PLU orchestra goes on musical and cultural tour of Germany, Pacific Lutheran Scene, Summer 2000

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PLU orchestra goes on musical and cultural tour of Germany

The PLU Symphony Orchestra
During its musical and cultural tour of Germany in January the 60-member Pacific Lutheran University Symphony Orchestra took its music to the heart of the country as well as to the places where Martin Luther lived.

The orchestra's tour of Germany–with concerts in Sondershausen, Ilmenau, Eisleben, Bad Schmiedeberg, Berlin and Hannover–marked its first European tour. Orchestra members played a repertoire covering some of the greatest composers in German history, including Bach, Wagner and Mendelssohn.

"The tour was awesome–one of the best times I've ever had," says trombonist Ryan Wagner, a junior music education major from Federal Way, Wash. "Performing in the churches was an amazing experience because there was so much history. Orchestra members also had a chance to really bond, which showed a lot in our performances."

In addition to playing in the concerts, orchestra members experienced firsthand the places and the culture in which the composers lived. They also visited the sites of Martin Luther's birth and death, as well as played below the very pulpit from which he preached. They climbed to Wartburg Castle and stood in the room where Luther first translated the Bible into the German language.

The PLU community also was able to enjoy the orchestra's German performances at its homecoming concert later. CDs ($15) and cassettes ($12) of the concert are available by calling PLU Audio Services at 253-535-7268.