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'Luther College Honors Weston Noble'

Date 4/14/2005 12:00 AM | Topic: News


This year, a curtain will be closed, and a new door will be opened for one of Luther's most beloved faculty members.

However, he will first bask in the two days of ceremonies planned in his honor.

"Luther College Honors Weston Noble," a weekend of events to celebrate the teacher who has been at the helm of the college's music program for 57 years, will occur April 16-17.

There will be multiple events and concerts to honor Noble, including a Saturday evening Gala Concert. The concert will have performances by an alumni band, alumni choir and the Luther College Nordic Choir, all under the direction of Noble.

It is estimated that the event will bring more than 2,000 people to campus, many of them alumni and/or former students of Noble's.

Janis Lovell (Miller), a 1980 graduate from Luther who sang in Nordic Choir under Noble for three years, tried to describe her joy on coming back to perform in the alumni concert.

"I'm thrilled to be coming back because of how much Weston Noble and Luther College mean to me," Lovell said.

When asked of the effect Noble had on her Luther experience, Lovell gushed. "I loved singing and music in general before I ever attended Luther," Lovell said. "Weston just put that in a whole new perspective. I can't even begin to put into words the kind of impact he had on me. I went to Luther specifically to sing in Nordic; I don't know what I would have done without being a part of it."

All of the weekend events require tickets for admission, and all events are sold out. College officials say the number of visitors on campus and in the Decorah community could exceed the normal attendance of homecoming festivities.

Some students understood the problem with not being able to buy tickets.

"I can understand not getting an opportunity to see the concert," said Andrew Wannigman ('07), a member of Cathedral Choir.

"Part of me is disappointed, but I think it's more of a testament to how many alumni want to come back and support Weston. He's had an effect on so many lives that it would be hard to find a space to let everyone come back."

William Craft, dean of the college, agreed with Wannigman.

"If anyone deserves his own special weekend, it is Weston Noble," said Craft. "There are not many educators in the United States who dedicate their life to one college like Weston has."

Although this weekend signifies Noble's final concert, it is not the end of his service to Luther. He will continue as professor emeritus of music and as a music student recruiter with the Luther admissions office.

Noble's contributions also range beyond music. Luther will honor Noble in "Trash Collecting Convocation" on Wednesday, April 27. Students may have noticed Noble during their Luther career picking up litter on the campus, claiming that the campus was too beautiful to be ridden with trash.

"In whatever he did, Weston wanted to make Luther beautiful," Craft said.

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Fred Smith

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