This is a collection of Lieder – songs – from Waldsee, the German Language Village of Concordia College. Included are traditional songs still sung in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as some modern Lieder, several composed by our own Waldsee counselors. This recording is enriched with the regional diversity of songs sung in dialect. Waldsee Betreuer, Brent Bruning, gives brief descriptions of the songs to provide a linguistic or cultural context for further understanding and enjoyment. Singing is an excellent medium for learning the sounds, structure and vocabulary of a language. Yet it brings us beyond the language. To understand a people, one must know their language, for language is the heart of culture. Music is the international language through which we can all recognize and celebrate our humanness together. The German-speaking people have compiled a rich treasury of folk songs. Love, freedom, nature, homeland, and the lure of the wider world are common folk themes. A choir of Waldsee counselors performs the melodies and harmonies of these Lieder, sharing with you the philosophy of Concordia Language Villages: experience-based learning. Listen, discover, enjoy and sing along with us.