Dr. Craig Arnold

Review: Decorah, Iowa's Luther College can boast 7 choirs (and 8 bands and orchestras) among its nearly 1,000 student musicians, but none older or more famous than the Nordic Choir, founded in 1946. Directed by Weston Noble from 1948 to 2005, when Dr. Craig Arnold picked up the baton, the Choir won international acclaim as a premier collegiate choral group and a national choral treasure. "A New Hosanna" contains 17 Classical and Contemporary Christian songs, many with organ accompaniment. Some of our favorites are Alessandro Scarlatti's "Exsultate Deo," Jeffrey Van's "Child of Peace," Craig Courtney's "Carol of the Birds," Francis Poulenc's "Vinea mea electra," Hal N. Hopson's "Beneath the Cross of Jesus, founder of Luther's Music Program F. Melius Christiansen's "Glorification" (No. 4 from "Celestial Spring"), Healey Willan's "An Apostrophe to the Heavenly Hosts," Stephen Foster's classic folk song "Laura Lee," the spiritual "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel" and Gustof Nordqvist's "Wonderful Peace." An inspiring, finely-crafted collection from one of the oldest and finest American choirs! 

Songlist: Exultate Deo, Child of Peace, Ave Maria, Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise, Carol of the Birds, Mary Hynes, Viena Mea Electa, Beneath the Cross of Jesus, Glorification, Kyrie Eleison, Hymn to the Eternal Flame, The Priceless Grace, An Apostrophe to the Heavenly Hosts, Laura Lee, Ezekiel Saw De Wheel, O Lord God, Wonderful Peace

Review: The magnificent 4-day Christmas Festival at Decorah, IA's LutherCollege tells the story of Christmas in song and narration, andfeatures the 85-member Symphony Orchestra and hundreds of members of Luther's Nordic Choir, Pike Kor, Cathedral Choir, Norsemen and Cantorei. 26 cuts, all accompanied: "For Unto Us A Child Is Born" from Handel's "Messiah," Leonard Bernstein's dramatic "Chichester Psalms," John Rutter's "Candlelight Carol," Bach's "Gloria," the joyous "Cantemos a Maria"-it's all wonderful!

Songlist: Nimrod, Narration, Fanfare For A Festival, For Unto Us A Child Is Born, O Come, All Ye Faithful, Gloria, As Lately We Watched, Mbiri Kuna Mwari, Gloria, Chichester Psalms, Cantemos A Maria, Candle Light Carol, Sing Nowell Sing Gloria, All My Heart This Night Rejoices, Wake Awake, Vom Himmel Hoch, Agincourt Song, O Magnum Mysterium, A Christmas Alleluia, Still Still Still, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, Epilogue, Jerusalem, Narration, Infant Holy Infant Lowly, Silent Night

Review: Docorah, Iowa's Luther College's huge annual 4-day Christmas pageant, which features Luther's Nordic Choir, Symphony Orchestra, Cantorei, Christmas Brass and Percussion Ensemble, Cathedral Choir and Pike Kor, Collegiate Chorale and Norsemen and the Christmas Ringers. "Arise, Shine" brings us the triumphant sounds of this incredible event in 30 parts, from the Norsemen's performance of Eric Whitacre's "Lux Aurumque" to the Combined Choirs and Symphony Orchestra's "Coronation Te Deum." With stirring narrations interspersed, lovely carols such as "Rise Up, Shepherd and Follow," "Patapan," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," and "Come Adore the Infant Holy" join with magnificent choruses from Handel's "Messiah," "Chorus: And the glory of the Lord" and "Chorus: Glory to God." Listening to the beautifully recorded "Arise, Shine" is surely the next best thing to being in the audience to experience "Christmas at Luther 2007."

