L AW R E NC E AC A DE M Y OF MU S IC P R E S E N T S

YuletideCarols

Girl Choir ConcertS AT U R DAY, DEC E M BE R 10, 2016

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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 music

lessons and classes, the Early Childhood Music program, youth

ensembles, adult music programs, summer music camps and the

Girl Choir program.

Learn more at go.lawrence.edu/academy

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ADMINISTRATION

Brian Pertl, dean of the Conservatory of Music

Karen Bruno, director of the Academy of Music

Cheryl Boyle, registrar

Theresa Shifflett, program and marketing assistant

LAWRENCE ACADEMY OF MUSIC

Street address:

100 W. Water St.

Appleton, WI 54911

Mailing address:

711 E. Boldt Way

Appleton, WI 54911-5699

920-832-6632

acad_music@lawrence.edu

go.lawrence.edu/academy

go.lawrence.edu/academy-girlchoir

facebook.com/lawrenceacademy

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

David Been

First English Lutheran Church

Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Gordon Lind

Mark Merrifield

Jon Meyer

Michelle Northey, Flower Girl Design Studio

Mark Scheffler

Jason Weijola

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Please, as a courtesy to the singers and other audience members, silence all cellphones 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.

GIRL CHOIR HISTORY

January 1991: The Lawrence Academy Girl Choir was founded for girls in fourth through sixth grades.

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 fifth through seventh grades.

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 three and four) and Cantabile (then grades

seven through nine).

September 1999: The eldest Cantabile singers couldn’t bear to leave the program after ninth grade

and 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 nonauditioned choir, the

program was able to secure additional rehearsal space. Ragazze, a nonauditioned 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: The Girl Choir program celebrated its 25th birthday with more than 100 alumnae from

around the United States in attendance. The Girl Choir Empowerment Fund was established to help

support student scholarships for singers of limited financial means. Visit go.lawrence.edu/academy-

giving to donate.

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MISSION STATEMENT

The Lawrence Academy of Music Girl Choir program is the only nonprofit girl 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

Ragazze: Unauditioned for choir for girls in third

through fifth grades. Focuses on healthy vocal

production using folk songs and singing games.

Performs at winter and spring concerts.

Primo: Auditioned choir for girls in third through

fifth grades. Performs at winter and spring concerts.

Allegretto: Auditioned choir for girls in fourth

through sixth grades. One additional community

performance annually.

Capriccio: Auditioned choir for girls in fifth through

seventh grades. One additional community

performance annually.

Arioso: Auditioned choir for girls in sixth through

eighth grades. One additional community

performance annually. One-day tour available

(optional).

Cantabile: Auditioned choir for girls in eighth

through 10th grades. National tour offered

biannually (optional). Additional community

performances as opportunities arise.

Bel Canto: Auditioned choir for girls in 10th

through 12th grades. Local tours and additional

performances as opportunities arise, generally

several times per year.

ARTISTIC PERSONNEL

Ragazze

Patricia Merrifield, teacher

Tess Vogel ’15, pianist and manager

Primo

Karrie Been, teacher

Nell Buchman, pianist and manager

Allegretto

Cheryl Meyer, teacher

Janet Erbach, pianist

Karen Bultman, manager

Capriccio

Toni Weijola ’99, teacher

Kristin Heiges ’11, pianist

Chelsey Burke, manager

Arioso

Jaclyn Kottman ’12, teacher

Kristin Heiges ’11, pianist

Lauren Vanderlinden ’17, manager

Cantabile

Debbie Lind, teacher

Janet Erbach, pianist

Allie Horton ’19, manager

Bel Canto

Karen Bruno, teacher

Nell Buchman, pianist and manager

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ARTISTIC PERSONNEL

Ragazze

Patricia Merrifield, teacher

Tess Vogel ’15, pianist and manager

Primo

Karrie Been, teacher

Nell Buchman, pianist and manager

Allegretto

Cheryl Meyer, teacher

Janet Erbach, pianist

Karen Bultman, manager

Capriccio

Toni Weijola ’99, teacher

Kristin Heiges ’11, pianist

Chelsey Burke, manager

Arioso

Jaclyn Kottman ’12, teacher

Kristin Heiges ’11, pianist

Lauren Vanderlinden ’17, manager

Cantabile

Debbie Lind, teacher

Janet Erbach, pianist

Allie Horton ’19, manager

Bel Canto

Karen Bruno, teacher

Nell Buchman, pianist and manager

Lawrence Academy Girl Choir

YULETIDE CAROLSDecember 10, 2016

A New Year Carol Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)

