Luren singers to perform at Bishop Hill

Luren Singers from Decorah, Iowa will sing in Bishop Hill Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bishop Hill Community Methodist Church. There will be a free will offering.

Luren Singers

The Luren Singing Society of Decorah, Iowa, had its beginnings in 1868 when four young, homesick Norwegian immigrants started a male quartet to preserve their memories of music from their native land.

Now numbering nearly 80 members, Luren is the oldest Norwegian-American male chorus in continuous existence in the United States. The Luren Singing Society is North America's oldest, Norwegian-American male chorus now in its 142nd year of continuous existence in the United States. The singers love to sing!

The Luren Singers have sung for the King of Norway at the royal palace in Oslo, and we are planning our sixth tour to Norway since 1969 for the summer of 2011.

Members of The Luren Singers live in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and perform concerts mainly throughout the Upper Midwest by invitation. Performances are designed to suit the audience, setting, and season, and the groups' repertoire includes a broad spectrum of ethnic,

contemporary, classic, patriotic, stage show, spiritual and Christian music.

Every two years, The Luren Singers participate in "Sangerfest," -- a national singers convention, which in 2006 took place in hometown Decorah, Iowa. Last year, "Sangerfest" was in Fargo, North Dakota, and next year it will be in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Luren Singing Society toured Norway in 1969, 1973, 1983, 1993 and 2001. They sang for the King at the royal palace in Oslo in 1993. Several members and the director also toured Scandinavia 1995 and 2005 with the national group.

Every two years they participate in a national Singers Convention called Sangerfest in June. It was held this year, and closed with a grand concert featuring approximately 300 voices.

About the name

The Lur is an ancient wind musical instrument. It appears in both the name and the emblem of the Luren Singing Society. In Norway, the Lur and its music is connected to summer farms (seter), dairy maids (budeia), and shepherding. It was used primarily for communication, either from people to animals, or from person to person.

The Lur is made in three ways: hollowed out of a single piece of wood, a piece of wood that is first split and later bound back together, or simply wood bound together by a birch strap. The Lur is blown like a trumpet and produces pitches of the harmonic series.