the first pieces listed in Parts III and IV of our tour program.
March, 2010: North Central-American Choral Directors Association conference;
Cathedral performed for the session entitled “The music of Eric Whitacre,” which was
presented in The Loring Ballroom of the Millenium Hotel, Minneapolis, MN. Whitacre
conducted the choir in performance of several of his works, including the world premiere
of “Very soon.” This marks the first appearance of Cathedral Choir at an academic
conference.
Tour – April 17-18, 2010
Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Plymouth, MN
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi, MN
First Lutheran Church, Red Wing, MN
2008-09
PART I
Cantemus!
Cantate Domino
Christus factus est
Choral variations on Ah, holy Jesus
I. Ah, holy Jesus
II. Who was the guilty?
V. Therefore, kind Jesus
Be not afraid
Lajos Bárdos
Heinrich Schütz
Felice Anerio
Roger T. Petrich
Knut Nystedt
PART II
Holy, Holy, Holy
Felix Mendelssohn
Light everlasting
Olaf C. Christiansen
Winds through the olive trees
arr. Sandra K. Peter
This arrangement was created for Cathedral Choir and
premiered at Christmas at Luther 2008
Arise, Shine
Paul D. Weber
PART III
Sleep
Sure on this shining night
Afro-Celtic Diddle
Nelly Bly
Ain’-a that good news
Eric Whitacre
Morten Lauridsen
Michael Coolen
Stephen Foster, arr. Jack Halloran
arr. William L. Dawson
Additional spring repertoire
A German Requiem
Johannes Brahms
Special events
Christmas at Luther 2008 was taped by Twin Cities Public Television and broadcast
nationwide. TPT won a Regional Emmy award for their coverage of this event.
May, 2009: Oratorio performance during commencement weekend; Johannes Brahms’
A German Requiem with Collegiate, Nordic and LCSO; a DVD has been produced
and released of this event.
Tour – April 4-5, 2009
Friday, April 3 events in St. Michael, MN and Moorhead, MN were cancelled due to
floods.
Christ the King Lutheran Church, New Ulm, MN
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Northfield, MN
2007-2008
PART I
Sing joyfully unto God
Nun danket alle Gott
Hark! a herald voice is calling
William Byrd
Johann Pachelbel
Ola Gjeilo
PART II
O vos omnes
Song for Athene
Hvalite imia Ghospodne
Pablo Casals
John Tavener
Sergei Rachmaninoff
PART III
Hard times
Shenandoah
The promise of living
From this house
arr. Craig Hella Johnson
arr. James Erb
Aaron Copland
Ben Allaway
Additional Christmas repertoire
A light where Jesus lay
John Seagard
Special events
March, 2008: Concert with VocalEssence (also including Collegiate Chorale and Nordic
Choir), CFL
Tour – April 11-13, 2008
Mason City (IA) High School
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Waukee, IA
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Jackson, MN
First Lutheran Church, Milford, IA
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Austin, MN
2006-2007
PART I
Exsultate Deo
Sicut cervus
Come, o blessed Lord, thou light of life
Glory be to God
PART II
Giovanni Palestrina
Palestrina
Peter Tschaikovsky
Jean Berger
Rejoice in the Lamb
Gregory Peterson, organ
PART III
i thank you God for this most amazing day
Lux aeterna
On a clear day (you can see forever)
PART IV
Built on a rock
In Thee is gladness
Canticle of the Turning
(premiere of this arrangement)
By and by
Additional Christmas repertoire
A child, my choice
Benjamin Britten
Eric Whitacre
Brian Schmidt
arr. Steve Zegree
arr. F. Melius Christiansen
arr. Daniel Kallman
Irish traditional, arr. S. Peter
arr. Carol Barnett
Richard Nance
Tour – April 20-22, 2007
LaCrosse (WI) Central High School
Dr. Martin Luther Church, Oconomowoc, WI
Chapel of the Incarnation, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN, co-hosted by St. Anthony Park
Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN and Christ the King Lutheran Church, New Brighton, MN
(Sunday morning at Christ the King)
Ezekiel Lutheran Church, River Falls, WI, co-hosted by Hope Lutheran, River Falls
2005-2006
PART I
Coelos ascendit hodie
For God commanded angels
O Heiland reiss die Himmel auf
Charles Villier Stanford
Felix Mendelssohn
Johannes Brahms
PART II
Lift up your heads
O magnum mysterium
Vinea mea electa
If we believe
Donde hay
Olaf C. Christiansen
Cesar Cabrillo
Francis Poulenc
John Goss
Paul Page
PART III
VoiceDance
Waternight
McKay
Greg Jasperse
Eric Whitacre
Carol Barnett
PART IV
Owenyo gwandje otagu yuuilukwa ku Kalunga
Esimano olya He noly Omwana
Swing Low
John saw duh number
Ndapanda Kakuta
Sakari Löytti
arr. Larry Farrow
arr. Shaw/Parker
Additional Christmas repertoire
As lately we watched
arr. Charles Gray
Special events
Christmas at Luther 2005 was taped and broadcast by Iowa Public Television.
January, 2006: Several of our singers participated in the J-term course, Choral singing in
Namibia and South Africa, taught by Dr. Timothy Peter and Dr. Gregory Peterson. These
students helped teach us the first two pieces listed in Part IV of our tour program.
Tour – April 7-9, 2006
Albert Lea (MN) High School
United Lutheran Church, Red Wing, MN
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Osage, IA
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Ankeny, IA