ORANGE CITY, Iowa—Jordan Stone, a student at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, will tour with the college’s a-cappella choir during its spring break tour of Taiwan March 5–14.
The 44-member ensemble will perform at a variety of venues, including public concerts, private events, church worship services, middle schools, high schools, universities and hospitals. “We are partnering with the National Presbyterian Church of Taiwan, which has many existing outreaches and relationships already established in the area,” says Dr. Thomas Holm, professor of music and conductor of the choir. “We are offering our music as an extension of their work.”
The tour will begin and end in the capital city of Taipei. Students will also spend some time in the eastern area of Hualien.
The choir’s repertoire will include a variety of styles, texts and languages. Because the performance venues will vary significantly, Holm is tailoring the concert program to each setting and audience. “We will present sections of sacred music, of spirituals and gospel, and of virtuosic pieces,” says Holm. “We are intentionally showcasing a lot of favorite, high-quality American music, but we are also learning some Taiwanese pieces.” For one concert, the ensemble will rehearse and sing with a local children’s choir. First, they’ll perform a popular Taiwanese love song, followed by a gospel setting of “Amazing Grace.”
“We have been working on our cultural understanding of Taiwan’s history, politics, religion, educational traditions and various ethnic groups,” says Holm. “We are also working on spiritual preparation so we are ready and eager to serve, learn, accept and love. We’re hoping to see God work in and through us.”
Stone is a sophomore and humanities major at Northwestern College. She sings soprano in the choir. Stone is the daughter of Dane and Jody Stone of Dell Rapids.
Northwestern College is a Christian college of more than 1,200 students in Orange City, Iowa. Rated the nation’s seventh-best baccalaureate college by Washington Monthly and a top-10 Midwestern college by U.S. News & World Report magazine, Northwestern provides an education committed to academic rigor and a Christ-centered worldview.
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by Amanda Kundert, amanda.kundert@nwciowa.edu, 712-707-7371