The internationally acclaimed conductor of the Nordic Choir at Luther College has died.
Weston Noble led one of the nation’s most admired a cappella groups for 57 years beginning in 1948. His annual tours took students to Moscow’s Bolshoi Hall, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York City, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. An assistant professor of music at Luther, Andrew Last, is a 1997 graduate of the school. He says the first time he stood before Noble, he was too emotional to sing.
“He had such excitement, he had such energy, and the sound of the choir, it really just took my breath away,” Last says.
Last says Noble left an imprint on the culture at Luther because he wanted everyone to sing.
“He would open up his heart, he would open up his mind, talked about the music, talked about how it impacted him, how it might impact the students," Last says. "That was his magic.”
Weston Noble died Wednesday of complications from a fall. He was 94 years old.