On Oct. 11, the Augsburg Centennial Singers will give their final performance at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in
Hastings.
Augsburg Centennial Singer David Weisser connected with KDWA Radio to share about the choir’s history and its upcoming performance.
“34 years ago, Augsburg choirs got together because Augsburg has a long history of quartet singing, and in 1891, quartets went to Norway and sang, and then 100 years later, they came back. 100 years later, they were still singing and decided that instead of singing quartets, they were just going to form a choir as well. And so that’s where the “centennial” part comes in.
100 years after the first concert in Norway, they formed the choir, the Augsburg Centennial Singers, and they’ve been singing ever since. They have quartets, but we are a choir of about 35 to 40 men, and this is our last series of concerts. And the reason it’s the last series of concerts is because we used to have 55 or 60. Now we’re down to 35 or 40, and I’m in my mid-70s. I’m one of the youngest ones in the choir, so we just decided it was time to go out because we’re still sounding good, but we need to leave on a high note, and the pun is intended.”
The Augsburg Centennial Singers will perform at 3 p.m. on October 11 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Hastings. The concert is free and open to the public.
“It’s a free concert, and in the past we have had free will offerings, but there is no offering that will be expected or desired because we’re just ending it, and we have no more expenses to run, so this is a free concert. Everybody’s welcome. It is a Lutheran choir, and so all the songs are of a religious nature. But it’s a fun concert.
We have everything from some really strong traditional songs to folk and contemporary songs that I think everybody will find something they’ll enjoy. All of the members have a really good time singing, and the director has a really good time directing. He’s kind of a goofball. He’s a little bit avant-garde, and it’s just fun. We have a good time. We interact, you know, visually with the audience, and they all seem to have a good time listening to us. So we’re hoping we have a really nice crowd for one of our very final concerts of the life of the choir.
Weisser explains Hastings’ long history with the Augsburg Centennial Singers.
Well, I do want to say that Hastings has a long history with this choir. Right now, there are two members. Al Todnem and I are current members, but going back quite a number of years, Bill Strom and Gordon Gathright both sang in this choir, and a lot of people have fond memories of the two of them. And I know that some people have been to see this choir when they were members, so I just think they’ll have a good time with the current iteration and remembering those two voices as part of our community.”
Weisser also shares what being a member of the Augsburg Centennial Singers has meant to him personally.
“I’ve made some friends. We talk. You know, if we’re going to talk about this personally, it helps solidify my faith, and that’s important to me. I get to greet the same people every week, and we get to share parts of our lives and who’s doing well and who needs our prayers. And it’s just personally a really nice social connection. And then there are some people that my wife and I do a lot of jelly, and so there are some people there where I occasionally bring them jars of jelly. And there’s a guy I sit beside that, when I make a homemade batch of beer, he always says, ‘So what do you have for me?’ So I always bring him a couple bottles of beer every couple months, and he’s always glad to see me.”
Again, the free concert will be held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Hastings on October 11 at 3 p.m.