text: Anon, collected Walter de la Mare

“Trefor Owen [Welsh Folk Customs, St. Fagas, 1974] describes the context for this song in Wales. Very early

on New Year’s Day about 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning, groups of boys came round to the houses in the

neighborhood, carrying a vessel of cold spring water, freshly drawn and twigs of box, holly, myrtle, rosemary or

other evergreens. They sprinkled the hands and face of anyone they met for a copper or two. In every house,

each room was sprinkled with New Year’s water and the inmates, who were often still in bed, wished a happy

New Year... In certain parts of Wales this custom is called dwr newy (literally, new water). The exact meaning

of the phrase levy dew is unknown, although there have been attempts to trace it to llef I Dduw (Welsh for Cry

of God). This seems to be an imposition of a Christian interpretation on a much older custom. Although the fair

maid is now equated with the Virgin, Owen thinks it likely that this custom derives from ‘an early well-cult made

acceptable to medieval Christianity by its association with the Virgin and perpetuated both by the desire to wish

one’s neighbor well at the beginning of a new year and by the small monetary payment involved.’”

School of Seasons: New Year’s Carols by Waverly Fitzgerald

We began our study of this piece by closing our eyes and listening and swaying to the subtle pull of the half

note-quarter note pattern in the piano. We examined Britten’s use of dynamics as he builds interest in the

telling of this song by employing the slightest increase of volume at exactly the right time and experimented,

with breath, the difference between singing pianissimo and piano. We identified and shared with each other the

customs and traditions our own families hold dear.

Then we looked at the rich text of the song and the lilting melody that carries it. We imagined we were still abed

when a neighbor came in and sprinkled us with cold well water and wished us a happy new year. We thought about

the way language lasts, even when its source or meaning is unclear. We talked about how scraps of language, like

pieces in a crazy quilt, when embroidered with melody, evoke a whole more beautiful than its parts.

RAGAZZE

Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella Traditional French Carol

Translation E.C. Nunn

The tune of this song was originally a 14th-century lively court dance. In the mid-1500s, the tune was published

in a book of Christmas carols and has since been associated with the holiday. It tells of two young maidens

who go to the stable to milk cows and find the baby Jesus. They go back out to the town to announce what they

have found.

RAGAZZE AND PRIMO

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Dormi, Dormi Italian Carol

arr. Mary Goetze

Sleep, oh sleep, my lovely child, King divine.Close your eyes and sweetly slumber.

O my treasure, do not weep. Sweetly sleep.Close your eyes, my Son, my dear one.

Although the steady beat remains the same, the meter of this lullaby changes from simple (two divisions

of the large beat) to compound (three divisions of the large beat). In rehearsal, the girls were able to feel that

pulse, one to which we could rock an infant. We discussed how the “fa-la-la” section is similar to the song

Deck the Hall in word, yet so different in emotion and explored the reasons for this difference.

The Carol of the Cuckoo Carolyn Jennings (b. 1936)

Syndey Pittner, flute

This piece retells the story of the birth of Jesus from the perspective of a cuckoo bird. In rehearsal, we

imagined other animals that could be personified to spread news and how the music might change to reflect the

different animals. We also thought about other animals that might be found in unusual settings, like a zebra on

a Wisconsin dairy farm, and what stories they might have to tell.

PRIMO

Audience carol: Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow, In a one horse open sleighO’er the fields we go, Laughing all the way!Bells on bobtail ring, Making spirits bright,

What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight!

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!

A day or two ago, I thought I’d take a ride,And soon Miss Fanny Bright was seated by my side.

The horse was lean and lank, Misfortune seemed his lot:We got into a drifted bank and then we got upsot!

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!

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Il est né le Divin Enfant French Carol

arr. Betty Bertaux

Sydney Pittner, flute

Jon Meyer, clarinet

Janet Erbach, drum

He is born, the Divine Christ Child, Play on the drum, play the flute and violin.

He is born, the Divine Christ Child, Christ our Savior, meek and mild.

