The Wartburg College Castle Singers have been hailed as a model of musicianship since their inception in 1950. Under the direction of Dr. E. Arne Hovdesven, the choir was the center of sacred music on the Wartburg campus. The ensemble adopted its current name under the direction of Dr. James Fritschel in an effort to reflect the group’s growing performance repertoire. Further, under the baton of several diverse directors, this select ensemble has evolved in focus and most recently garnered a noteworthy reputation for its performances of vocal jazz arrangements.
Today, under the direction of Dr. Nicki Bakko Toliver, this chamber ensemble continues to prepare a wide variety of repertoire from Byrd to The Beatles and beyond. Comprised of advanced vocalists who are dedicated to exploring challenging choral literature, the Castle Singers enjoy performing both on and off campus throughout the academic year. They strive to prepare quality choral literature, both old and new, with flexibility, stamina and dramatic flare.
The Castle Singers tour the United States annually and travel overseas during the college’s May Term. Previous international tours included countries throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Latin America, Australia and French Polynesia.