Songlist: Lux Aurumque, First Movement, Concerto Grosso, Canticle of Joy, Precessional: Arise, O God, And Shine, Narration, Arise, Shine (From What Child Is This), Hark! A Herald Voice Is Calling, Hail Christmas Day!, Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow, Thy Little Ones, Dear Lord, Sing We Now Of Christmas, Patapan, Carillon on a Ukrainian Bell Carol, Marche, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Narration, This Christmastide, Heroic Entry, Hodie Christus Natus Est, Come, Adore the Infant Holy, A Light Where Jesus Lay, To Him We Sing, Narration, Narration, Coronation Te Deum

Review: Every Christmas season, the wonderful music groups at Decorah, Iowa's Luther College, including Nordic Choir, Symphony Orchestra, Cantorei, Christmas Brass and Percussion Ensemble, Cathedral Choir, Collegiate Chorale, Norsemen and Luther Ringers, present their massive "Christmas at Luther" festival, which tells the story of the Nativity in narration and music. The music is always magnificent and amazing, with the various groups performing individually and combined, and the story moving and timeless. Very hard to pick favorites, but Colin Marnach's solo on "Comfort Ye My People" from Handel's "Messiah," Cathedral Choir's a cappella "Arise, Shine!," Nordic Choir's "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones," Collegiate Chorale's "Weihnachten," Norsemen's "Rise Up Shepherd and Follow," and the final cut, Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Nation Shall Not Lift UP a Sword Against Nation (from Dona Nobis Pacem)" by the combined choirs, Symphony Orchestra and organ, will have to do. Every year "Christmas at Luther" outdoes itself in magnificence and beauty.

Songlist: Fanfare of the Kings, Narration, Child of Peace, Sinfonia (from Messiah), Comfort Ye My People (from Messiah), Processional: Angels, from the Realms of Glory, I Was Glad, Arise, Shine!, Candlelight Carol, As Dew in Aprille (from A Ceremony of Carols), This Little Babe (from A Ceremony of Carols), Carol of the Birds, Sing We Now of Christmas, I Saw Three Ships, Weihnachten, Rise Up Shepherd and Follow, Winds Through the Olive Trees, Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones (from An Apostrophe to the Heavenly Hosts), Joy to the World, Gloria (from Lord Nelson Mass), Il est ne, Le divin Enfant, Ding! Dong! Merrily on High, Go, Tell it on the Mountain, Before the Marvel of this Night, Farandole (from L'arlesienne, Suite No. 2), Silent Night, Narration, Wonderful Peace, Nation Shall Not Lift Up a Sword Against Nation (from Dona Nobis Pacem)

Review: Once again Iowa's Luther College's Department of Music has called upon its renowned Nordic Choir, Symphony Orchestra, Cantorei, Christmas Brass and Percussion Ensemble, Cathedral Choir, Collegiate Chorale, Aurora, Norsemen and Luther Ringers to create the magnificent 4-day musical story of Christmas, "Christmas at Luther 2009, Joy to the World." These combined music ensembles are joined by the audience on the opening cut, "Processional: Joy to the World," and on the next to last cut, "Silent Night" (with narration). There are other traditional carols such as "Joy, Joy, Joy," "Wexford Carol," "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel;" classical songs like Felix Mendelssohn's "Thanks Be to God" and Guy Forbes' "O Magnum Mysterium," and pieces by contemporary composers, Quittez, pasteurs" and "Gloria" by John Rutter, "There is No Rose" by Rene Clausen, "Nowel" by Randall Thompson, Jackson Berkey's "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," and F. Melius Christiansen's lovely "Praise to the Lord." There is an organ solo of Claude Balbastre's "Ou s'en vont ces gais bergers," and "Agincourt Song" by the wonderful Symphony Orchestra. In terms of pure musical magnificence, celebration, wonder and beauty, there really is nothing that compares with "Christmas at Luther!"

Songlist: Joy to the World, Eventide, Thanks Be To God, Narration, Joy, Joy, Joy, There is No Rose, Nowel, Angels We Have Heard on High, Wexford Carol, On This Day, Earth Shall Ring, Fanfare, Quittez, pasteurs, O Magnum Mysterium, Fantasia on a Ukranian Carol, Ou s'en vont ces gais bergers, Suo-Gan, Agincourt Song, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, S nami Bog, Gloria In Excelsis Deo!, Praise to the Lord, Silent Night, Gloria