We have waited four thousand years, As the prophet’s song foretold it;

We have waited four thousand years, Sing with joy for the Infant dear.

He is lovely, He has such charm! Ah, so perfect is His grace.

He is lovely, He has such charm! Sweetness glows from His holy face.

Published for the first time in 1862, this well-known French Christmas carol has since been arranged for various

choir voicing, organ and instrumental groups. Bertaux’s arrangement shows her knowledge of young singers,

setting it for unison voices in a key appropriate for their vocal range. Choosing to score the instruments instead

of piano accompaniment provides a quartet of timbres, much like a chamber music performance. Allegretto

enjoyed the challenge of learning and singing the French text, shaping the phrases with dynamics and the

happy, dancelike quality of the melody.

On Christmas Morn David Brunner (b. 1953)

Ruth Sawyer wrote the text of this piece, adapting a portion of a Spanish carol that lists what gifts children

would bring for the newborn baby: a fish, a bee, a lamb, an ox, a bull, a goatling, a bird. Framing these gifts is

Sawyer’s original text describing the nativity scene. Setting these stanzas for unison voices and piano in 1996,

David Brunner composed three distinct sections that use different melodic and rhythmic motives. Initially put

off by the large leaps in the “unusual” melody and the often spare, independent piano accompaniment, the

singers gained vocal agility, speculated on the purpose of the extended piano introduction, interlude and coda,

and express in their singing the wonder, excitement, joy and awe of children at the manger.

ALLEGRETTO

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Hallelu! (Christmas) Stephen Paulus (1949–2014)

When introduced to this piece, singers were asked to listen to the piano part alone and write a story based on what

they heard. They were given the title and the Christmas context. Some of their stories involved mystery, adventure

and unanswered questions. Others rendered images of forests, fairies and woodland creatures. Many singers

wrestled with connecting the title of the piece with the content of their stories. The title Hallelu! in a Christmas

context suggests a cheerful, celebratory announcement of the birth of Jesus. American composer Stephen Paulus

chose to portray the birth scene more reflectively using reverent expressions of wonder without pomp or fanfare.

Smooth, undulating motions in the piano partner with slow, two-measure phrases in the voice parts. What starts as

a hushed conversation between singers and piano crescendos to a climax in verse three with the revelation of Jesus’

name. As emotions settle, the scene returns to a state of peacefulness and quiet reflection.

Niño Lindo Traditional Christmas Song from Caracas, Venezuela

arr. Ruth Boshkoff

Lovely baby, I bow before you;Lovely baby, you are my God.

Goodbye, tender infant,Goodbye, sweet love,

Goodbye, baby boy, farewell.

In this tender lullaby, Mary is singing to the newborn Jesus. The piece is written in duple meter and juxtaposes

triplets and straight eighth notes, reminiscent of a mother rocking her child to sleep. First presented in unison,

the lullaby begins again with a second voice part blossoming out of the first. Singers also explored the role of

the glockenspiel and imagined what character its “voice” represented in this nativity scene, sharing ideas such

as twinkling stars, murmuring animals and an angelic choir.

Catalonian Carol Traditional

arr. Jon Meyer

The arrangement of this traditional carol pairs the cheerful melody with a dancelike piano accompaniment.

Additionally, finger cymbals and castanets join this celebration of hope and new growth. The singers noticed

that certain nouns were capitalized, such as Rose, Tree and Lily, which led them to explore the symbolic

references of the birth of Christ in the poem. To dive even deeper into the piece, we invited the arranger,

Academy teacher Jon Meyer, to a rehearsal to share how he crafted the arrangement and why he made some of

his musical decisions. We hope that our performance conveys his intentions well.

CAPRICCIO

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Audience carol: Joy to the World

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King.

Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room,

And heav’n and nature sing.

Joy to the world! The Savior reigns

Let all their songs employ,

While fields and floods, rocks hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness

And wonders of His love.

In dulci jubilo Michael Praetorius (1571–1621)

With sweet rejoicing

Now sing and be glad

Our hearts’ joy

Lies in the manger

And it shines like the sun

In the mother’s lap

You are the Alpha and Omega

In 1328 Heinrich Seuse, a German mystic monk, reportedly awoke from a dream in which an angel presented

him with this text. Since then, In dulci jubilo has been arranged and rearranged over 600 times, perhaps most

recognizably as the Christmas song Good Christian Men, Rejoice, and including our version penned by Praetorius

in 1607. Particularly unique for its macaronic (multilingual) text that alternates between German and Latin,

the original chantlike melody weaves between the soprano and alto voices while melismatic and arpeggiated

fragments punctuate the text, creating a sense of continual rebirth and renewal until arriving at the final unison

note.

