Girl Choir Anniversary Concert

H L AWRE N C E ACADE M Y OF M U S IC PRE SE N T S H
Girl Choir
Anniversary Concert
SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2016
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ADMINISTRATION
Brian Pertl, dean, Lawrence University Conservatory of Music
Karen Bruno, director, Lawrence Academy of Music
Anne Powling, youth ensembles coordinator
Cheryl Boyle, registrar
Theresa Shifflett, program and marketing assistant
LAWRENCE ACADEMY OF MUSIC
Street address:
100 West Water Street
Appleton, WI 54911
Mailing address:
711 East Boldt Way
Appleton, WI 54911-5699
920-832-6632
[email protected]
go.lawrence.edu/academy
go.lawrence.edu/academy-girlchoir
www.facebook.com/lawrenceacademy
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Appleton East High School Choirs
David Been
The Crafty Penguin
First English Lutheran Church
Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Gordon Lind
Mark Merrifield
Jon Meyer
Michelle Northey, Flower Girl Design Studio
David Powling
Mark Scheffler
Jason Weijola
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Established as a not-for-profit community school, the Lawrence
Academy of Music became a certified member of the National Guild
of Community Schools of the Arts in 1983. Today it serves more
than 1,600 families throughout northeast Wisconsin through private
music lessons, early childhood music classes, youth ensembles,
adult music programs, summer music camps, piano festival,
chamber music, Balinese gamelan, Young Men’s Chorus and the
Girl Choir Program.
Learn more at go.lawrence.edu/academy
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
March 21 / 4–7 p.m.
Girl Choir Uniform Return
Shattuck Hall 156, Lawrence University Conservatory
April 1–4
Cantabile Tour to New York
Carnegie Hall performance under the direction of Dr. Edie Copley
April
Girl Choir auditions for 2016–17
Register online at go.lawrence.edu/academy-GCauditions
April 17
Young Men’s Chorus auditions for 2016–17
(auditions for new members only)
Register online at go.lawrence.edu/academy-menschorus
December 10 / 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Girl Choir Concerts
Lawrence Memorial Chapel
March 25, 2017 / 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Girl Choir Concerts
Lawrence Memorial Chapel
Please—as a courtesy to the singers and other audience members, silence all cell phones and refrain from
whispering or rustling paper. Turn off all electronic devices with a screen while the concert is in progress and
refrain from flash photography. Thank you.
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MISSION STATEMENT
The Lawrence Academy of Music Girl Choir Program is the only nonprofit girls choir in the Fox Valley. Through the
study and performance of the highest quality music, the girls develop vocal technique, musical skills, creativity,
expressive artistry and an awareness of various cultures. The Girl Choir Program creates an atmosphere that
encourages girls to respect the uniqueness of others, to take risks that foster individual growth and to continue
their development into self-assured young women.
THE CHOIRS
CHOIR PERSONNEL
Ragazze: Non-auditioned choir for girls in grades 3-5.
Ragazze
Focuses on healthy vocal production using folk songs
Patricia Merrifield, teacher
and singing games. Performs on spring concert only.
Tess Vogel ’15, pianist and manager
Primo: Auditioned choir for girls in grades 3-5. Performs
Primo
on winter and spring concerts.
Karrie Been, teacher
Allegretto: Auditioned choir for girls in grades 4-6. One
Nell Buchman, pianist and manager
additional community performance annually.
Allegretto
Capriccio: Auditioned choir for girls in grades 5-7. One
Cheryl Meyer, teacher
Janet Erbach, pianist
additional community performance annually.
Karen Bultman, manager
Arioso: Auditioned choir for girls in grades 6-8. One
Capriccio
additional community performance annually. One day
Toni Weijola ’01, teacher
tour available (optional).
Kristin Heiges ’11, pianist
Cantabile: Auditioned choir for girls in grades 8-10.
Heather Urness, manager
National tour offered biannually (optional). Additional
Arioso
community performances as opportunities arise.
Jaclyn Kottman ’12, teacher
Bel Canto: Auditioned choir for girls in grades 10-
Kristin Heiges ’11, pianist
12. Local tours and additional performances as
Lauren Vanderlinden ’17, manager
opportunities arise, generally several times per year.
Cantabile
Debbie Lind, teacher
Janet Erbach, pianist
Cayla Morton ’15, manager
Bel Canto
Karen Bruno, teacher
Nell Buchman, pianist and manager
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Lawrence Academy Girl Choir
25TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
music Richard Rodgers (1902–1979)
Getting to Know You
lyrics Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960)
This graceful melody from The King and I, built with energetic ascending triplets and languid half notes, creates
a picture of elegance while conveying, with repeated emphasis on “know you,” what is eagerly desired by the
singer. Ragazze members used floaty scarves to create lyrical movements to inform our singing. We closely
examined the notation and discovered, for example, what a difference one small eighth rest can make when
it comes just before “My cup of tea!” Throughout our rehearsals, this piece helped us recognize and develop
friendships with each other.
Bee! I’m Expecting You! Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927)
poetry Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)
Imagine the flight path of a fly—now, turn that vision into sound. Compose a letter to a friend, using language
that will not just convince, but will fervently compel them to comply. Name things that might tempt Bee to
visit. Describe the effect a crescendo can have on creating a sense of desire and urgency. These activities are
some of the ways in which we have endeavored to understand Fly’s intention in this piece. The vision of insect
friendship examined in this work ties into the theme of making new friends, which is central to the Ragazze
experience. The piano accompaniment has an equal voice with the chorus; repetitions of Dickinson’s text drive
the piece toward its conclusion.
RAGAZZE
Lowell Mason (1792–1872)
O Music
This round was written by the “father of singing among the children” in the United States. Lowell Mason was
one of the central figures in the process of bringing about the adoption of music as a public school subject.
