The 60-voice SDSU Concert Choir went on their annual fall tour Nov. 3-6 across South Dakota at various churches and schools.

This is the second annual tour and Laura Diddle, director of choral activities, plans to continue the tradition as long as possible. The choir held performances in Aberdeen, Redfield, Huron, Miller, Pierre, Chamberlain and Madison. Their evening performances were held in churches, while they had several daytime performances in schools and one special performance at the State Capitol Rotunda. 

“Our tour was fantastic. It was exhausting, emotional and exciting all at the same time,” Madelin Mack, sophomore English major with music minor, said. “We got to connect with each other and with South Dakota community members in a totally unique way.” 

During the tour, Mack had a live blog going. She kept the readers up to date on the choir’s day, how their performances went and what was on the agenda for the coming day. 

On Sunday, Nov. 3, the choir began their tour with their first performance at Sacred Heart Catholic Parish in Aberdeen. The next day they performed at Aberdeen and Huron School and ended their day with their night performance at the First Congregational Church in Redfield.

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the choir played at Miller High School, Pierre’s T.F. Riggs High School and the South Dakota State Capitol Rotunda. They ended in Winner at the Church of Immaculate Conception. On the final day they performed in Chamberlain Public School and Madison Middle and High Schools. 

“I wasn’t prepared for how long and hard touring would be, but overall it was a really fun experience and seemed to be fairly productive in attracting prospective students to the school,” Freshman Daniel Otamendi, a mechanical engineering major said.

This year the choir has 66 students with all different majors. Graduate and undergraduate students are allowed to try out. Director Laura Diddle said the choir is “entirely talent based.”

“We need beauty and culture in this world and if we are given the talent, we need to share it,” Diddle said. 

The choir is one of three on campus. It has been around for 50 years and Diddle is sixth in line of directors. The choir meets daily from 12-12:50 p.m. and students earn one credit. Many of the students are on scholarships and this meets the requirement they need to fulfill. 

“In addition to working hard musically, we also have a service unit. We have the opportunity to share out gift and lift spirits of others,” Diddle said.

The choir has a motto that they remind each other often — GOALS. G is for giving, O is for opportunity, A is for accountability, L is for lifting each other up, and S is for service. 

“I’ve been involved in a lot of organizations on campus, but nothing has quite changed me like concert choir has,” Alex Kunz, a senior music merchandising major, said. “Being able to make amazing music with even more amazing people really reminds you every day that you’re a part of something bigger than yourself. A lesson I think that should be learned by every student at SDSU.”