Coventry Carol Traditional English

This contemplative English hymn dates back to the 16th century. It offers a different take on the Christmas

story: its minor melody and stark, open chords illustrate the dark text that references King Herod’s order to

slay all of the male infants in Bethlehem. Using the musical elements of dynamics, phrasing and diction, Arioso

explored the ways that one melody can paint many pictures, depending on the text with which it is paired and

the expressive choices of the performers.

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The Holly and the Ivy English Carol

arr. Nick Page

Jon Meyer, recorder

Page’s arrangement of this cheery carol, known for its distinctively soaring melody, celebrates the Christmas

spirit with voices and instrumental parts that seem to dance together. The two voices move in duet until their

eventual resolution, as the piano and recorder provide a buoyant accompaniment. Arioso worked diligently to

achieve balance in this piece, developing a blended sound and practicing “sending” the melody back and forth

across the sections of the choir, with the goal of creating an even tone—and spirit—throughout the piece.

ARIOSO

Audience carol: Deck the Hall

Deck the hall with boughs of holly, Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

‘Tis the season to be jolly, Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

Don we now our gay apparel, Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la!

Troll the ancient yuletide carol, Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

See the blazing yule before us (Fa-la, etc.)

Strike the harp and join the chorus

Follow me in merry measure

While I tell of yuletide treasure.

Fast away the old year passes

Hail the new, ye lads and lasses

Sing we joyous, all together

Heedless of the wind and weather.

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El Cant dels Ocels (Carol of the Birds) Catalan Folk Song

arr. Valerie Shields

Emily Hauer, violin; Andrew Lind, viola; Daria Van De Loo, cello

In seeing emerge the greatest light, during the most celebrated of nights, the little birds sing.

They go to celebrate Him with their delicate voices.

This traditional Catalan carol tells of nature’s joy at learning of the birth of a baby born in Bethlehem. The

original carol lists 15 verses with 32 birds in attendance near the lowly stable. The song gained international

fame with the great Pablo Casals’ solo cello version. Following his exile in 1939 from then fascist Catalonia,

and upon his return to Spain, Casals began each of his concerts by playing this song, in memory of all victims

of war. For this reason, this song is considered a symbol of Catalonia.

While Catalonia is a province of Spain, its location lies in the Pyrenees Mountains, along the borders of Spain,

France and the Mediterranean Sea. Over the centuries this lush region has been occupied by the ancient

Romans and Iberians, the Muslims of the Middle East and Africa, the Goths of Germany and the Celts from all

over Europe, which has given rise to its unique culture, its mysterious language and its haunting music with

Middle Eastern harmonies. The challenging melody in this song, with its harmonic minor mode with augmented

second intervals hints of music of a long time ago. And while it is preferred to sing a song in its original

language, Cantabile will sing verse one in Catalan and the subsequent two verses in English, so the listener,

too, can hear about the birds attending the event.

Mid-winter Bob Chilcott (b. 1955)

poetry Christina Rossetti (1830–94)

Emily Hauer, violin; Andrew Lind, viola; Daria Van De Loo, cello

The original and much-beloved carol In the Bleak Midwinter belongs to Gustav Holst. Bob Chilcott, contemporary

British composer and former King’s Singers member, has set his version to British poet Christina Rossetti’s

lovely poem. A common theme used in Biblical writing contrasts the weak and the lowly with the strong and

mighty, with the weak ultimately conquering the strong; the ordinary becoming the miraculous. The music

and text of Mid-winter feed this rich literary theme: thick harmonies become simple, unison melodies; heavy

syncopated rhythms become easy flowing lines; huge con forza dynamics suddenly reduce to dolce, almost

whispered phrases; all of heaven’s nine choirs of angels, three powerful kings and even reference to the ends

of time are supplanted by a maiden’s gentle kiss upon her beloved child’s brow.

