The Augustana Choir and director, Dr. Ardelle Ries, extend a warm invitation to attend the Hungarian Tour Concert and Silent Auction on the evening of Sunday, April 29. The Silent Auction begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Faith and Life Lounge with Hungarian chamber music provided by University of Alberta professor of violin, Guillaume Tardif and Dr. Roger Admiral, piano. The Hungarian Tour Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Faith & Life Chapel with Dr. Admiral and special guest, Jeremy Spurgeon, organ.
After a number of years of planning and preparation, a dream is about to come true for Dr. Ardelle Ries and The Augustana Choir. Between May 2 and 14, 2012 The Augustana Choir will travel to Hungary on a choral music education study and performance tour. Thanks to the generosity of The University of Alberta Augustana Faculty, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, The Battle River Community Foundation, Pro Coro Canada, The University of Alberta Mixed Chorus, the Kalman Kovacs Memorial Fund, and various donors, The Augustana Choir will have the opportunity to introduce Hungarian choral music educators to the rich bounty of Canadian choral music while at the same time learn about the important Hungarian contribution made to contemporary choral music education. This study and performance tour to Hungary will serve as a portal for future partnerships between Augustana and the Kodály Pedagogical Institute of the Liszt Academy.
The Augustana Choir has received invitations from the Györ University Philharmonic Choir, the Kecskemét Cantus Nobilis Choir, the University of Debrecen, and the Cantemus Choral Institute to perform representative works of Canadian composers Freedman, Fulton, King, Martin, Nickel, and Willan, and Hungarian composers Bartók, Halmos, Ligeti, and Orbán. In celebration of the 130th anniversary of renowned Hungarian composer, philosopher, linguist, and music educator, Zoltán Kodály, The Augustana Choir will sing one of Kodály's most beautiful works-the Pange Lingua, for organ and mixed choir-in Zoltán Kodály's birthplace, Kecskemét accompanied by an award-winning Hungarian organist, Dániel Sárosi. In addition to performances in the Hungarian cities of Györ, Tihany, Debrecen, and Níregyháza, The Augustana Choir will conclude the study and performance tour with a concert in the spectacular cathedral of St. Stephen's in Budapest.