This song is part of the Girl Choir standard repertoire for our youngest singers and presents a bit of a challenge
by stretching their range while singing in a two-part round. The lyrics also spark the imagination when we
contemplate a time without the technologies and activities that can complicate our lives. In this piece, we sing
the praises of our art and celebrate a less busy state of mind.
RAGAZZE AND PRIMO
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Mary Lynn Lightfoot (b. 1952)
A Jubilant Song
text from Psalm 96
Sing to the Lord a new song, all the earth.
This song has a brief modulation from the major tonality to the minor, and returns to major, an exciting
compositional device that adds interest to this song. This piece was the Primo girls’ first venture into singing
Latin and reading a score with two vocal lines, both of which are important choral skills.
attributed Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Bist du bei mir
accompaniment by S. Calvert
If thou art nigh, then am I joyful.
Though death await, I trust in thee.
Ah, blessed delight, if at my dying,
Thy gentle touch, thy tender hand,
Might my faithful eyelids softly close.
Translation by Joan Evans
This song is included in a compilation titled Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725). It has been suggested
by scholars that this piece was composed by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel rather than J. S. Bach.
As we discussed the text and music, we wondered why the composer would end many of the phrases on a note
other than the tonic, or resting tone. The girls had wonderful suggestions. Some thought that ending a phrase
on a note other than the tonic gives us the feeling of being unsettled, or that the singer has more to tell. As the
song concludes on the tonic, we have the perception that the singer has accepted death and is at peace.
PRIMO
English folk song
I Had a Little Nut Tree
arr. Betty Bertaux
This song is based on the visit of the Royal House of Spain to King Henry VIII’s English court in 1506. The “King
of Spain’s daughter” refers to the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. She became the
King’s first of six wives and was much loved by the British people. Enjoy the harmony and the rhythmic surprise
Bertaux created in this arrangement.
When asked about favorite Girl Choir pieces, alumnae who were invited to the 20th and 25th anniversary
concerts frequently mentioned this composition. Even as adults, our singers have fond memories of the melody,
surprise rhythm and accompaniment.
PRIMO AND ALLEGRETTO
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Glory to God Giovanni Pergolesi (1710–1736)
arr. and ed. Michael Burkhardt
Margie Norby and Katie Weers, violins
Originally “Inflammatus et accensus” from Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Burkhardt uses a familiar verse from
the Gospel of Luke as the text in this setting of the music. While learning the piece, the singers discovered
characteristics of Baroque compositional style: repetition of a phrase with contrasting dynamic levels, the
nearly continuous subdivision of beat in the bass note accompaniment, an extended introduction with melodic
motives used in the vocal parts, clear cadences at the end of the two sections of music and the relationship
between the tonic and dominant tonal centers in the piece.
Bel Canto sang the entire Stabat Mater with the Fox Valley Youth Orchestra twice, once in 2003 and again
in 2010. Today’s violinists add some of the orchestral color that the older singers enjoyed during their
performances.
Barbara Wolfman
Little One, Little Chickadee
While Barbara Wolfman served as an accompanist for the Girl Choirs (see the Girl Choir History pages that
appear later in this program), she composed several pieces for them, including this one. In the opening section
of the piece, we are observers of the little chickadee with the text and melody. The rhythmic and melodious call
of the chickadee is then coupled with the observer melody in the next section. Lastly, we hear three chickadees
communicating during their flight from the nest in the two vocal lines and piano accompaniment. Our singers
enjoyed the challenge and delight of singing this composition.
ALLEGRETTO
Bashana Haba-a Nurit Hirsch (b. 1942)
Ms. Hirsch is a prolific composer, arranger and conductor in Israel. First performed in 1969, this is a song of
hope. You will first hear the text sung in English by Allegretto and then in Hebrew and harmony by Capriccio.
ALLEGRETTO AND CAPRICCIO
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From Midge of Gold Elam Sprenkle (b. 1948)
October’s Party
poetry George Cooper (1840–1947)
A fanfare from the piano sets the scene for the most regal and vibrant of festive occasions: October’s Party!
Trees attended the ball, dressed in their finest and deepest colors, while the sunshine poured forth its warmth
like a carpet, setting the backdrop for graceful dancing and contagious merriment. Listen for dotted rhythms
and octave leaps in the piano, as well as a single, surging triplet figure before the cadence of each section,
each of which contribute to the pageantry of the piece. In the midst of a cold and dark, gray winter, Capriccio
singers were grateful to bask in the vibrant colors of autumn in this tribute to the season.
Nancy Hill Cobb (b. 1951)
Cantate Domino
text from Psalm 95
Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth. Alleluia!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all people.
For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised.
The Latin text for Psalm 95 has been set in a myriad of ways by a great number of composers. Cobb’s version
combines an exuberant melody, an effervescent piano part and a rhythmic exchange between 6/8 and 3/4
meter. In the first section, the theme is stated in unison, then partnered with a descant in the second section.
With a calmer sense in the piano, whose triads move stepwise up and down on longer notes, the middle
section begins with a feeling of introspection. But when the singers proclaim that “the Lord is great and greatly
to be praised,” the music intensifies. In the final section, the melody and descant return, capped off in the
Coda with trumpet-like repetitions of “Allelu, alleluia!”
CAPRICCIO
Kalinka
Russian folk song
arr. Joan Gregoryk
This song has offered fun and unique challenges to the Girl Choirs over the years, including singing in Russian,
alternating between two- and three-part harmony, and bringing expressive elements into the performance with
dramatic shifts in tempo and dynamics. The arranger writes, “Kalinka is about a young man sitting under a red
berry bush (Kalinka), singing of his feelings for his sweetheart. The expressiveness of the song is achieved
through the contrast between a lively and rhythmic chorus and the more legato and subdued verses.”
