 The Hesston College European Chorale members pose for a photo near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. |
September 15, 2008
Members of the 2008 Hesston College European Chorale—29 students and two music faculty members—found themselves overwhelmed by the hospitality of Europeans everywhere they went.
“I was continually moved by the warm reception we received throughout our travels,” said Bradley Kauffman, co-director of the chorale and a music faculty member. “Our hosts were eager to share themselves with us and wanted to get to know members of our group.”
Beginning May 6, the 30-day tour took the group to Paris, the Black Forest region of Germany, Switzerland, Italy, central Germany and the Netherlands.
“The students thrived on the experience and represented the college well,” Kauffman said. “The home stays may have been what they responded to the most.”
Stephanie Wyse, a freshman from Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, confirmed this in her summary essay. “It was refreshing to see the value they placed on relationships,” she wrote. “It seems that they had blocked off their schedules just for us because they always had time to make tea and sit down and talk with us. They were so excited to meet us and many of the young people I met in Europe still keep in contact with choir members.”
Caleb Detweiler, a graduating sophomore from Washington, Iowa, experienced the hurdles of the language barrier. “Not being able to ask or answer questions and not being able to communicate all of my thoughts and opinions was disappointing,” he wrote. “Only when they knew English could we dialog back and forth in a desirable manner. Thus, before I travel to another country, I want to be proficient in their language.”
 Marcus Unruh, a freshman from Wayland, Iowa, operates the mechanism that orients a windmill to the wind in Joure, the Netherlands. |
 Oliver Kropf, a graduating sophomore from Oregon City, Ore., operates the mechanism that orients a windmill to the wind in Joure, the Netherlands. |
Co-director and music faculty member Ken Rodgers said the students appreciated the opportunity to connect with Mennonite churches and Anabaptist history in Europe. “That was important and significant to them,” he said.
Wyse said that one reason for going on this tour was to see her spiritual roots. “Seeing the beginning of the Anabaptists helped me feel ties to people who came before me and gave me a great understanding of what it means to be Mennonite. Many of the stories … gave me a small hint of the huge amount of struggle Anabaptists went through to practice their faith and make it possible for us to follow in their footsteps today. Seeing places that hold so much meaning taught me how privileged I am to benefit from the persecution of those who were there in the beginning.”
Kauffman said that based on the students' writings, the tour made an impact on how students see the world and how the U.S. is regarded outside the country. “It expanded our sense of what it means to be a global citizen,” he said.
Jeremy Snyder, a graduating sophomore from Kalona, Iowa, said he learned certain things that one could never learn in school. “Being able to meet and interact with people of all ages and in a different culture than my own, I learned that people really aren’t as different as they may seem. In my home stays, it was easy to find things to talk about or discuss. It was never as awkward as I thought it would be. This was also true for me within the choir,” Snyder continued. “Spending a month with the same group of people, I got to know people who I probably wouldn’t have, had it not been for this trip. It was a good learning experience on how to interact with all different groups of people.”
Rodgers, who has been on tour with 13 Hesston College European Chorales, said one unique experience was participating in a combined concert May 22 in Milan, Italy, at San Marco Basilica, the second largest church in Milan. “I think it’s the first time we’ve collaborated with another choir,” he said. Hesston College has offered the European Chorale tour in alternating years since 1980.
The two choirs performed their own repertoire before joining together to present an American spiritual and a piece by Tchaikovsky. Proceeds from the concert—billed as two choirs for Africa—totaled 7,500 Euros (about $12,000 U.S.) for a foundation working on vaccine research for viral diseases in equatorial Africa.
Wyse may have been thinking about this concert when she wrote: “Some of my favorite times were those when the people of God could all come together and worship despite cultural or language barriers. It’s amazing how music can cross these barriers. Whether people understand the words or not, they can be touched by it and can feel its meaning. Music can connect people in a way that goes much deeper than the spoken language. It was such a blessing for me to be a part of a ministry that brought people together in this way.”
Snyder said he will never forget touring Europe for a month. “Being able to sing in amazing spaces with talented singers, touring various cities, enjoying new foods, and meeting new people and making new friends—this will be remembered as one of the best times of my life.”
Hesston College Music Department