Posted: 12/5/06
Luren Singers in Caledonia Sunday
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
A singing group with deep roots and international credentials will perform a Christmas Concert at St. Maryís Catholic Church in Caledonia this Sunday, December 10 at 3 p.m.
The group, called the Luren Singers, is based in Decorah, Iowa. Dr. David Judisch of the Luther College Music Department is the conductor.
It has several local members, including Lee Grippen, Fred Arnold, and Mike Novak from Caledonia; Loren Hartley from Eitzen; and Ford Brevig, Jim Gray, Dan Alstad, and Clayton Wangsness from Spring Grove. The members car pool every Monday night for rehearsals in Decorah.
ěTheyíre a great family,î Grippen said of the 139-year-old singing group, which is part of the Luren Singing Society. He joined it in 2000 after retiring that year as a Caledonia Elementary School teacher.
ěIíve enjoyed it. Itís just been wonderful,î Grippen said. ěSo many different people with different backgrounds.î Those professions range from retired pastors, and doctors to farmers and college professors. Some members drive 100-miles one way to be part of it.
Itís a family affair in some cases too. Jerry Tesmer, the agriculture extension agent for Houston County, has a son, brother-in-law, and father-in-law in the group.
The performance on Sunday will feature all Christmas music, and from many origins, such as Swedish, French, German, and of course Norwegian. Thereís even a Swahili song of thanks to end the program. The group does not sing only Norwegian songs as the name may imply.
Wives of members have an auxiliary that provides a good support group, Grippen added. They even make a potluck supper once a month.
Loren Hartley, a retired social worker from Houston County, has been singing with Luren for six years. ěIím not Scandinavian but I still enjoy singing with them,î he said with a chuckle. Itís fun and he enjoys both the music and the camaraderie. ěTheyíre a great bunch of guys.î
There is no admission fee to Sundayís event. A free will offering will be taken to benefit the Houston County Food Shelf. Thatís part of the Luren Singing Society philosophy to reach out to people in need. Itís even written in their bylaws in Article II: ěSponsor musical performances for the enjoyment of the audience and for charitable, religious, literary and educational purposes.î
Luren members run a food stand at the Winneshiek County Fair to raise money for their expenses.
Visitors and new members are always welcome. Call Grippen at 507-725-3281 or Hartley at 507-495-3283 for more information.
The Caledonia Arts Council and The Caledonia Argus are presenting the program, which will also feature assistant director is Bernhard Gluth and accompanist Eric Layden.
More about Luren Singers
The Luren Singing Society of Decorah, Iowa, had its beginnings in 1868 when four young, homesick Norwegian immigrants started a male quartet to preserve their memories of music from their native land.
Now numbering nearly 80 members, Luren is the oldest Norwegian-American male chorus in continuous existence in the United States.
The Luren Singing Society toured Norway in 1969, 1973, 1983, 1993, and 2001. They sang for the King at the royal palace in Oslo in 1993. Several members and our director also toured Scandinavia 1995 and 2005 with the national group.
Every two years they participate in a national Singers Convention called Sangerfest in June. It was held this year, and closed with a grand concert featuring approximately 300 voices.
ď About the name: The Lur is an ancient wind musical instrument. It appears in both the name and the emblem of the Luren Singing Society. In Norway, the Lur and its music were connected to summer farms (seter), dairy maids (budeia), and shepherding. It was used primarily for communication, ń either from people to animals, or from person to person. The Lur is made in three ways: hollowed out of a shingle piece of wood, a piece of wood that is first split and later bound back together, or simply wood bound together by a birch strap. The Lur is blown like a trumpet and produces pitches of the harmonic series.
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