CAPRICCIO AND ARIOSO
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Ca’ the Yowes Mary Goetze (b. 1943)
poetry Robert Burns (1759–1796)
Jon Meyer, recorder
This lyrical setting of the traditional Scottish folksong is an invitation for the narrator’s “bonnie dearie”
(sweetheart) to join in calling the ewes (sheep) into the lush hillside. This song has become a Girl Choir
favorite over the years due to its sweeping lines and vivid text. While a goal of the Arioso curriculum is to gain
independence and confidence with singing in multiple voice parts throughout the voice change, this mostly
unison melody challenged the Arioso singers to listen deeply from within the choir, and to breathe and sing as
one.
Jabberwocky Carolyn Jennings (b. 1936)
text Lewis Carroll (1832–1898)
“There was a book lying near Alice on the table, and ... she turned over the leaves, to find some part that she could
read, ‘for it’s all in some language I don’t know,’ she said to herself.
“It was like this.
“She puzzled over this for some time, but at last a bright thought struck her. ‘Why, it’s a Looking-glass book, of
course! And if I hold it up to a glass, the words will all go the right way again.’ This was the poem that Alice read.”
So begins Lewis Carroll’s introduction to his famous poem, which serves as the foundation of this piece. We
first encountered this beloved Girl Choir classic the same way Alice did—through the looking glass. Arioso
singers began their study of this piece by looking at it in the mirror, then taking apart its unmistakable text.
The poem is full of nonsense words created by Lewis Carroll, including a variety of portmanteaux (new words
created by combining existing words—for example, “slithy,” which is a combination of “slimy” and “lithe”), and
is masterfully set in our choral arrangement, where the accompaniment and singers take turns telling the
fantastical tale. Arioso studied several illustrated storybook settings of the poem to gain inspiration for our own
sonic illustration and fell in love with this captivating story of bravery, adventure and jubilation!
ARIOSO
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Stephen Hatfield (b. 1956)
La Lluvia
La Lluvia (“The Rain”) is based upon a folk melody from Ecuador traditionally played on the siku—the double row
of panpipes that have been used in the high Andes for over a thousand years. When the singers imagine they
are blowing across the openings of panpipes, they achieve an appropriate timbre. Composer Stephen Hatfield
indicates that singers should use “a very focused air stream launched as if blowing rapid fire spitballs.” Hatfield’s
characteristically vivid program notes capture the effervescent spirit of this piece for choir and percussion, which
has become treasured repertoire for women’s choirs all over the world—including our Girl Choirs.
ARIOSO AND CANTABILE
Beau Soir Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
arr. Linda Spevacek
When the rivers are rosy in the setting sun,
And a warm shiver runs over the wheat fields,
Advice to be happy seems to rise up from things
And climb toward the troubled heart.
Advice to taste the charm of being in the world
While one is young and the evening is beautiful,
For we are going away, as this stream goes away:
The stream to the sea, we to the grave.
Debussy wrote Beau Soir when he was 15 years old. Originally written as a French art song for soprano soloist,
it has been arranged for violin, cello and other instruments, as well as for treble choir because of its seductive
beauty. The music is classic Parisian Impressionism, where the music focuses on atmosphere, on conveying a
mood or an emotion, or capturing a moment in nature. Cantabile explored the song’s unexpected, exotic scales
and harmonies. We described the music as “blurry,” having no focal point, as with Impressionistic art, and as
having no resolution until the very last chord. The soloistic accompaniment, completely arpeggiated against the
singers’ straightforward chordal singing, enhances its exotic charm.
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Hoj, Hura, Hoj (O Mountain, O) Otmar Macha (1922–2006)
Claire Boldt, Emma Nolte and Kathryn Stonesmyth, soloists
O, Mountain, O! Mountain, O!
The shepherds are bringing the cows out to the pasture, and from the meadow are yelling:
O, Mountain, O!
My cows, graze yourselves.
You in the circle [i.e. dancing girls], when the evening bells peal, I’ll go to you:
I’ll go beyond the hills,
Sheep, graze yourselves.
I’ll go to see Marushka [nickname for Mary], my girlfriend.
O, Mountain, O!
This Moravian Czech mountain song uses a dialect from the Beskyde Mountains and the Vlassko region, which
create a natural border between Moravia and Slovakia. Here, shepherding cattle and sheep is the normal
occupation for young men and women. In this song, the young men enjoy the sensation of calling out across
the mountains to their girlfriends, in anticipation of being with them when their work is done. The composer
artfully uses just two notes traded back and forth between two parts to create the echo effect of singing across
the mountains. Being in the middle of these notes causes a dynamic, pulsating feeling for the singers that goes
to the bone.
Cantabile singers first experienced this piece in 2005 on the Carnegie Hall stage in New York. In two weeks,
Cantabile members will once again sing on that historic stage. This will make the fourth time the ensemble has
successfully auditioned into the selective Carnegie program.
CANTABILE
Traditional Celtic/Gaelic
Mouth Music
arr. Dolores Keane and John Faulkner
Philip Buchman, percussionist
This tune originated in the Hebrides, a chain of islands off the west coast of Scotland. Although the region also
has Norse heritage, it descends from the islands’ Celtic and Gaelic history. These puirt a beul (“tunes from the
mouth” in Scots-Gaelic) provide music to dance or work to. In some cases, the vocables were meant to imitate
and replace instruments; in others, augment the sparse instrumentation available. Emigrants from Ireland and
Scotland brought their music to North America, where we hear its influence in folk songs from Nova Scotia
(“New Scotland”) south through the Appalachian region.
CANTABILE AND BEL CANTO
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Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Mainacht
arr. Z. Randall Stroope
When the silver moon beams through the shrubs,
And its slumbering light spreads on the grass,
And the nightingale sings,
I wander sadly from bush to bush.
Shrouded by foliage, a pair of doves coo to me their ecstasy;
But I turn away, seeking darker shadows,
And a single tear flows down my cheek.
When your smiling image
Radiates through my soul like the dawn,
Will I find you on the earth?
And the single tear trembles, hot, on my cheek.
This Romantic era composition showcases some of the compositional characteristics of the time, including
chromaticism, expansive harmonies, and frequent tonal modulations. Using these techniques, Brahms
beautifully illuminates this emotional text, making the piece tricky to learn but immensely satisfying to sing.
