Dordt music students experience the history and beauty of sacred music across Europe

This spring, students in Dordt University’s music department participated in international tours that combined performance, cultural experiences, and hands-on learning in historically significant settings across Europe. From singing in centuries-old cathedrals on choir tour to performing on some of the world's most renowned historic pipe organs on the Organ Study Tour, students experienced the musical traditions that continue to shape worship and performance today, all while strengthening the relationships among students through the shared experiences of traveling, performing, and worshiping together across Europe.

Although each ensemble followed a different itinerary, both tours were designed to deepen students' understanding of music by placing them in the historical and cultural settings where many of the world's greatest sacred musical traditions originated. Organ students traveled through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France, while Concert Choir performed throughout France, allowing students to have firsthand experience in the churches, cathedrals, and communities that have shaped Christian worship for centuries.

"With all of our tours we seek first to spread the good news of the gospel of Christ to the places we travel and the people we meet," says Chair of the Music Department and Director of Choral Activities Dr. Ryan Smit. "We are also always eager to share the vision of Dordt University with its mission for Christ-centered renewal in all areas of life." 

For organ students, the tour opens opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and appreciation for the rich history of church music. "Our hope is that students gain a perspective of the long and rich history of organ-playing and repertoire and understand their particular place within that tradition," says Carrie Groenewold, professor of music and holder of the Joan Ringerwole Chair of Church Music and Organ. "Ultimately, we hope they receive confirmation of their God-given calling as church musicians."

In addition to those goals, according to Smit, the international choir tour provides students with "an enriching musical and cultural experience in a place they may have studied or know a bit about but have not visited firsthand."

For Concert Choir members, the opportunity to sing in Europe’s historic churches and cathedrals allows them to step into spaces that many have previously encountered only through textbooks, recordings, or photographs. 

Over the course of the 10-day tour, the choir performed four public concerts in historic churches and cathedrals across France, including Abbaye aux Hommes (“Men’s Abbey”) in Caen, Chartres Cathedral, La Madeleine in Paris, and Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris. Each performance offered a unique opportunity for students to experience the connection between music and place while sharing their musical gifts with 200 – 400 attendees. 

Smit says the choir’s first concert at Abbaye aux Hommes was especially memorable because it was the students’ first time singing in a European cathedral on the tour. "To see their faces light up as we sang our first chords was a delight," he says.

The choir’s final performance at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris provided another unforgettable moment. Singing in one of the world’s most recognizable churches, with both seated concert attendees and hundreds of visitors passing through the cathedral, gave students a sense of the broader cultural and historical significance of their music.

For organ students, the Organ Study Tour offers the rare opportunity to perform on some of Europe's most historically significant instruments while learning from the musical and cultural traditions that gave rise to them. "The Organ Study Tour to Europe gives organ students the opportunity to play and learn from the finest organs that were built, focusing on historic instruments while also including several important modern organs," Groenewold says. "During the tour, students gained performance insight by matching their repertoire with instruments from the same era."

Highlights of the organ tour included performances on the Renaissance organ in Oosthuizen—one of the oldest playable organs in The Netherlands—the St. Bavo Church organ in Haarlem once played by Handel and Mozart, and several celebrated Cavaillé-Coll organs in Paris. Each instrument reflected a unique tradition of organ building and performance practice. According to Groenewold, performing on historic instruments requires students to develop new technical and musical skills.

"Older organs often have flat pedalboards, shorter keys, different tuning systems, and even unique keyboard layouts such as the 'short octave,'" she explains. "These differences affect articulation, timing, touch, and musical interpretation. Learning to adapt develops flexibility and a keener musical ear—essential skills for every organist."

Historic cathedrals similarly transform the choir's musical experience.

"The acoustic of these spaces was in many ways designed to enhance choral singing; performing a concert with reverb that can stretch five seconds or longer is an incredibly beautiful experience for both singer and listener," Smit says. 

Many of Europe's cathedrals are 500 or more years old, giving students the opportunity to connect with a history that stretches back centuries. “Singing in those historic cathedrals is an unparalleled experience, connecting students to the church universal and the countless Christians who have gone before and worshipped the same God in those same spaces,” Smit says.

“The beauty of the architecture, art, and sound is breathtaking and awe-inspiring; one can’t help but give thanks and worship to God the creator and the One to whom these spaces have been dedicated!”

Beyond the music itself, both tours allow students to experience the history, culture, and beauty of Europe firsthand. Organ students visited the windmills at Kinderdijk, tour Amsterdam's canals, climb the Eiffel Tower, explore the stained-glass windows of Sainte-Chapelle, and attend Vespers and a double-choir concert at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Several students also visit ancestral hometowns—one even meeting relatives abroad for the first time.

Choir students explored the medieval Château de Pierrefonds, the hills of Champagne country, the Normandy beaches and American Cemetery, the Louvre, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and the River Seine. The group's final activity together is a cruise along the Seine, following the same river that served as the backdrop for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games.

To Smit, these cultural experiences are not simply additions to the tour; they are an integral part of students' spiritual and musical formation. "These experiences expand our students' knowledge and perspective of God's vast creation as well as His plan for humankind through the centuries," he says. 

Together, the two tours reflect the mission of Dordt University and its music department. As a culminating experience for students, these tours promote the study and performance of music as a significant and rich aspect of God’s world, reveal the creational structure of music and its development throughout human history, create opportunities for student growth and collaboration, and encourage students to share their gifts in music with the broader community.

By combining rigorous musical study with meaningful cultural experiences and opportunities for worship, the tours help students discover their place within the long history of sacred music. 

"We are grateful for the generosity that made this experience possible," Groenewold says. "We especially thank everyone who contributed to our tour fundraiser, Dordt Music Patron members, and the late Beth Te Grotenhuis. Their support provided our students with a musical experience of a lifetime.”

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, alumni, and the broader community to work effectively toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life.

Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt offers undergraduate and graduate programs that help students live their faith in every area of life. Through rigorous learning, meaningful relationships, and whole-person formation, students gain the practical wisdom to serve God and neighbor through their work and in their communities. Dordt has been named among the nation’s leading Christian universities by U.S. News & World Report, Niche, and other national publications.