Review: In the jewel box, behind the "Christmas at Luther 2010" CD is a panoramic photograph, with a bird's eye view of the annual event held at Iowa's Luther College-showing the giant pipe organ, the huge, colorful mural, and the massed music groups: The Symphony Orchestra, Nordic Choir, Cantorei, Cathedral Choir, Aurora, Norsemen and Luther Ringers. One of the largest collegiate music programs in the world, the Luther campus is alive with the sounds of six choirs, three bands, three orchestras, two jazz bands and more than 1,000 student musicians! Here are 20 live cuts, most of them accompanied, that tell the story of the Nativity in music. The spoken narration notable in past events has given way to some of the most beautiful choral Christmas music imaginable: just listen to the dramatic, wonderful "Hope for Resolution," Vivaldi's "Gloria in Excelsis," Mendelssohn's "There Shall a Star From Jacob Come Forth," "The First Nowell" and "Gloria," all sung by the combined choirs, Symphony Orchestra (sometimes with organ). This is music that rivals Handl's "Messiah" in pure, beautiful power. The Cathedral Choir's lovely spiritual "I Believe This Is Jesus," John Rutter's "Angel's Carol," aptly performed by Aurora, Cantorei and the Symphony Orchestra, the Norsemen's rhythmic, harmonic performance of the traditional Kenyan carol "Wana Baraka"-this is great stuff! "Christmas at Luther" is one of the greatest annual musical traditions in the United States, come join in the celebration!

Songlist: O Come, All Ye Faithful, Hope for Resolution, Gloria In Excelsis (from Gloria), Angel's Carol, Masters in This Hall, I Believe This Is Jesus, Sanctus ( from Messe en Sol Majeur), There Shall a Star From Jacob Come Forth (from Christus, Opus 97), Nocturne (from Incidental Music to A Midsummer Nights Dream), Choral Fanfare for Christmas, Veni, Veni Emmanuel, Sanctus-Benedictus (Mass No. 6), Infant Holy, Infant Lowly, Ring Out, Wild Bells!, What Shall We Give?, Wanna Baraka, What Sweeter Music, The First Nowell, Fanfare and Toccata on Hark! A Thrilling Voice is Sounding, Gloria

Review: Following in the very large footsteps, and the 57-year tenure of Weston Noble at Decorah, IA's Luther College, Dr. Craig Arnold returned to serve as director of choral activities, conductor of the Nordic Choir, and professor of music at Luther. "Everlasting God" is a spirited collection of 20 songs, which highlight the rich, powerful sound of this great choir. Rene Clausen's "Laudate," two selections from Herbert Howells' "Requiem," the wonderful 6-part "Liebeslieder Walzer, op. 52" by Brahms, the Stephen Paulus-arranged traditional hymn, "We Gather Together," the 2-part "The Lord is the Everlasting God" by Kenneth Jennings, Ola Gjeilo's haunting "Ubi Caritas," the heart-tugging "Danny Boy" and the spiritual "Wade in the Water" are favorites. There is some light piano and organ accompaniment. Luther College places a focus and emphasis on music instruction and performance found in few other institutions, and that's why we consistently hear recordings of the highest quality-the Nordic Choir is simply one of the best in the world!

Songlist: Laudate, If Ye Love Me, Psalm 23, Requiem aeternam, My Spirit Sang All Day, Liebeslieder Waltzer, op. 52, Rede Madchen, Am Gesteine rauscht die Flut, Wie des Abends schone Rote, Nein, es ist nicht auszukommen, Sieh', wie ist die Welle klar, Es bebet das Gestrauche, We Gather Together, The Lord is The Everlasting God, Movement I, Movement II, O Day Full of Grace, In Paradisum, Ubi Caritas, Danny Boy, Wade in the Water, O Lord God

Review: Of all the dynamic music programs (seven choirs, three bands, three orchestras, two jazz bands and nearly 1,000 student musicians) that have flourished at Decorah, Iowa's Luther College, the very first, the flagship choral ensemble, is the 70-strong, mixed-voice Nordic Choir. In 1948 Weston Noble began a 57-year tenure that would bring the choir into national and international acclaim as one of the best Collegiate choral ensembles. In 2005 Dr. Craig Arnold became the director of choral activities and conductor of the Nordic Choir. "In the Beginning" is a collection of 15 contemporary Christian pieces, beginning with Alice Parker and Robert Shaw's arrangement of "I Will Arise," John Rutter's "Hymn to the Creator of Light," the lovely, 15-minute long title tune by Aaron Copland, Stephen Paulus' "The Old Church," the premiere of Brooke Joyce's "The Revelation of St. Julian," F. Melius Christiansen's "Psalm 50," the premiere of student Patrick Burzlaff's "Psalm 50," "Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow," Paul Tschesnokoff's "O Lord God," and Carl Orff's 5-part, piano-accompanied "Carmina Burana." Beautiful solos and harmonies on this often difficult material by one of the oldest and most respected Collegiate choirs!