Arne Mellnäs (b. 1933)
Aglepta
Sung the second year of Bel Canto’s existence, the younger girls dubbed this “The Scary Monster Song” after
hearing it in dress rehearsal. The piece has its roots in the 19th century Swedish Trollproverbs collected by
Swedish ethnologist and folklorist Bengt af Klintberg.
This text, from the region of Småland, is an incantation to frighten away one’s enemies. The five words of the
spell are divided into phonetic fragments that are declaimed in very different ways: sung, spoken, whispered, or
a combination thereof. The score gives singers the freedom to explore different pitches and timbres to create
an atmosphere that appropriately declaims the text.
BEL CANTO
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Vladimir Fyodorovich Vavilov (1925–1973)
Ave Maria
misattributed to Giulio Romano Caccini
In 1970, Vavilov composed and recorded this piece under the Melodia label in Russia. The album was entitled
Lute Music of the XVI-XVII Centuries, the composer listed as “Anonymous.” At the time, Vavilov could not imagine
that a major Russian label would record and distribute the compositions of an unknown Soviet composer. He
wanted his music to reach the world, so decided he would rather have people hear and enjoy his composition
than know his name.
In 1987, this setting of Ave Maria was recorded by Russian opera singer, Irina Arkchipova, who attributed the
composition to Caccini. The recording was wildly successful and led to subsequent recordings by Charlotte Church,
Andrea Bocelli, and others, all with the same misattribution. Only during recent years were the piece’s actual
origins brought to light. In fact, when our Girl Choirs first sang this composition, its actual origin was still unknown.
Bel Canto singers explored the composition and realized the melody is sung once, then repeated with
ornamentation. They noted the accompaniment is simple and chordal. Since Caccini is known for his
compositions of solo songs accompanied by a chordal instrument, such as lute or harp, they understood how
the misattribution came to be.
BEL CANTO AND ALUMNAE CHOIR
J.S. Bach
Duet from Cantata No. 15
ed. Doreen Rao
Allison Shinnick, piano
I’m laughing and shouting for joy!
Away now with sorrow and crying, for evil is gone!
The power of evil is vanished away.
Forever rejoicing with thanks we pray.
In 1991, the Academy Girl Choir (there was only one!) sang this duet. We sing it now as a tribute to that first
ensemble of singers, some of whom are with us today as alumnae. Listen for the staccato “laughing” motive
as well as the descending, chromatic “sorrowful” motive in the vocal lines. We welcome girl choir alumna and
former collaborative pianist Allison Shinnick back to the piano for this set.
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Romani Dance
Niška Banja
arr. Nick Page
Jon Meyer, clarinet
Allison Shinnick and Karen Bruno, piano
Niška Banja is a dance whose 2+2+2+3 meter is as common in Central Europe as 4/4 meter is in Western
music. The piece is well known to most cultures in the region and exists in many dialects. Nick Page tells the
story of learning the melody from a cab driver in Serbia, then coming home and arranging it for the Chicago
Children’s Choir, where he conducted at the time. This arrangement has become a standard for youth choirs
across the country and around the globe, and has been a favorite within our Girl Choir program.
ALUMNAE CHOIR
Walter Hawkins (1949–2010)
I’m Goin’ Up A Yonder
arr. Martin Sirvatka
Somehow, over the years, this piece became “The Girl Choir Song.” More than a decade ago, just before our
Bel Canto warmup for the final concert, one of the singers wandered over to the piano and, by ear, began to
play the opening bars of the piece. The seniors in that group surrounded her and began to sing the opening
melody. By the time the piece ended, the underclass singers decided to sing the “response” to the seniors’
“call,” and a new graduation routine was born. Each year, before the final spring concert, Bel Canto seniors are
“sung out” of the girl choir program with this piece. (Tissues play an important role in this rite of passage.)
We close today with the knowledge that connection to one another remains, strengthened by the memories
of our shared musical experience. On behalf of our singers, teachers, pianists, and managers, thank you for
celebrating our silver anniversary with us. We hope to see you in the audience again soon.
COMBINED CHOIRS
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THE CHOIRS
RAGAZZE
Esther Anderle
Caitlin Boon
Grace Britten
Sabine Frey
Laurel Golson
Jacquelyn Granatella
Nora Hartzheim
Gianna Heid
Chloe Hermsen
Emily Lange
Nora Lindsay-Reilly
Jacquelyn Angela Malm
Madeline Marsden
Sophia Martin
Skylin McFadden
Ella Nadboralski
Grace Peters
Kyrie Piaskowski
Brianna Skorr
Anna Slocum
Layla Snider
Gabrielle Stern
Christiana Van Grinsven
Fiona Velpel
Cassidi Wing
Hannah Wynen
PRIMO
Ella Bauman
Gianna Bay
Claire Benz
Elianna Coussons
Rowan Cruz
Taylor Davis
Madelyn Dillenburg
Lucy Dollevoet
Ashlyn Doran
Jenna Dugal
Julia Gurholt
Hailie Herron
Vivienne Holtien
Jenna Hooyman
Keira Jahner
Caroline Jia
Abigail Kallio
Elana Lacey
Lola Levin
Anna Lindsay
Victoria Lopez
Greta Melzl
Alexia Nelson
Greta Nolte
Amelia O’Leary
Elizabeth Osorio
Elena Owens
Mihret Patterson
Grace Peters
Hannah Radtke
Talia Roselaar
Nevaeh Roug-Schmitz
Breanna Schilling
Eva Schmidt
Aurora Smith
Karen Somers
Lydia Sorem
Molly Stonelake
Elsa Thiel
Gracie Tucker
Abigail Winters
Lily Yaun
ALLEGRETTO
Morgan Aldana
Renna Amaral
