The Beau Chant Choir will perform a free concert on Thursday, 26 June 2025 at 19:00 at Nordlandet Kirke.
A note about repertoire:
Drawing from both Norwegian and American traditions, the repertoire blends sacred and secular works, ranging from classical choral pieces by Nystedt, Gjeilo, and Mozart to spirituals and contemporary compositions by Whitacre, Arnesen and Dilworth.
About the Choir:
Beau Chant is an adult community choir based in Faribault, Minnesota with members from the surrounding towns and south Metro area. They are from many walks of life with ages ranging from 24 to 83. The choir has also commissioned works with Christopher Aspaas, Deanna Wehrspann, and Kyle Pederson.
Beau Chant was founded in 2013 by Dione Peterson with the assistance of Bill Byrne, Laura Mosset, and Mary Pottratz. The choir has appeared under the direction of Dr. Rene Clausen at Lincoln Center in 2014, Dr. Andre Thomas at the Rome Choral Festival in 2015, and 2017 with Dr. Pearl Shanquan in France. In 2019 they traveled to Washington DC where they sang at the Capitol, Lincoln Center, Jefferson Memorial, the Basilica of Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and the Choral Evensong Service at the National Cathedral. They also appeared as a solo choir on the 2017 ACDA-MN Fall Conference.
Christopher Aspaas serves as Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music at TCU. Christopher received his Ph.D. in Choral Music Education at The Florida State University in Tallahassee, his M.M. in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University in East Lansing, his B.M. in Voice Performance from St. Olaf. Christopher has served on the faculties of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington and Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts.
At TCU, Christopher leads the Concert Chorale, TCU’s flagship mixed ensemble as well as the FrogCorps, TCU’s premier male vocal ensemble. He also teaches coursework in basic conducting, choral conducting, choral literature, advanced choral conducting and oversees the graduate choral conducting program.
His travels as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator and lecturer have taken Christopher to Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ontario, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and three times to the Sultanate of Oman. He has conducted All-State Choruses in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia and Wisconsin as well as the British Columbia and Manitoba All-Province Honour Choirs. Additionally, Christopher led the All- Northwest Mixed Choir in 2015 and ACDA Southern Division Men’s Honor Choir in 2016. Most recently, Christopher travelled to South Korea to headline the 35th Annual International Symposium on Choral Music.
Christopher has produced more than forty arrangements and compositions for mixed, men’s and women’s choirs. His works are published by Augsburg Fortress, earthsongs, Hal Leonard, and Aspen Hill Music, a publishing house Christopher co-founded with his wife Nancy in 2013. His latest commission premiered at the 2017 National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association in Minneapolis, Minnesota.