Music Organizations

Known both nationally and internationally, Concordia’s music organizations are many and varied. The famed Concordia Choir, Concordia Orchestra and Concordia Band annually tour various regions of the United States, and all three ensembles have toured extensively throughout the world. Other vocal ensembles on campus include the Chapel Choir, Kantorei, and Cantabile. All of the choirs perform in chapel regularly and present local concerts. Instrumental ensembles include the Echo Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensembles I and II, the Percussion Ensemble, Marimba Choir, and Tintinnabula, which perform in local concerts throughout the year. Students may also audition for the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony, a professional ensemble that performs a regular subscription series. In addition, there are numerous brass, woodwind, string and piano ensembles.

Membership is determined by audition. Prospective members of instrumental ensembles should bring their own instruments. A limited number of instruments are available at a nominal rental fee per semester. For information about participation in any of these ensembles, contact the music department.

Choirs

• The Concordia Choir (sophomores and above) tours nationally and internationally, performing at major concert venues on a regular basis, in addition to campus concerts and chapel appearances.
• Chapel Choir (sophomores and above) also undertakes a regional tour and performs in local and campus concerts, as well as during chapel.
• Cantabile is for Concordia women in all years who love to sing, enjoy challenging music of all styles, and want to be part of an inspiring and welcoming group.
• Kantorei is a mixed choral ensemble made up primarily of first-year students who love to sing and enjoy the challenges and rewards of participating in choir.

All of the choirs participate in the annual Concordia Christmas Concerts.

Bands and Orchestras

• The Concordia Band, usually consisting of approximately 70 members, performs a variety of symphonic music at concerts, convocations and other college functions, and on its annual tour.
• Symphonic Band, performs several concerts on campus each semester, including the PRISM Concert, Christmas Chapel, and Composers Concert.
• Echo Band plays a variety of musical literature in on-campus concerts.
• Cobber Athletic Band performs at various home athletic events throughout the academic year.
• The Concordia Orchestra performs representative works from the symphonic music literature in a series of concerts on campus and on its annual tour.
• The Concordia College Symphonia, a chamber orchestra, plays works in on-campus concerts, including performances with the jazz ensembles during chapel.
• Symphonic Band, an audition-based ensemble of the college’s finest wind and percussion instrumentalists performs at concerts, convocations, and domestic tours.

Instrumental Ensembles

Smaller ensembles are formed on the basis of student interest and ability. Brass, string, woodwind, percussion, marimba and piano ensembles perform in concerts and at various college functions.

• Tintinnabula, a handbell choir, has 13 ringers who are chosen by audition. Campana, a second handbell choir, has up to 15 ringers and welcomes experienced as well as new ringers. Both groups play on five octaves of Malmark bells and appear in campus concerts, chapel services and at various local events. They also play at churches and festivals in the region, and participate in the annual Concordia Christmas Concerts.
• Jazz Ensembles I and II consist of approximately 20 musicians each. These groups perform major works representing contemporary jazz literature and styles at numerous concerts and clinics both on and off campus.
• Percussion Ensemble is a chamber music organization consisting of 20 to 25 musicians who perform on the many and varied definite and indefinite pitched instruments of the percussion family. The Percussion Ensemble is open through audition to students of all levels who express an interest in performing on percussion instruments. The group performs a wide variety of literature from the “standard” percussion repertoire, as well as exciting new arrangements of popular, classical and folk music. All students, regardless of their majors, are eligible to audition for the Percussion Ensemble.
• Marimba Choir is a chamber music organization consisting of eight to 10 players selected from the members of the Percussion Ensemble. They perform literature ranging from transcriptions of works by Bach, Mozart and other great composers, to Latin American, pops favorites, ragtime and contemporary literature for keyboard percussion. The Marimba Choir performs in the Percussion Ensemble concerts, as well as at numerous community and civic events. All students, regardless of their majors, are eligible to audition for the Marimba Choir.