Sophia Bauman
Hailey Bay
Isabelle Bestul
Madison Chang
Alanna Dehn
Grace Dollevoet
Eliza Duimstra
Katherine Heller
Abriel Hooyman
Trinity Inman
Lydia Johnson
Caroline Kiesnowski
Keira Knuppel
Zoe Kraus
Michaela Krisher
Paige Marcoe
Leah McElhaney
Linnea Olson
Elisabeth Owens
Elaina Plankey
Emma Rademaker
Madison Rechner
Olivia Rechner
Anya Riabov
Ella Ryan
Mara Schell
Eva Schneider
Lauren Schneider
Kaylee Trzebiatowski
Sophie Van Stippen
Audrey Vogel
Shanice Warigi
Katherine Warner
Meredith Weston
Susan Yao
CAPRICCIO
Nora Austin
Maria Benz
Abbey Bernard
Bailey Bidwell
Carly Bomier
Hannah Brown
Reese Brunette
Willa Carman
Haili Casey
Rosie Cobb
Jessica Cuff
Eleanora Dane
Colette Ferguson-Roug
Solara Gomez
Ellie Gregersen
Elizabeth Hartman
Ella Heiks
Emily Hodson
Lola Hunt
Emma Huntley
Claire Hyde
Madison Kneisler
Téa Koehler
Sarah Long
Madeleine McDermott
Nola McDonald
Tatum Moderson
Karina Mose
Katie Phee
Hannah Pitterle
Drew Pollard
Chelsea Poppleton
Emma Reis
Maya Ruffolo
Jenna Sabrowsky
Kellin Scheel
Lauren Stefl
Colleen Tebo
Danika Trzebiatowski
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Gillian Ulrich
Annika Urness
Abigail Van Elzen
Eleanor Van Nuland
Clara VandeHey
Anna Vechart
Eleanor Vogel
Samantha Jo White
Claire Wiley
Rose Williams
ARIOSO
Pippa Austin
Ashley Authement
Irysa Bauer
Kate Bernecker
Kayla Books
Mollie Brackett
Jane Brinkmann
Kaitlyn Bubolz
Charlotte Buchman
Madelyn Carey
Bree Casey
Maya Corcoran
Lauren Doney
Laura Esselman
Sophie Fellinger
Abigail Gentz
Elsa Harvey
Brianna Hauser
Alisha Jahnke
Sigrid Lokensgard
Ruby March-Torme
Abby Moard
Claire Moten
Claire Olson
Madison Price
Sophie Quick-Laughlin
Jenna Quinn
Caitlin Scheel
Tessa Schreiter
Isabella Sierra
Kate Slesar
Claudia Smith
Bethany Steenbock
MaKayla Strohmeyer
Madison Irwin Tetzlaff
Alyssa Van Domelen
Emmaline Van Dyke
MayLynn Vang
Rachel Vogel
Kelsey Wadleigh
Moriah Webster
Chloe Zering
CANTABILE
Ellie Grace Bernier
Lily Birschbach
Claire Boldt
Grace Brinkmann
Clara Brown
Khloe Casey
Alana Christen
Geena Coffey
Haley Corcoran
Ashley Evans
Emma Frederick
Emilie Gilligan
Grace Gollnick
Olivia Groenewold
Alyssa Keller
Holly Krabbe
Makenna Kraus
Camryn Maes
Emmalee Mindock
Gabrielle Mitchell
Lucy Morris
Emma Nolte
Clare Northey
Jacy Olszewski
Julia Pengrazi
Chloe Peterson
Sydney Pittner
Anna Rettler
Claire Sawall
Elizabeth Schulz
Maria Serna
Steph Serrato
Claire Slocum
Kathryn Stonesmyth
Emily Tesch
Samantha Wells
Alayna Werner
Carrie Willson
BEL CANTO
Elena Anderla
Rachel Bascue
Emily Been
Julia Benner
Isabelle Blank
Hannah Borchert
Zoe Bossert
Chloe Celsor
Corrina Czarnik
Abby Dollevoet
Eleanor Erbach
Phoebe Frantz
Haley Gabler
Imogen Gillard
Paige Gleason
Claire Gorges
Emma Hager
Emalie Hartley
Madeline Hass
Tess Hurley
Alyssa Jansen
Jenna Keller
Katharina Keller
Laura Kelley
Valerie Lambert
Meg Lehman
Ashley Marcusen
Elizabeth Moran
Anna Olson
Gillian Payne
Colette Pollard
McKenna Seegers
Emma Simon
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Lena Simon
Rachel Sina
Aime Skrober
Ashley Smith
Julia Soma
Jordyn Ulman
Alaina Verstegen
Fiona Villaca
Rachel Westra
Hannah Wolfrath
Bethany Zoch
THE CHOIRS
ALUMNAE CHOIR
McKenna Adler
Elizabeth Albrecht-Heiks
Catherine Backer
Marit Bakken
Anna Benz
Karly Boettcher
Lyz Boveroux
Bailey Boyle
Alyssa Braun
Danielle Braun
Katie Bultman
Meri Carr
Mo Carr
Michelle Cheslock
Meghan Cieslik Visser
Britney Clark
Casey Coonen Crowe
Madeline Coussons
Sarah Dodge Jerde
Megan Eichstaedt
Sarah Evensen Felhofer
Jennifer Everson Brown
Elizabeth Everson
Amber Evey Schmidt
Elena Farin
Samantha Fisher
Courtney Fuller Wallace
Anna Gage
Jessica Goodman
Jordan Gunderson
Kaylyn Haberland
Heidi Hablewitz
Megan Hartman
Gabrielle Hass
Liz Hidde
Lindsey Hunt
Kerry Huth
Aryanna Jahnke
Julie Jandacek
Joanna Kamps
Zabet Kempfert
Leah Klister
Emma Knick
Cheryl Kobs Riedlinger
Marcy Kohlbeck
Anna Koll Peck
Alyson Krokosky
Samantha Kurutz
Kylie Lackore
Jenny Lind
Maggy Lynch
Ellen Magnin
Leah May McSorley
Takarah Meyer
Phoebe Milner
Cayla Morton
Samantha Nieland
Margie Norby
Makiah Nuutinen
Sarah Oakley
Christina Olson
Mari Panzer Card
Brielle Petit
Claire Powling
Vera Rabe
Hillary Reynolds
Anna Rew-Gottfried Anderson
Chelsey Rockey Burke
Rachel Rockman
Jessica Rogers
Esther Roselaar
Kaity Sagan
Jo Saindon
Claire Sandberg
Claire Schmidt
Katie Schmidt
Sarah Schultz VanCleve
Allison Shinnick
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Kadie Smith
Rachel Smith Ruzic
Maddie Spencer Blanchard
Ashley Sprangers
Erin Stangel Spencer
Kirstin Stangel
Eleanor Strand
Kathie Stratton-Hansen
Kari Swanson
Colleen Sylvester Detloff
Molly Uvaas
Marie VandeHey
Lauren Vanderlinden
Brianna VanStraten
Allison Van Rooy
Molly Vechart
Jessica Vogt
Kati Volkman Stacy
Maggie Wallace Foreman
Laura Wenzel Vorwerk
Katie Wilson
Steffanie Wisner
Claire Young-Moxon
TEACHER BIOGRAPHIES
Patricia Merrifield, who teaches Ragazze singers, teaches elementary general music in the
Appleton Area School District and serves Lawrence University’s Conservatory frequently as a
cooperating teacher. She also teaches a Lawrence class in recorder and guitar methods for
music education majors. Merrifield holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Michigan State
University and teaching certification and master’s degree in music education with a Kodály
emphasis from Silver Lake College. Before entering the field of teaching, she worked in
orchestra management for the Phoenix and Fairfax (Va.) Symphony Orchestras. Merrifield is a past board member
