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St. Olaf Choir performs for President Bush at White House

By Le Ann Finger '85
May 12, 2005

The world-renowned St. Olaf Choir and Conductor Anton Armstrong '78 performed for President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush and their guests for the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 5, in the East Room of the White House.

The choir sang "Our Father" and "Beautiful Savior" -- the choir's signature piece -- prior to the President and Mrs. Bush's arrival. Once the President and Mrs. Bush were seated in the East Room, the choir performed "Abide With Me," followed by "My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord."

"It's such an honor to be here with the St. Olaf Choir led by Anton Armstrong," said President George W. Bush during his remarks. "You've got such beautiful music, thank you for sharing with us."

StOlafChoirInWhiteHouse05
The St. Olaf Choir, led by Anton Armstrong, performs during the National Day of Prayer commemoration in the East Room of the White House. President and Mrs. Bush are seated in the front row.
After the event, the choir members were guests at a breakfast reception on the State Floor before being escorted on a tour of the White House.

"I'm delighted that the St. Olaf Choir was invited by President Bush to join many voices in prayer for peace and justice, not only in our country but throughout the world," said Christopher M. Thomforde, president of St. Olaf College. "The work and ministry of the choir includes the highest levels of musicianship as well as the breadth and depth of the Gospel."

Three members of the St. Olaf Board of Regents and their wives accompanied the choir to the White House, including Jerry and Alleen Tostrud, O.J. and Patricia Tomson and Tad and Cynthia Piper. The Presiding Bishop of the ELCA Mark Hanson and his wife Ione were also in the audience. Dan Dressen, St. Olaf music department chair and professor of music also traveled to Washington, D.C. for the performance.

The Choir has been invited several times to the White House with the earliest invitation going back to the 1920 tour.

The choir celebrated the music that is part of its Lutheran and Norwegian roots when it toured Norway in June 2005. The choir was joined by the St. Olaf Orchestra and the St. Olaf Band in an unprecedented three-week tour of Norway, taking part in the country's centennial and honoring a century of friendship between Norway and St. Olaf.

Founded in 1912 and a creative force behind the a cappella tradition, the St. Olaf Choir is the premier choral ensemble of the college, and is best known today for its performances in the annual internationally broadcast "St. Olaf Christmas Festival" on PBS.

In 1988, the St. Olaf Choir was one of five choirs (and the only choir from the United States) to participate in the Seoul Olympic Arts Festival.

Contact Le Ann Finger at 507-786-3416 or finger@stolaf.edu.