Four decades of Iowa spirit

By Roz Weis,

Dennis Darling and Judith Smith Nye had a vision 40 years ago.

As the farm crisis loomed large, the then-Luther College faculty members had an idea of celebrating the youth of Iowa and their talent, energy and spirit of the state.

That vision became a reality in the summer of 1983 when the Iowa State Fair Singers, based on the Luther College campus in Decorah, took the stage at the fairgrounds in Des Moines.

That first group of 21 high school singers and dancers and four musicians would become the first of hundreds more high school students from across the state performing as part of the Iowa State Fair Singers, later to be known as the Celebration Iowa Singers and Jazz Band.

The Luther-based group is now celebrating the 40th anniversary with a reunion July 28-30 on the Luther campus.

Read more in the July 20 edition of the Decorah Public Opinion.

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