of the Association of Wisconsin Area Kodály Educators (AWAKE), has co-chaired the AWAKE Singing Games
Festival, and is a member of the Wisconsin School Music Association and Music Educator’s National Conference.
Karrie Been, who teaches Primo singers, graduated from Carroll College (now Carroll
University) with a Bachelor of Science degree in music education and earned her Master of
Music degree in music education with a Kodály emphasis from Silver Lake College. She is
currently the general and vocal music instructor at Woodland and Mapleview Intermediate
Schools in Kimberly, where she also serves as curriculum coordinator for the district’s general
and choral music staff. Previously, Been taught in Franklin, Wis., where she taught elementary
music, middle and high school choirs, and worked as the orchestra conductor for the high school’s musical
theatre productions. She was the founding chair of the Association of Wisconsin Area Kodály Educators
(AWAKE) Children’s Choir Festival and served on the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association choir festival
committee. She is a member of the Wisconsin School Music Association, American Choral Directors
Association and Music Educators National Conference. She has served Lawrence University’s Conservatory of
Music and St. Norbert College, working as cooperating teacher and practicum adviser.
Cheryl Meyer, who teaches Allegretto singers, received her Bachelor of Music degree from
UW-Madison. She joined the Academy as a conductor in the Girl Choir Program in 1992, the
first full year of the Academy Girl Choir program. A vocal music specialist with the Appleton
Area School District, Meyer is an advocate for the Comprehensive Musicianship through
Performance (CMP) method of teaching. She is a frequent cooperating teacher and practicum
teacher for Lawrence Conservatory students and teaches a Lawrence class in recorder and
guitar methods for music education majors. As a member of the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association
(WCDA), Meyer has conducted Singing in Wisconsin youth choirs, presented sessions and choirs at state
conventions and served as Children’s Choir Repertoire and Standards Chair. She is also a member of the
Wisconsin Music Educators Conference (WMEA) and the Organization of Kodály Educators, serving as a past
conductor of the AWAKE Youth Honor Choir. Currently an adjudicator for the Wisconsin School Music Association,
Meyer also conducts the Camp Choir during the Academy of Music’s residential summer band camp.
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Toni K. Weijola ’01, who teaches the Capriccio singers, is an alumna of Lawrence University
with a Bachelor of Music degree in choral and general music education and vocal performance.
She also holds a Master of Music degree in music education with a Kodály emphasis from
Silver Lake College. Weijola is an elementary music teacher with the Appleton Area School
District and collaborates regularly with Lawrence as a cooperating teacher for future music
educators. A member of Wisconsin Music Educators Association (WMEA), Wisconsin Choral
Directors Association (WCDA) and the Association of Wisconsin Area Kodály Educators (AWAKE), she is also an
advocate for the Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) model of teaching. As an active
musician and educator in the Fox Valley, she has previously served as conducting intern with the Girl Choir
program, taught with the conducting staff of the Appleton Boychoir, conducted private studio instruction in voice,
and served as soprano section leader with the newVoices choir. Weijola continues to sing with newVoices and,
with her husband, she currently co-leads the music and worship ministry at their church.
Jaclyn Kottman ’12, who teaches Arioso singers, previously served as a manager and
conducting intern with all three middle and high school Academy Girl Choirs. Kottman
graduated from Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Music degree in choral and general
music education and a minor in religious studies. She has taught in New Zealand, Costa Rica,
Appleton and Boston. She is currently teaching choral music in the Appleton Area School
District at Einstein Middle School and Classical School and teaches voice through the
Lawrence Academy of Music. Kottman is a member of the Wisconsin Music Educators Association (WMEA), the
American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity, and is the recipient of
Lawrence University’s Pi Kappa Lambda Award for excellence in music education.
Debbie Lind, who teaches Cantabile singers, is a graduate of the University of Nebraska,
Lincoln, with a Bachelor of Music Education degree, vocal and instrumental. In June 2011, she
retired from 25 years of teaching vocal and choral music in the Appleton Area School District,
having served most recently as choral music director at Appleton East High School. She taught
in Omaha, Neb., and Schofield, Wis., before coming to Appleton. Lind has been a clinician for
the Wisconsin School Music Association and a guest conductor for WCDA’s Singing in
Wisconsin festival. She has been actively involved in church music as a choral director, accompanist and singer
throughout her career. She is a member of the VoiceCare Network, Wisconsin Music Educators Association
(WMEA) and the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association (WCDA). Lind has worked and continues to work with
future and new music educators as a cooperating teacher, a practicum advisor and a mentor for the AASD
new-teacher mentoring program.
