Luther College recently announced that its Nordic Choir, one of the premier collegiate choral ensembles in the United States, is embarking on a nine-state performance tour in January.

The tour kicks off at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Ames on Jan. 18. From there, the choir travels to Fort Dodge for a performance on Jan. 19 at First United Methodist Church.

Then while the campus enjoys a weeklong January Term break (Jan. 30-Feb. 4), Nordic Choir will enchant audiences with performances in the following locations:

During its tours, Nordic Choir performs in churches of all denominations, schools and concert halls.

• Cedar Rapids
• Springfield, Illinois
• Indianapolis
• Dublin, Ohio
• New Lenox, Illinois
• Janesville, Wisconsin

The choir will return Decorah for a homecoming concert at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall before traveling to Des Moines for a first-of-its-kind concert in collaboration with Iowa State Singers and Des Moines Choral Society on Feb. 15.

Besides performing throughout the Midwest in January and February, Nordic Choir will also give special performances at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Dallas on March 20.

The tour concludes with a March 21 concert in Bentonville, Arkansas, at the Thaden School Performing Arts Center and a performance at the Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas, on March 22. A complete tour schedule with performance times and locations is available online.

Nordic Choir’s 2025 tour concert features repertoire and themes that celebrate both the breathtaking choral music of the past and the innovative voices of the present. Audiences can expect to hear music composed by Antonio Lotti, Jacob Handl Gallus, Ruthie Foster, Jennifer Lucy Cook and Marques L.A. Garrett.

Since the program features music from the early Renaissance to cutting-edge musical theatre, there is something for everyone, said Andrew Last, director of Nordic Choir.

“It is our hope to serve as ‘storytellers’ through our music. This year is no different,” Last said. “We embrace the unique opportunity we have to connect with friends, family and folks that will experience their first Nordic Choir concert through music that ‘speaks’ to them in unexpected ways.”

Concert tickets may be purchased in advance online at tickets.luther.edu or by calling 563-387-1357. To purchase tickets for a specific concert, select the corresponding date from the options. Tickets may also be purchased at the door one hour prior to the performance.

A few performances do not require a ticket, but instead ask for a freewill donation.

Luther College invites community members to attend Dream Week events in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. from Jan. 20–24. Guest speakers, engaging discussions and community outreach events will honor King’s legacy and examine the issues of racism, bias, inequity and injustice in our society.

The events are free and open to the public.

Robert Clay, chief equity and inclusion officer and assistant to the president for community engagement at Luther, described the vision for Dream Week 2025 and its positive impact for community members, both on and off campus.

“King reminds us that ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,’” Clay said. “This year for Dream Week may we carry the hope that justice is not only a dream, but a collective responsibility. Together, we must honor King’s vision by recommitting ourselves to working collaboratively as a campus community for a world where equity, dignity and love guide our actions toward lasting change.”

Monday, Jan. 20: “The Continuing Fight for Multiracial Democracy,” Center for Faith and Life Main Hall, 7 p.m.

Madiba Dennie

Madiba Dennie, deputy editor and senior contributor at “Balls & Strikes” and author of “The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back,” will evaluate the current state of multiracial democracy. Her lecture will also discuss the role of law and legal interpretation in confronting or cementing white supremacy, outline how political movements can impact public understanding of the law, and examine how King’s legacy should shape the meaning of laws today. The lecture is supported by the Williams Endowment Fund for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture.

“Luther College is pleased to have Madiba Dennie on campus for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day lecture,” said Char Kunkel, head of the identity studies department at Luther. “Her book is a timely call to action during a harrowing political time. Madiba asks us to continue the reimagining of the very foundations of law so that oppressed people can ‘know freedom, equality and justice.’ Please join us in welcoming her to campus and begin the journey of inclusive constitutionalism.”

In Dennie’s previous role as a counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, she provided legal and policy analysis regarding a range of democracy issues including the census, the courts, and attempts to disempower communities of color.

Dennie has taught at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, and New York University School of Law in New York City. She earned her law degree from Columbia Law School and her undergraduate degree from Princeton University.

