Drake Choir

The Drake Choir is Drake University's select touring ensemble. The choir tours throughout the Midwest each year and internationally every four years. In May and June of 2008 the choir toured Italy and Austria, singing in the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, the Salzburg Cathedral, St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, and Melk Abbey. The Drake Choir has previously performed in Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as in Carnegie Hall. In addition, they were selected by audition to perform at the American Choral Directors Association North Central Division Conference in 2002. The Drake Choir released its most recent CD in September 2008.

The ensemble consists of 52 students who are first-year students through seniors and who represent every College of the University. Auditions for returning students take place in April and for new students during the weekend preceding the start of the fall semester. The ensemble rehearses Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 3:30-5:00 p.m. and is conducted by Dr. Aimee Beckmann-Collier, Director of Choral Studies and Professor of Conducting.

Listen to sound clips of the Drake Choir:

1. O Clap Your Hands, All Ye People - Carl Staplin (from our 2008 CD)

2. Os justi meditabitur sapientiam - Anton Bruckner

3. Have Ye Not Known?/Ye Shall Have a Song - Randall Thompson

4. The Early Bird - Rene Clausen (from the 2008 CD)

5. Little Dance for Barbara Mason from "A Litany for Courage and the Seasons" - David Maslanka

6. Shenandoah - folksong, arr. James Erb

7. Kasar mie la gahi - Alberto Grau (from 2008 CD)