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Karen Bruno, who teaches Bel Canto singers, is the artistic director of the Girl Choir program.
She received a Bachelor of Arts from Smith College, a teaching certificate from Lawrence
University’s Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music from Boston University. She has
taught choral music in the Appleton and Oshkosh school districts, and at an international
school in Senegal, West Africa. Bruno has been a guest speaker and adjunct faculty member
for Lawrence Conservatory music education classes and has served as both cooperating and
practicum teacher for students from Lawrence and St. Norbert College. She is currently the director of the
Lawrence Academy of Music. Bruno has conducted the South Dakota All-State Children’s Choir, numerous
regional honor choirs, and is a past staff member of the Wisconsin School Music Association’s Treble Honor
Choir. She served for six years as the repertoire and standards chair for Children and Community Youth Choirs
in the North Central Division of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), is a member of the
VoiceCare Network, and serves on the committee advocating the Comprehensive Musicianship through
Performance (CMP) method of teaching. Bruno is a two-time recipient of WCDA’s Five-Star Award, a recipient of
Lawrence University’s Pi Kappa Lambda award for excellence in music education, is a Rotary Scholarship Award
winner, and was recognized by the Danbury (Conn.) Music Centre for providing outstanding musical
opportunities for youth in the United States. Under her tutelage, Bel Canto was awarded second place in the
national American Prize competition and has performed, by audition, on state and divisional conventions of
choral conductors.
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GIRL CHOIR HISTORY
Lawrence Academy Girl Choir: Where Girls Find Their Voice
January 1991: The Lawrence Academy Girl Choir was founded for girls in grades 4-6.
September 1991: A training choir for fourth-grade girls was added, creating a sequential Girl Choir program.
The original choir expanded to include girls in grades 5-7.
September 1997: Due to the large number of girls who wished to participate, the program expanded in both
directions with the addition of Primo (then grades 3-4) and Cantabile (then grades 7-9).
September 1999: The eldest Cantabile singers couldn’t bear to leave the program after ninth grade, thus
became the founding members of Bel Canto, a choir for high school girls.
September 2007: After waiting several years to fulfill the dream of offering a non-auditioned choir, the program
was able to secure additional rehearsal space. Ragazze, a non-auditioned training choir, was born.
March 2011: The Girl Choir Program celebrated its 20th anniversary and featured alumnae in the combined
choirs’ finale.
September 2013: After attempting a variety of rehearsal structures to accommodate Intermezzo, the largest
choir (70-80 singers), an additional choir was added. Intermezzo was eliminated and replaced with two choirs,
Capriccio and Arioso.
March 19, 2016: Today we celebrate 25 years of Girl Choir with our seven choirs and alumnae from all over
the world.
PERFORMANCE HISTORY
In addition to twice-yearly concert cycles, school performance tours and sharing music at local worship services,
the Academy Girl Choirs were invited to participate in the following performances:
October 1991: Wisconsin Music Educators’ Conference
October 1995: Wisconsin Music Educators’ Conference
December 1995: White Heron Chorale “An All-American Christmas”
April 1997: Exchange with Madison Youth Choir
January 1999: Wisconsin Choral Directors Association State Convention
November 1999: Governor’s Cultural Congress
June 2000: Colorado Chautauqua Association, Exchange with Denver Children’s Choir
April 2001: Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium (Henry Leck, conductor, with Malcolm Dalglish)
January 2002: Wisconsin Choral Directors Association State Convention
June 2002: Exchange with Nebraska Children’s Choir
November 2002: Opening Performance of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center (Brian Groner, conductor)
November 2003: Fox Valley Youth Orchestras Fall Concert (Gary Wolfman, conductor)
June 2004: Lawrence University Choirs, Symphony Orchestra and White Heron Chorale performance
(Rick Bjella, conductor)
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January 2005: Appleton Women’s Choir Festival
March 2005: Wisconsin Band Convention Concert
April 2005: Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium (Henry Leck, conductor)
April 2005: Lawrence University Choir Concert
January 2006: Wisconsin Choral Directors Association Convention, Featured Performers
April 2006: Monteverdi Master Chorale Concert
February 2007: Lawrence University and Iowa State University Choir Concert
May 2007: Jamestown Colony 400th Anniversary Celebration, Wisconsin Representative (JoAnn Falletta and
Robert Spano, conductors)
May 2008: Carmina Burana with White Heron Chorale and Lawrence University Orchestra and Choirs
(Rick Bjella, conductor)
May 2009: Exchange with Chicago Children’s Choirs
