European tour gives Drury Singers a unique chance to share in history.

By Chris Nanninga

Art and history museums, magnificent cathedrals and F-15s flying formations overhead are only some of the sights that comprised the Drury Singers’ experience on their recent European tour. The trip took students to the Netherlands and France, and included a very special Memorial Day ceremony on the beaches of Normandy.

The travelers on the late May trip included the members of the Singers and their director, Dr. Allin Sorenson. Dr. Tijuana Julian, University Organist Dr. Earline Moulder, and Drury’s Brass Quintet also went along, accompanying the Singers in their various performances.

Sorenson describes himself as a World War II buff, which is part of the reason Normandy was on the tour. The Singers were the only American musicians to perform during the annual Memorial Day ceremony at Omaha Beach – an event that Sorenson says had a huge emotional impact on everyone present. There were French dignitaries and American officials. There were veterans and Holocaust survivors. And then there were the 9,000 silent white crosses of the cemetery where the event took place, standing as reminders of the many that gave their lives nearly six decades ago.

“The students were just blown away by the fact that we were actually part of something this cool,” said Sorenson, “and most of the students have said this is probably the most significant thing from the tour.”

Though the Singers’ performance at Normandy was made difficult by the cold, the wind, and the sheer emotion of the event, they found a receptive audience – something that became a common experience throughout the tour. “[We had] standing ovations everywhere we went,” Sorenson said. In the Netherlands, the group sang at St. Peter’s Church in Leiden, at St. Nicholas Church in Amsterdam, and in the city of Venlo. Two of the performances were joint concerts with choirs from the area, which Sorenson says gave the students a unique opportunity for cultural interaction. The Singers also performed at St. Sulpice in Paris, as well as Notre Dame.

The trip also gave students a chance to see the sights. In addition to Notre  Dame, the Singers visited Versailles, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. Another stop that was particularly amazing for Sorenson was the Caen Memorial, a museum built in honor of peace. The memorial takes visitors on a winding, easy path downward through the wars of the 20th century, then forces them to climb a more difficult path on the side that represents peace.

Nancy Johnston, whose son is a member of the Singers, went along for the trip. Even as a spectator, she found the tour to be an amazing experience. “I thought the group sang like angels,” she said, “and every time they sang Sing Me to Heaven I had tears running down my face.” But the highlight, she says, was the performance at Omaha Beach – an event that made her proud as both a Drury Singer parent and an American. “To actually walk where many gave their lives, to witness the magnificent service with the military honors, officials present, and to hear our Drury students sing – it was one of the most moving experiences of my life.”

Johnston says that a trip like this really opens students’ eyes to the world, and gives them a chance to examine who they are and what is important. She also recognizes the benefit to the university itself. The tour gave Drury enormous recognition in a place far from home. “I spoke with people from France and England before the service at Omaha Beach,” she said. “They asked where Drury is located, and asked how they were selected to sing. After hearing the choir, one of the gentlemen turned to me and said that he knew how they were selected – they sang beautifully, what talent!”

For Sorenson, discovering the reality of history was an invaluable benefit of the trip. “It was making those kinds of connections – this is where the music comes from, these are the places where this music was invented, where it was written, and where it was influenced.” Music wasn’t the only area of history students were able to connect to, with events like the Omaha  Beach ceremony offering a chance to learn. “We talked about war,” Sorenson said. “We talked about World War II … and then you go sit there, you go see it, you actually are in that space, and it makes it much more real for you.”

This European tour has been the Singers’ first international trip in around 20 years. But Sorenson says the group is not going to wait that long again. Talk has already begun about the choir’s next destination, which Sorenson says is probably a mere two years down the road. “I’m thinking there’s this momentum now. We need to build on that and not let this die.”

Click here to read about the 2007 Europe Tour
Click here to read about the 2005 Europe Tour