Tuesday, Jan. 21: “A Conversation on Racial Healing,” Mott-Borlaug Room, Dahl Centennial Union, 4 p.m. 

This event is held in recognition of the National Day of Racial Healing, which calls on colleges and universities across the country to engage in activities, events or strategies that promote healing and foster engagement around the issues of racism, bias, inequity and injustice in our society. Students, faculty, staff and community members will discuss how to create a more just and equitable world.

Wednesday, Jan. 22: Service of Prayer and Thanksgiving, Center for Faith and Life Lobby, 4 p.m. 

Through song, prayer and reflection, this special service will point us toward God’s liberating love and inspire us to recognize and work to repair the harm caused by racism and intolerance.

Thursday, Jan. 23: “Selma,” Olin 102, 5 p.m.

Join us to watch the historical drama film, “Selma” (2014). In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Despite violent opposition, King, portrayed by David Oyelowo and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, and their efforts culminated with President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. “Selma” was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Friday, Jan. 24: “Brown Bag Discussion: Intersection of Faith and Justice,” Mott-Borlaug Room, Dahl Centennial Union, Noon

This brown bag discussion will explore the powerful connection between faith and justice, inspired by the legacy of King and his call for justice rooted in spiritual identity. Participants will reflect on how faith traditions inform justice, equity and community engagement commitments. The discussion will highlight how these values are lived out in personal lives, local communities and institutional practices.

In addition to these on-campus events, Luther community members will read books about service, leadership, justice, civility and diversity to elementary students on Thursday, Jan. 23.

###

About the Williams Endowment Fund for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture

Luther College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Lecture began in 1987 to provide ongoing scholarly conversation about the struggle for human rights in the United States. It is supported by the Williams Endowment Fund, named in recognition of Lawrence and Queen Williams for their dedication and years of service to Luther. The endowment assures the continuation of the college’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture. Lawrence Williams planned and solicited funding for more than 20 of these lectures throughout his career as a Luther faculty member. His dedication to the lecture series reflected a commitment to understanding civil rights that went beyond academic study. Williams’ personal experiences with the civil rights movement and its protests allowed him to share a firsthand perspective with students, and his acquaintance with civil rights leaders brought extraordinary people to campus to share their lives and stories.

Luther College is proud to announce that its Nordic Choir is one of only 13 collegiate ensembles selected to perform at the upcoming American Choral Directors Association National Conference.

“A choir’s selection for any conference sponsored by the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) is an extraordinary honor. A performance at the national conference is truly humbling,” said Andrew Last, director of Nordic Choir.

Approximately 6,000 people are expected to attend the 2025 ACDA National Conference on March 18-22 in Dallas. ACDA Director of Development Karen Kegelman described the conference as “the premier gathering for choral music professionals–from legends in the field to emerging professionals.”

Luther College is proud to announce that its Nordic Choir is one of only 13 collegiate ensembles selected to perform at the upcoming American Choral Directors Association National Conference.

“The conference attracts vocalists, educators, conductors, composers, and choral industry partners from around the world,” Kegelman said.

Luther’s Nordic Choir will perform twice, at two different Dallas locations, on March 20. Their first performance starts at 10:45 a.m. at the Meyerson Symphony Center. The second show is at 3 p.m. at the Winspear Opera House.

The conference’s competitive performance process started nearly a year ago. Vocal ensembles submitted three years of audio recordings before the audition deadline in April 2024. Then, through a blind screening process where the identity of the performers is concealed from the judges, committee members evaluated choirs for exemplary musicianship.

Kegelman explained that 190 choirs auditioned for the opportunity to perform and only 32 auditioned choirs were selected for the national conference.

“Performing at the national conference is formal recognition of exceptional skill and artistry, plus an opportunity to inspire the broader choral community. It is an honor to be recognized on a national stage by choral music professionals at an exceptionally high level of expertise and to perform for peers,” Kegelman said.

The last Luther choir chosen to perform at the ACDA national conference was Collegiate Chorale in 2017. Other Luther vocal ensembles including Aurora, Collegiate Chorale and Nordic Choir have performed at regional ACDA conferences in recent years.