July 2009: Voices Without Borders International Children’s Choir Festival (Julian Ackerley, conductor)
November 2010: Fox Valley Youth Orchestras Fall Concert (Gary Wolfman, conductor)
January 2011: Singing Workshop with Dr. Ysaye Barnwell from Sweet Honey in the Rock
November 2011: St. Marys (Ontario) Children’s Choir Festival (Roger Treece, conductor)
February 2012: North Central Division convention of the American Choral Directors Association
April 2012: Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium (Henry Leck, conductor)
February 2013: Spirited Songs, Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, televised by Wisconsin Public Television (with
White Heron Chorale, Appleton Boychoir and Tim Sharp, conductor)
February 2013: Viking Women’s Choral Festival
May 2013: Bella Voce Women’s Choir Festival (Phillip Swan, conductor)
October 2013: Chamber of Commerce “The Event” at Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
December 2013: newVoices “Christmas at the Chapel”
May 2014: Carmina Burana with Fox Valley Symphony and newVoices (Brian Groner, conductor)
May 2014: PIPFest (Stephen Hatfield, conductor)
May 2014: Fort Worden International Children’s Choir Festival (Robyn Lana, conductor)
December 2014: Nutcracker with Fox Valley Symphony and Makaroff Youth Ballet (Brian Groner, conductor)
August 2014: Mile of Music Sing-Along
February 2015: Exchange with Madison Youth Choir
April 2015: Cantus (Norway) Performance (Tove Ramlo-Ystad, conductor)
August 2015: Mile of Music Sing-Along
October 2015: Master Class at University School of Milwaukee (Miriam Altman, conductor)
April 2016: Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium (Edie Copley, conductor)
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STAFF, 1991–2016
Stephanie Orvik ’98, 1997
Melissa Kelly ’00, 1997–2000
Julia Steinbach, 1997–2009
Virginia Russler, 1998
Sunny Link, 1998–99
Phyllis Wallis, 1999
Elena Derzhavina, 1999
Michelle Ansay ’02, 1999–2000
Kristin Santele ’03, 2000–03
Muriel Merbach, 2000–07
Molly Tomashek, 2000–01
Kelly Fowler ’02, 2001–02
Abby Birling ’05, 2003–05, 2007–08
Miriam Chaudoir ’07, 2005–07
Kristin Rezin Heiges ’11, 2007–present
Sarah Dahm, 2008–09
Linda Calhan, 2008–09
Amanda Engle ’09, 2008–10
Sammi Smith ’11, 2009–11
Janet Erbach, 2009–present
Katie Schuld ’10, 2009–11
Allison Shinnick ’12, 2011–14
Rebecca Schmidt, 2011–12, 2013–14
Ann Boeckman, 2012–present
Nell Buchman, 2014–present
Tess Vogel ’15, 2016
Teacher-Conductors
Jeanne Julseth–Heinrich, 1991–93
Girl Choir
Cheryl Meyer, 1992–present
Choristers, Girl Choir, Concert Choir, Allegretto, Primo,
Intermezzo, Ragazze
Rosemary Allen, 1993–95
Choristers
Megan Marshall ’96, 1995–97
Choristers
Laurie Corning ’92, 1997–2000
Academy Choirs
Peter Leschke ’91, 1997–99
Chamber Singers
Karen Bruno, 1997–present
Choristers, Chamber Singers, Cantabile, Bel Canto,
Allegretto, Ragazze
Toni Kuo (Weijola) ’01, 2000–01
Allegretto
Molly Tomashek, 2001–06
Primo, Intermezzo
Karrie Been, 2006–present
Primo
Dan Van Sickle ’03, 2006–07
Intermezzo
Amber Evey Schmidt ’06, 2007–15
Intermezzo, Arioso
Girl Choir Ensembles Managers
Mary Lee Lehr, 1997–99
Sara Rezin, 1999
Nancy Capizzi, 1999–2000
Sarah Meyer, 2000
Susan Hahn, 2001–2013
Anne Powling, 2013–present
Patty Merrifield, 2009–present
Ragazze
Debbie Lind, 2011–present
Cantabile
Jaclyn Kottman ’12, 2013–present
Capriccio, Arioso
Choir Managers
Toni Weijola ’01, 2015–present
Capriccio
Shad Wenzlaff ’94, 1991–93
Jenee Hillbrick ’94, 1992
Julia Pearson ’93, 1992–93
Megan Marshall ’96, 1993–95
Catherine Statz ’96, 1993–95
Sarah Markovits ’98, 1995
Darcy Mueller ’97, 1995–96
Ingrid Haugen ’99, 1996–97
Lauren Frownfelter ’98, 1997
Karen Canty ’97, 1997–98
Mary Lee Lehr, 1997–2000
Tom Gilmore ’02, 1998–2001
Allison Jordan, 1998–99
Deborah Stoehr, 1998–2000
Voice Specialist
Joanne Bozeman, 1997–2002
Pianists
Gerald Gabbard ’92, 1991–92
Kari Walton ’92, 1992–93
Andrew Johnson ’92, 1992–93
Kristina Towey ’96, 1993–94
Margaret Schultz, 1993–94
Jennifer Horvath ’95, 1994–95
Janelle Joyce, 1994–95
Jeremy Hanson ’96, 1995–96
Barbara Wolfman, 1995–97
Paul Speiser ’98, 1997–98
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Karen Gerhardt, 2000–01
Katie Shadick, 2000–01
Monica Blacconeri ’02, 2000
Angela Sours, 2000–04
Sarah Morris ’01, 2000–01
Maggie Thomas ’02, 2000–02
Julie Bannerman ’01, 2001
Margaret Fuller, 2001–02
Marie Lackore, 2001–02, 2004–05
Amber Evey ’05, 2001–06
Charlotte VanVreede, 2002–03
Veronica Morton, 2002–04
Maureen Weber, 2003–04
Molly Day ’04, 2003–04
Emily Fink ’08, 2005–06
Jess Vogt ’09, 2005–09
Sarah Botsford ’07, 2006–07
Schuyler Gardner ’08, 2006–11
Emily Dalton ’09, 2007
Gabriela Johnson ’10, 2007–10
Rachel Marschke ’10, 2008–10
Laura Wenzel, 2008–09
Zachary Prior ’13, 2009
Elizabeth Shinnick, 2010–11
Eleanor Miller, 2011–12
Emily Willson, 2011–12
Karen Bultman, 2011–present
Emily Crowe ’14, 2011–14
Jaclyn Kottman ’12, 2011–12
Karly Boettcher, 2012–13
Kerry Huth, 2012–13
Lauren Vanderlinden ’17, 2012–present
Rebecca Schmidt, 2013–14
Hannah Thiry, 2013–14
Bailey Boyle, 2014–15
Kirstin Stangel, 2014–15
Cayla Morton ’15, 2014–16
Gillian Payne, 2015
Heather Urness, 2015–present
Tess Vogel ’15, 2016
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