When most people hear the state of South Dakota mentioned, images of Mount Rushmore National Memorial spring to mind. It’s in the Black Hills region of South Dakota, about 25 miles from the national memorial, that the Dakota Choral Union is bridging boundaries and touching lives in Rapid City. Dakota Choral Union, a non-auditioned chorus, was formed after a joint concert between the Black Hills Chorale, Black Hills Voices in Concert, and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Concert Choir in the spring of 1995.
The group, under the direction of Dr. Charles Canaan since 2014, has collaborated with the Black Hills Symphony Orchestra, Bells of The Hills, A Capella Showcase, the Black Hills State University Chorus, Dakota Artists Guild, and the Black Hills Photographic Society. DCU and Kantorei, the auditioned chamber group specializing in unaccompanied choral repertoire, share their passion for vocal music at public events, community meetings, and in assisted-care facilities. The choir jointly sponsors the Young Vocal Artist Competition annually with the music department of Black Hills State University. The group concluded their last season by singing at the Naturalization Ceremony at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. (Listen below) They are scheduled to do so again in June, 2018.