Located in Vermillion SD, near the banks of the Missouri River, the University of South Dakota is the state’s flagship liberal arts institution and an academic and research leader in the region since 1862. USD is home to the state’s only law and medical schools as well as the Beacom School of Business and the only College of Fine Arts in the region. USD offers 205 undergraduate degrees and has the state’s largest graduate school, offering 75 master’s and doctoral programs. USD matches commitment to academic excellence with the personal attention and welcoming atmosphere necessary for students to succeed. Both the U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review rank USD among the nation’s best colleges.

The Department of Music at USD seeks to provide students with the knowledge and skills to become professional musicians—performers, educators, scholars, and lifelong learners. Students receive opportunities for musical development, leadership growth, and personal enrichment through mentored performances, classroom study, individual instruction, and guided research. Dedicated and passionate faculty members believe in developing the student as a singer, musician, and individual, as well as providing a quality choral experience. USD choral ensembles have won numerous national awards and are highly regarded in the state and region, appearing at conventions, touring annually, and presenting concerts both on and off campus. For more information please visit: www.usd.edu/music.

I CARRY YOUR HEART is designed to powerfully move the listener through an emotional experience.  For most people, the impact of our lives is best reflected by those who are allowed to “carry your heart.”  Through this variety of compositions, composers, and cultures, the listener will experience the excitement of living, the emotion of love, and the pain of loss connected to and supported with the strength of hope.  These selections highlight the ensemble’s choral artistry, and also showcase the array of tonal colors within the vocal palette.  The recordings on this album are a collection of performances by the USD Chamber Singers from the years 2016-2018.  Each selection is meant to fill the listener with the same passion experienced by the choir, inspired by the power of the music.