The concert choir from Albert Lea High School was recently invited to be a guest choir of the Luther College choral ensembles for its Dorian Invitational Choral Festival. The event was Wednesday at the Luther College campus in Decorah, Iowa.

According to a press release, the college invites four choirs of high caliber and with a continued reputation of choral excellence each year to come and work with their instructors and sing with each other in a day of music making.

The other choirs selected this year were from Charles City, Iowa; Cedar Rapids Prairie High School and Waukesha, Wisconsin. The groups prepared the same two pieces that were rehearsed together under the direction of choral professor, Allen Hightower.

The students broke into sectionals and the women were coached by Jill Wilson and the men by Andrew Last. Each choir had an individual clinic session where they sang their own repertoire. Albert Lea sang for Jennaya Robison who had wonderful things to say about the group, according to a press release.

Each choir presented its own 15-minute program for each other and then joined together to sing the mass choir numbers at the end of the day. The high school students were also treated to performances by Aurora and Norsemen, the Luther freshmen women and men’s choirs. Albert Lea alumni Anna Englin sang with Aurora.

According to the press release, the Nordic Choir impressed everyone with their amazing performance at the end of the afternoon session. Weston Noble, world renowned retired choral director from Luther College, was present for the concert and had great things to say about the Albert Lea choir.