In 2018 Doane’s choir toured South Africa and now the opportunity has arisen again. This trip will take place from May 20 to June 1, 2025, and is open to all singers at Doane. Dr. Kurt Runestad, Professor of Music, hopes that the trip will be an opportunity for “lifelong memories, and a greater awareness of our world.”
The trip will include five or six performance opportunities for students. These will be a combination of full concerts, collaborative musical experiences with South African students and choirs, and a shared concert with the Soweto Gospel Choir. This acclaimed choir has been active since 2002, performing in concerts worldwide. However, most students will likely recognize them from their feature on the soundtrack of Disney’sWALL-E.
To prepare for these performances, Doane students rehearse for 90 minutes each Wednesday at 4 p.m. leading up to the trip. During these rehearsals, students will learn and memorize 75 minutes of music representative of South Africa’s many styles and languages. “We grow together musically and as a community when we travel and sing together, and experience firsthand the power that singing has on our audiences and each other,” Dr. Runestad said.
However, this trip will include more than just singing opportunities. Sightseeing activities such as historic learning and wildlife safaris are built into the itinerary. These aspects were a highlight of the 2018 trip. “The safari experiences were amazing, as was learning about South Africa’s ethnic history–apartheid, Nelson Mandela, etc.,” Dr. Runestad said. He also recalled the people encountered on the trip as being warm, kind and enthusiastic audience members.
Students help fund the trip by paying a fee to attend. However, opportunities such as Doane’s travel scholarship exist to help as many students as possible participate. Community members interested in contributing to the trip’s costs can contact Dr. Runestad directly at kurt.runestad@doane.edu. Those unable to attend can witness the journey secondhand as it’s posted on Doane Music Department and Doane Choir social media.
Opportunities like these offer invaluable experiences for Doane students. This trip is just one of many chances for students to experience new settings and cultures. “I hear from alumni all the time that the travel experiences that we shared are among their most treasured and vivid memories from their time at Doane,” Dr. Runestad said.
