A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Creative arts have been an important part of the college since its first opening in the fall of 1961. The college's first music department was set up by choir director C. Robert Zimmerman. Joining the staff early on to provide orchestral direction was Walter Birkedahl, who stayed until 1965. Another pioneer faculty member was violinist Betty Shirley, who rehearsed and built string sections of the college orchestra. As the founding conductor of the Youth Symphony Orchestra, Shirley was also the founding concertmistress of the CLC Conejo Symphony Orchestra. Others included Art Moorefield, a teacher of music history and former instructor at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and Carl Swanson, a graduate of Augustana College, Rock Island, and Gert Muser, a voice teacher trained in Germany. The concert and chapel choirs had their first performance during the CLC's dedication in October 1961. A highlight of the dedication was “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” performed by the newly formed orchestra and choir. The premiere performance of the orchestra was held in December 1961 at the Newbury Park Academy in neighboring Newbury Park, CA. The 37-member choir performed shortly thereafter at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on the college campus. The first choir tour was held in early 1962 and began the tradition of annual tours, first and foremost to the Southwest, but also in the Pacific Northwest and Hawai’i. In the early 1970s, the orchestra and choir held their initial appearance at the Music Center in Los Angeles where they performed in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. During the 1970s, guest artists such as Roger Williams, Myron Floren, Gordon McRae, Marnie Nixon, Florence Henderson, and others made their appearance on CLC concert tours.