BYU Noteworthy's first summer tour was a runaway success, and the group had an amazing experience. Despite this being the first-ever visit by the group to Nauvoo, Illinois, their reputation preceded them, with large, enthusiastic audiences at their outreach and evening performances. A highlight was their Sunday sociable, a fireside held in the Nauvoo Stake Center, where over 500 people attended and were uplifted by the girls' music and testimonies. The trip was concluded with a minor 'Nauvoo miracle': in consequence of rainy weather the group's final performance was to be moved inside the Visitor's Center, which holds 250. That evening, approximately 800 people came to watch the group's final show. Rather than turn away hundreds of excited patrons, the group prayed for the rain to abate, moved the show outside, and had a thrilling (and dry) final show for the grateful audience. Other highlights include: <ul> <li>Singing 'How Great Thou Art' outside the Carthage Jail.</li> <li>Touring the historic sites around Old Nauvoo and never failing to wave at anyone passing by.</li> <li>Singing in the rotunda of the renowned Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL.</li> <li>Performing for a large crowd in the afternoon at the Legacy Theater in Carthage.</li> <li>Giving an impromptu performance at a Senior Living Center in Keokuk, IA for a small but appreciative crowd of toe-tapping seniors.</li> <li>Enjoying the largest audience of the summer at Macomb, Illinois' brown bag lunch concert series.</li> </ul>  

BYU's premier jazz ensemble Synthesis departs this week for a three week tour to Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. From July 6-August 1, Synthesis will tour Scandinavia and the Baltics to perform at festivals, local events for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and even a black-tie gala. Cities in which the group will perform include Naantali, Finland; Rauma, Finland; Vaasa, Finland; Helsinki, Finland; Tallinn, Estonia; Pärnu, Estonia; Saulkrasti, Latvia; Riga, Latvia; Vilnius, Lithuania; and Stockholm, Sweden. Under current director Ray Smith, Synthesis has toured across the globe to destinations such as Romania, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Japan, China, Italy, Spain, Scotland, and, most recently, Brazil. Past tours have provided Synthesis the opportunity to perform in festivals and venues for audiences of as many as 20,000 people. Synthesis will be performing at the world-renowned festival and educational camp for young musicians, the Saulkrasti Jazz Festival, upon personal invitation from Raimonds Kalniņš, the festival director. Synthesis members will rub shoulders with some of the most accomplished jazz musicians in Europe between performances on the festival’s main stage. This summer's tour will mark Synthesis' third time to Finland, after having performed there in 1998 and 1992; the group toured Norway and Sweden in 1992. This tour will serve as the group's first time in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.