“Luther College has been blessed over the years to have representation from all of its choral ensembles at the regional and national events,” Last said. “Nordic Choir is honored to continue that tradition of excellence.”

Jeff Wilkerson, professor of physics at Luther College, recently published “23 Woodcock in 22 Years: Reflections on Hunting, the Night Sky, and Our Place in the Universe,” a memoir interweaving Wilkerson’s thoughts on the relationship between astronomy and bird hunting and how these two passions shape his identity.

Jeff Wilkerson, professor of physics at Luther College, recently published the memoir “23 Woodcock in 22 Years: Reflections on Hunting, the Night Sky, and Our Place in the Universe.” The book interweaves Wilkerson’s thoughts on the relationship between astronomy and bird hunting.

“In hunting, I feel a deep connection to the world around me. In astronomy, I feel a deep connection to the universe,” Wilkerson said. “In each of these, I feel connected to the people who have undertaken these activities before me and are doing so now elsewhere in the world and to the people who are yet to come, but will partake in observing the sky, modeling the universe and living off the land as much as possible.”

Wilkerson is a professor at Luther focusing on the topics of x-ray and gamma-ray detector development, and the study of variable stars in clusters. This Indiana native earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, before relocating to Decorah in 1997 for a faculty position at Luther.

“One thing that might show up in the book is that I tend to burrow in and make a place home when I am there,” Wilkerson said. “California was a sort of home for me, but I needed more open country and land a little closer to my everyday life than I had in California for it to feel fully like home. Something—I didn’t know what— was missing.”

Wilkerson found what he was missing in Iowa.

“Not to try upstaging Lou Gehrig, but I am truly the luckiest person on the face of the earth for having had the chance to carve out a career, to build a life, at Luther and in the paradise that surrounds the college,” he said.

Wilkerson’s journey from physics professor to published author began in 2021, when he wrote a short story titled “The Lure of a Single Woodcock,” and the story was shared by the Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock Society. The society’s mission is to unite conservationists to improve wildlife habitat and forest health for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and all other forest wildlife. This single short story, which includes his book’s title (“My journals record 23 woodcock bagged in the past 22 years”), led Wilkerson to write more.

“I had no intention of writing a book. I was simply telling stories that my brain suggested I needed to tell,” Wilkerson said. “At some point in the writing, I asked my wife, professor of religion Kristin Swanson, ‘Is this a book?’ Apparently it was.”

The result is a 234-page memoir filled with Wilkerson’s thoughts. The book is enhanced with several black and white sketches drawn by Luther student L’Engle Charis-Carlson, a junior majoring in art and visual communication, from Iowa City. Ava Shively, who graduated from Luther in 2024, produced the cover art.

While there is a surplus of books focused on hunting stories, few have taken aim on the woodcock. And in the crowded space of memoirs, “23 Woodcock in 22 Years” stands out with the unique distinction of attempting to convey a bridge between hunting and astronomy.

“It is a strange little book that connects, sometimes obliquely, a lot of different things,” Wilkerson said. “Maybe those who like stories in general and stories of place and family will appreciate the book, even without a particular affinity for astronomy or bird hunting.”

Native to Iowa, woodcock are migratory upland birds that eat primarily earthworms and make their nests on the forest ground. “When it takes flight, the woodcock flies straight up before flying outward in an attempt to avoid tree limbs. This bird makes a unique, spiral flight pattern at dusk and dawn during the breeding season,” according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Wilkerson didn’t hunt woodcock until moving to Iowa. Now, his annual practice of bagging a woodcock for a special holiday meal marks the passage of time. This fall, he bagged two woodcock, so Wilkerson and Swanson, along with their relatives, enjoyed both birds at Thanksgiving.

“Those woodcock were a very special part of an appetizer course for all of us,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson’s book “23 Woodcock in 22 Years” was published by University of Iowa Press and released on Nov. 19, 2024. Autographed first editions are on sale at Luther Book Shop. You may also purchase “23 Woodcock in 22 Years” through the Luther Book Shop online store.