By Averie Nurmie
The three choirs at Concordia College all took a break from their regular rehearsals in Hvidsten Hall on Sept. 5 and 6. for the Concordia Choir and Sept. 13, for the Kantorei and Chapel Choirs to invest in something more personal: community. The Concordia Choir, Kantorei Choir, and Chapel Choir held individual retreats in hopes of building relationships, rehearsing in a new space, and allowing room for connection. Each retreat was planned to allow students in each choir time to get to know each other beyond normal rehearsals.
The Concordia Choir, led by Michael Culloton, had an overnight retreat to Fair Hills Resort, located near Detroit Lakes on Pelican Lake. The resort is known for its beautiful lake views.
Since Culloton became the director of the Concordia Choir in 2020, the Fair Hills Resort has become a tradition for the choir, providing members with a chance to relax and bond with each other.
For Culloton, Fair Hills Resort is personal. “It’s a special place, a special tradition,” says Culloton, whose wife worked there while they were both students at Concordia.
This connection still stands to this day. Fair Hills Resort is run by Concordia alumni and has been a longtime supporter of Concordia’s music programs. The resort often donates back to the annual Concordia Christmas Concert, which represents the ties between them.
While the retreat was a place to rehearse, it was about more than just music. In their time, members were able to socialize, play games and enjoy a classic Minnesota bonfire. Students sang with guitars and roasted marshmallows.
“We do it intentionally as an overnight for the Concordia Choir because it is that first practice to see what it feels like to live in a community where you wake up and, oh my gosh, you’re surrounded by each other” says Culloton. This retreat was the first glimpse into the environment the choir will be in when they take their annual two-week tour.
One week later, the Kantorei and Chapel Choirs held their own retreats at Trinity Lutheran Church near campus. Although shorter in length, half a day each, the retreats were still very impactful.
The Chapel Choir, having sophomores, juniors and seniors, began with a name game. This circle activity took over an hour to get all 88 members’ names correctly; members often helping each other when one another got stuck. This simple, but effective, activity built familiarity and trust. “It can be difficult to make art when you’re looking around at a sea of faces that you’ve no idea who they are,” said Dr. Stephanie Tubiolo, director of both the Kantorei and Chapel Choirs.
The Kantorei Choir, made up of first-year students, played a reflective circle activity. With eyes closed, small groups of members stood and gently tapped members whom they thought fit different prompts like “Tap someone you think is a good leader.” Tubiolo commented that some even got emotional because they felt seen.
Tubiolo said that for many Kantorei members, it was their first time singing in a new group of people, saying that they might have been with the same people since junior high. “The music making has felt all the more special this week because of that,” said Tubiolo, showing the impact of the retreat.
While the normal focus of these choirs is often to prepare for performances, these retreats allowed for something essential that comes with making music. It allowed for an opening foundation of community.
