Music Director Robert Istad planned this recording and the concert tour repertoire carefully. This is church music, from the sacred traditions in Europe, Russia and the Americas. The University Singers traveled to Europe and Russia in June, 2017 to give this concert in four beautiful churches in Vasteraas, Tallinn, Helsinki and St. Petersburg, all within eight days. Rob wanted to take the best American choral tradition on tour, and take home music by composers from these areas. Rob wrote about how important it was to him to “connect each student to the culture of the places we will visit through the repertoire,” while he also acknowledged that “European audiences expect American choirs to bring music from our own folk tradition.” The University Singers performed this wide-ranging music from memory, and their concerts were effectively and entertainingly staged by Fullerton colleague Jim Taulli, as in this video by Jim and Beverly Balderrama.

My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord, in this video, ends our recording. Here The University Singers perform the famous arrangement by Moses Hogan in a pre-tour concert recorded June 4, 2017 at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach, CA. The program was staged by Professor James Taulli