Songlist: I Will Arise, Hymn to the Creator of Light, In the Beginning, The Old Church, The Revelation of St. Julian (premiere), Psalm50, Movement II, Movement III, Psalm 46 (premiere), Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow, O Lord God, Carmina Burana, Veni, veni, venias, Swaz hie gat umbe, Chum, chum geselle min, Swaz hie gat umbe, Were diu werlt alle min

Review: The oldest, most famous choir at Decorah, IA's Luther College, founded in 1946, The 68-strong, mixed voice Nordic Choir brings us another beautiful, inspirational album, conducted by Craig Arnold. Nordic is now under the direction of Allen Hightower, who picked up the baton from Arnold, who directed the Choir for five years after receiving it from Weston Noble, who greatly enhanced the group's international reputation during his 57 years of leadership. Nordic Choir records at least one CD per year and tours extensively in the United States and internationally. "We Sing with Joy" is a 17-song collection, many of them accompanied by piano, violin, trumpet and organ. Some favorites are "Praise to the Lord" arranged by F. Melius Christiansen, Ola Gjeilo's "Unicornis Captivatur," Frank Martin's "Sanctus (from Mass)," Benjamin Britten's "Hymn to St. Cecelia" movements 1 and 2, Paul Tschesnokoff's "O Lord God," an American Folk song "The Dying Soldier," David Childs' "Where Your Barefoot Walks," Z. Randall Stroope's "All My Heart This Night Rejoices," Dan Forrest's "You Are the Music" and the William Dawson-arranged spiritual, "Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit." But each of these cuts is masterfully done, the rich soaring harmonies rising and intertwining above us. "We Sing with Joy" is simply wonderful!

Songlist: Praise to the Lord, Unicornis Captivatur, How Great Are Thy Wonders, Sanctus (from Mass), Serenade to Music, Hymn to St. Cecilia, movement 1, Hymn to St. Cecilia, movement 2, O Lord God, Immortal, Invisible (with audience), The Dying Soldier (American Folk Song), Where Your Barefoot Walks, Awake O North Wind (from Wedding Cantata), All My Heart This Night Rejoices, How Can I Keep From Singing, You Are The Music, Hermandad, Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit

Review: "Magnificent" and "Beautiful" are words that come to mind a lot when experiencing this DVD of Luther College's 27th annual "Christmas at Luther" festival, featuring over 600 student musicians in numerous choral and instrumental ensembles. This DVD features the breathtaking music, joyous robed choristers and glowing candlelight that makes "Christmas at Luther" so famous and beloved. The various groups, including Nordic Choir, Symphony Orchestra, Cantorei, Christmas Brass and Percussion Ensemble, Cathedral Choir, Collegiate Chorale, Norsemen and Luther Ringers, perform individually and in combination to tell the timeless Christmas story in music and narration, from the marvelous "Angels, from the Realms of Glory" by the combined choirs, Symphony Orchestra and organ, to the a cappella solo on "Rise Up, Shepherd and Follow" by Norsemen's Timothy Olstad," you will be moved and touched by "Christmas at Luther!"

Songlist: Angels, from the Realms of Glory, I Was Glad, Comfort Ye My People (from Messiah), Candlelight Carol, Carol of the Birds, Sing We Now of Christmas, I Saw Three Ships, Winds Through the Olive Trees, Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones (from An Apostrophe to the Heavenly Hosts), Gloria (from Lord Nelson Mass), About Luther College, Rise Up Shepherd and Follow, Go, Tell it on the Mountain, Before the Marvel of this Night, Farandole (from L'arlesienne, Suite No. 2), Silent Night, Wonderful Peace, Nation Shall Not Lift Up a Sword Against Nation (from Dona Nobis Pacem)