Vocal Studies

Vocal Studies at Augustana University includes the following choral ensembles: Angelus, the Augustana Choir, Bach Collegium and VikingKor. Each perform at campus events, chapel services and other concerts throughout the academic year.

Angelus is a choir of treble voices. This ensemble performs a rich and varied repertoire for this medium, and often combines with other choral ensembles for large-scale concerts.

Angelus is led by Natalie Campbell.

The Augustana Choir has a rich history spanning more than 100 years. Founded in 1921, and chartered by the faculty of then Augustana College, its mission has always been to "serve God, the church and our school" through choral music. The choir's founding conductor, Dr. Carl Youngdahl, envisioned a group that would "perform a cappella and could thereby appear in the smallest of churches as well as the largest, and our concert would be a sermon in song." Today, the Augustana Choir continues to bring choral music of many styles and of the highest caliber to audiences around the region, nation, and world. By embracing both sacred and secular music the Augustana Choir seeks to ensure that its legacy will both evolve and endure; reflecting the dynamic nature of choral music in the modern world and honoring the tradition from which it hails."

Members of the choir and our other choirs are auditioned from the student body of Augustana University and represent all academic majors. These singers are devoted to bringing their "sermon in song" to audiences anywhere in the world, from Carnegie Hall to the churches of the American prairies to the cathedrals of Europe. To be the inheritors of such a wonderful legacy gives the choir a profound pride in being able to continue the strong choral traditions of the colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

The Augustana Choir is led by Dr. Russell Svenningsen.

The Bach Collegium is an ensemble dedicated to the performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s works, with a particular focus on historically informed practices. Based at Augustana University, the collegium brings together some of the best student singers and instrumentalists to work alongside faculty and professional musicians from the community to explore the rich musical and spiritual heritage of Bach's sacred works. The ensemble presents a Bach Cantata Series, performing several cantatas each semester in a unique lecture-concert format. This approach allows audiences to gain deeper insights into the music, offering both a scholarly and performative experience.

Repertoire by the Collegium includes Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 4, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV 118, Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131, Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227, among others.

The Bach Collegium is led by Dr. David Chin.

The VikingKor, a tenor/bass ensemble, premiered in Fall 2024 as an ensemble dedicated to the study and performance of the finest tenor/bass repertoire furthering the mission of the university. VikingKor is named after Augustana's beloved mascot.

The VikingKor is led by Dr. Russell Svenningsen.