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Shepherd’s Pipe Carol John Rutter (b. 1945)

British composer, John Rutter, founder of the men and boys’ choir Cambridge Singers has written and arranged

dozens of some of the most stunningly beautiful, well-known and newer Christmas carols. Shepherd’s Pipe Carol

is a conversation between a narrator and a tune-piping shepherd boy on his way to Bethlehem. The listener

can picture him dancing and skipping across the hills, thanks to several mixed meters, including the 3/8 meter,

actually known as the “skipping meter.” Again through the music we hear contrast between the powerful dare of

the narrator and the soft, sweet response of the shepherd boy. Cantabile loves that this song really moves and

that it is just so HAPPY! We hope you can keep up with us and that it will make you HAPPY, too!

CANTABILE

Christmas Time is Here Vince Guaraldi (1928–1976)

arr. Robert Sterling

text Lee Mendelson

In the early 1960s, Lee Mendelson produced a television documentary about the internationally popular

Peanuts comic strip. A fan of jazz, he hired Vince Guaraldi to write a tune (Linus and Lucy) for the production. In

1965, Coca Cola commissioned A Charlie Brown Christmas and hired Guaraldi to write all of the music for the

half-hour special, which included Christmas Time is Here. A children’s church choir from San Rafael, Calif., was

hired to record this tune, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and some of the spoken text used in the special. (Each

singer reportedly earned $5 and an ice cream cone as compensation for many late nights of rehearsal and

recording.) The text to this popular favorite (the album A Charlie Brown Christmas has sold over 3 million copies

to date) reminds us that creating memories of beauty with family and friends is possible throughout the year, if

we but look for opportunities to do so.

Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul Gustaf Nordqvist (1886–1949)

Christmas, radiant Christmas, shine through the white woods.

Crown the heavens with glistening light, glimmer in every house of God.

Psalm that is sung from time until time, eternally longing for light and peace!

Come, come, blessed Christmas, descend on your white wings

Over the battle’s blood and noise, over the signs of all humanity,

Over the weary who go to their rest, over the young coming into the world!

This popular Swedish Christmas song evokes the peaceful nature of the cold, snowy winter and reminds us of

the promise of the return of light and hope for peace in the world. We are grateful to Mia Ljung for guiding our

Swedish pronunciation.

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Hanget Soi Heikki Sarmanto (b. 1939)

Singing snow, singing snow, the wind whistles over the snow fields.

Even now, under the snow, we know there is something stirring.

Singing snow, singing snow, the power of winter is broken.

Hearts beat high and pulses pound as we feel spring returning.

Singing snow, singing snow, we welcome spring to Finland.

Joy in the air, hope is renewed,

All gloom and grayness is gone now.

Singing snow, singing snow, it sounds of the springtime:

Courting, joyful larks that fly and sing, already practicing love songs.

Singing snow, singing snow, too long has my heart been frozen.

Heart beating high, pulse now pounding as spring sweeps over the snow fields.

In northern Finland, snow begins in earnest in September and lasts well into May. Parts of the country are

above the Arctic Circle, so the sun does not rise for one to two months during the winter (kaamos is the word

for this polar night). A few hours of twilight take place around noon. We can, therefore, imagine how joyful the

first sounds and glimmers of spring must feel for those who live in this region.

Listen to the right hand of the piano, which evokes both the singing, swirling snow and the pounding pulse

described in the text. Bel Canto members speculated about the slower sections, imagining a variety of images

to accompany the music (a sunbeam breaking through the clouds, throwing open the window in anticipation of

spring, the sudden realization that the wind and snow have stopped). Although our own winter is far from over

and spring feels distant, the solstice is coming soon. “Even now, under the snow, we know there is something

stirring” is a wonderful reminder of hope and renewal during this busy time of year.

BEL CANTO

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Audience carol: Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing

Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled:

Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies,

With th’angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem.

Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.

Christ, by highest heav’n adored, Christ the everlasting Lord,

Late in time behold him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail th’incarnate Deity!

Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.

Mild He lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die.

Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.

Ris’n with healing in His wings, Light and life to all He brings,

Hail, the Son of righteousness, Hail, the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!

Hark! the herald-angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.

Angels We Have Heard on High Traditional choral introduction by Cheryl Meyer

descant by Frank Rippl

We end with a traditional carol that features an introduction meant to sound like the gathering of the angels

and a descant that will soar above as you join us in the final verse:

See Him in a manger laid,

Whom the angels praise above;

Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,

While we raise our hearts in love.

