The SPU Singers from 1977 included (front row L to R) Linda Harless Collins, Debbie Hughes Pendleton, Samuel Cheung. David Jones is squatting above Linda Collins. And top row from L to R are Jon Ellis, Rhonda Jones, Don Prior, Ingrid Davies Crozier, and David Peck.
SPU Singers alumni plan 50th anniversary Italy tour
World tours aren’t just for chart-topping artists — a group of ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Singers alumni from the 1970s is planning their own international return to the stage, with a 50th anniversary tour to Italy in October 2026.
The alumni ensemble will gather in Seattle for rehearsals in September before departing for a two-week European tour (Oct. 1–14), with four concerts scheduled in Rocca di Papa, Maenza, Castro dei Volsci, and Ostuni, Italy. They also hope to perform a send-off concert* in the Seattle area ahead of their departure.
Participants include Rhonda Gwynn Jones ’78, Ingrid Davies Crozier ’77, Linda Harless Collins ’77, Debra Hughes Pendleton ’76, Jon Ellis ’77, and David Jones ’77, who is organizing the tour. Additional alumni singers, including David Peck ’82, MSN ’95, Sam Cheung ‘76, and Don Prior ’79, have stayed connected but are unable to travel.
The group has also reconnected with their former director, Steve Delamarter ’75 — now professor emeritus of Old Testament at George Fox’s Portland Seminary — bringing their shared musical roots full circle.
They plan to perform selections from their student days, including “Even So, Lord Jesus, Come,” “Easter Song,” and “There’s a Fountain Filled With Blood,” alongside additional pieces and featured solos such as “Nessun Dorma” and “Ave Maria.”
For Jones, a longtime travel professional with deep ties to Italy, the tour reflects decades of connection and a long-held dream.
“It really does feel like a full-circle moment,” Jones said. “We’ve remained in contact over 50 years and have discussed meeting up and doing a concert tour. With the tools I have from my professional career and the long-term relationships it has brought me full circle from my SPU days.”
*The 1977 SPU Singers will perform twice at Redwood Falls Church (formerly Washington Cathedral), 12300 Redmond-Woodinville Road NE, Redmond, Wash.:
- Sunday, Sept. 27, 10:30 a.m., selections during the morning service
- Tuesday, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m., in concert
Editor’s note: Watch for the winter 2027 issue of Connections, which will include a recap of the SPU Singers’ European tour.