Sandra Peter

Review: Aurora is one of seven choral ensembles at Decorah, IA's Luther College, founded in 1981 and comprised of 100 first-year women, selected each fall by audition. Named Pike Kor from the mid-1980s until the spring of 2008 when the ensemble was renamed Aurora, latin for dawn. Aurora performs on and off-campus for worship services, participates in the annual Christmas at Luther concert, and presents a spring concert with The Norsemen. "Using Our Voices" is an 18-song collection, some are accompanied by piano, flute, and percussion. Particularly fine are Stephen Paulus' "Daybreak," Libby Larsen's powerful a cappella tune "The Womanly Song of God," Andrea Clearfield's "Sarah (from Women of Valor)," Daniel Kallman's "There Will Be Rest," Kinley Lange's "Esto les digo" and "Prayer for the Gifts," Craig Hella Johnson's "Will There Really Be a Morning?," Abbie Betinis' "Hail! Christmas day," Edwin Fissinger's "Love Came Down at Christmas," John Rutter's "Candlelight Carol" and "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day." These young voices seem talented and poised way beyond their years, singing difficult, sometimes eclectic material effortlessly and gracefully. Don't miss these beautiful, spirited, soaring harmonies from Aurora!

Songlist: DayBreak, The Womanly Song of God, O frondens virga, Tota pulchra es, Ubi caritas, Sarah (from Women of Valor), There Will Be Rest, To Joy, Out of the Morning, Esto les digo, Prayer for the Gifts, Will There Really Be a "Morning"?, America, The Beautiful, Hail! The Christmas Day, Patapan, Love Came Down at Christmas, Candlelight Carol, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day

Review: One of the most magnificent in the world, the 4-day Christmas Festival at Decorah, IA's Luther College features the 85-member Symphony Orchestra and hundreds of talented members of Luther's Nordic Choir, Pike Kor, Cathedral Choir, Norsemen and Cantorei singing 20 beautiful pieces. From the orchestrally-accompanied "Gracious Spirit Dwell With Me" and Dominik Argento's "Hodie, Christus Natus Est" to the dramatic a cappella "Hodie, Christus Natus Est" and the traditional carols "The First Noel," "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing;" to the rarely heard "Little Lamb," "Choral Fanfare for Christmas," "O Nata Lux," "O Come Little Children" and Eric Whitacre's "Lum Aurumque," this is a joyous and memorable Christmas CD. The wonderful a cappella "Natus est Emmanuel" (a glee of angels at the Birth), was written by Libby Larsen for the celebration.

Songlist: Gracious Spirit Dwell With Me, The First Noel, Gloria from the Masque of Angels, Hodie, Christus Natus Est, The Moon of Wintertime, Little Lamb, Choral Fanfare for Christmas, Farandole from L'Arlesienne, Suite No. 2, Machet die Tore weit, Christmas The Morn, Svete tihiy, Natus est Emmanuel, A Nata Lux, O Come, Little Children, Lux Aurumque, A Child is Born in Bethlehem, Angels We Have Heard on High, Climb to the Top of the Highest Mountain, Toccata from Orgel Partita Opus 8 No. 2, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

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: Pike Kor, whose name honors the Norwegian heritage of the college, was established at Luther in 1981. It is comprised of 100 first-year women, selected each fall by audition, who perform a primarily sacred repertoire with a wide range of works composed for women's voices. Directed by Sandra Peter the choir continues the tradition of one of the nation's finest female choirs. This CD, their first, includes several new works by Libby Larsen, including "Natus est Emmanuel," commissioned for "Christmas at Luther College", and "A Young Nun, Singing" premiered by Pike Kor in 2005. Convent motets by Sulpitia Cesis and pieces by Edie Hill, Gwyneth Walker and Eleanor Daley are also featured. Much of the repertoire Pike Kor has performed in recent years has either been composed by women, set to texts by women, or centers around themes related to women. A highly recommended recording

Songlist: O Come Let Us Sing, Mary Speaks, Alleluia, Laetamini Et Exultate, Angelus Ad Pastores, Maria Magdelena Et Altera Maria, A Young Nun Singing, Natus Est Emmanuel: A Glee Of Angels At The Birth, Jack's Valentine, The Bike et Loose, Now I Become Myself, Love Is A Rain Of Diamonds, Ubi Caritas, What Sweeter Music, Canticle To The Spirit, Fruits Of The Selfless Heart, View Me Lord A Work Of Time, Come And Behold, Were You There?