St. Olaf Choir and conductor Anton Armstrong strive to share
music that conveys messages of hope and love and puts listeners
in touch with their spirituality.
Conductor Anton Armstrong says the St. Olaf Choir is a microcosm of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. “As a college of the church,” he says, “one of our core missions is to nurture our students and community spiritually. While I don’t feel compelled to do spiritual music, it is still a focus of our repertoire. I like to program music that conveys messages of hope and love. So often today we hear about faith as law and doctrine. As Lutherans, we look back to the Ten Commandment and focus on ‘grace’ … particularly loving our neighbors as ourselves.”
While preparing programs for the St. Olaf Choir, Armstrong says he examines music from a global perspective. “We offer our art as a gift,” he says. “I hope that our music transcends art alone. We want to allow those who hear our music to listen beyond themselves … to help put them in touch spiritually.”
During the 2009 southeast national tour, the St. Olaf Choir travels through the heart of the “Bible belt” performing in beautiful churches across the region. “No matter where we are at in this country or around the world,” Armstrong says, “the St. Olaf Choir is more than a beautiful concert instrument. This choir becomes an incredible vehicle with youth and energy … a great way to spread the news of the Gospel. We are not just singing at people. We want the audience to be moved both by the message and the music alike.”
Armstrong uses the metaphor of a circle to make his point. “Half of the circle is the choir and conductor serving as advocates for the composer,” he explains. “The circle is not complete until the listeners, the other half, are brought in as active participants. Music is transformational. It changes the hearts of others. We offer our music as a gift … to touch and transform the listener.”
When Armstrong speaks of the Gospel, he does not speak of converting people to Christianity. “The messages of the Gospel have the ability to touch people in all parts of the world,” he says. “The Gospel is about love, mercy and hope … and transcends all denominational and sects of religion. The Gospel reflects the goals of all major faith positions of the world. We may present a Christian message, but it is ecumenical. We are not looking to examine the differences among people. We want to bridge what separates people with hope, love, mercy and justice. We do this through great art.”
Press Contact:
Karl Reichert, publicist
Phone: 612-708-5275
Email: karlreichert@visi.com