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

COMBINED CHOIRS

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THE CHOIRS

RAGAZZE

Lydia BarryJosephine BrozekMadeline CareyMadelynn DavisChloe DearingGrace EbertSilhouette Heffernan

Valerie KallioAdela KellanDyonna KellyHailyn KollerKrista KucharskiIsabella LaChapelleAnnika Larsen

Ryan MiddletonGabriella MillerSophia OverholtAva PohlkotteEllason PoppNora PoppOlivia Robles

Hannah SippelElla TrampeKate VanderloopMegan Wepfer

PRIMO

Elise AchtnerKaia AmaralCaitlin BoonGrace BrittenElianna CoussonsLauren EricksonSabine FreyElizabeth GentzLaurel Golson

Nora HartzheimGianna HeidAliisa HelminenChloe HermsenAbigail KarthKaylynne KaufmanJacquelyn MalmMadeline MarsdenSophia Martin

Emily McCarthySkylin McFaddenElla NadboralskiElise OehlerIsabel Pagan-VegaGrace PetersChloe PfefferleEmma RaleighGretchen Shober

Layla SniderGabrielle SternMya WallaceElizabeth WeinfurterCassidi WingAubrey WoodrowSienna Zheng

ALLEGRETTO

Esther AnderleElla BaumanGianna BayClaire BenzJulia BockRowan CruzMadelyn DillenburgLucy DollevoetAshlyn DoranJenna DugalJulia GurholtHayley Hagens

Hailie HerronJenna HooymanCaroline JiaElana LaceyEmily LangeLola LevinNora Lindsay-ReillyAnna LindsayGreta MelzlAlexia NelsonGreta NolteAmelia O’Leary

Elizabeth OsorioMihret PattersonShayla RademakerTalia RoselaarNevaeh Roug-SchmitzBreanna SchillingEva SchmidtBrianna SkorrAnna SlocumAurora SmithKaren SomersLydia Sorem

Molly StonelakeElsa ThielGracie TuckerChristiana Van GrinsvenFiona VelpelAbigail WintersHannah WynenLily YaunRachel Zhu

CAPRICCIO

Morgan AldanaNora AustinSophia BaumanHailey BayBailey BidwellReese BrunetteHaili CaseyGrace DollevoetEliza DuimstraEllie Gregersen

Ella HeiksKatherine HellerLola HuntTrinity InmanCaroline KiesnowskiKeira KnuppelTéa KoehlerZoe KrausMichaela KrisherCambria Maynard

Leah McElhaneyElise NolteLinnea OlsonEmma RademakerGrace RaleighMadison RechnerOlivia RechnerAnya RiabovElla RyanEmily Schaefer

Mara SchellEva SchneiderDanika TrzebiatowskiKaylee TrzebiatowskiSophie Van StippenShanice WarigiSusan Yao

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ARIOSO

Renna AmaralAshley AuthementMaria BenzAbbey BernardKate BerneckerIsabelle BestulCarly BomierHannah BrownCharlotte BuchmanMadelyn CareyWilla K. CarmanBree CaseyMaya Corcoran

Sophie FellingerColette Ferguson-RougSolara GomezElizabeth HartmanEmily HodsonAbriel HooymanEmma HuntleyClaire HydeMadison IrwinAlisha L. JahnkeLydia JohnsonRuby March-TormeNola McDonald

Abby MoardKarina MoseEmily OrnelasLindsey PlassDrew PollardChelsea PoppletonMaya RuffoloJenna SabrowskyKellin ScheelTessa SchreiterIsabella SierraColleen TeboGillian Ulrich

Annika UrnessAlyssa Van DomelenEmmaline Van DykeAbigail Van ElzenEleanor Van NulandClara VandeHeyRachel VogelKatherine WarnerMeredith WestonSamantha Jo WhiteClaire WileyRose Williams

CANTABILE

Pippa AustinIrysa BauerBryelle BernardEllie BernierKayla BooksMollie BrackettJane BrinkmannKhloe CaseyGeena CoffeyLauren DoneyAshley Evans

Emma FrederickAbigail GentzElizabeth GeoffreyEmilie GilliganOlivia GroenewoldBrianna HauserAlyssa KellerHolly KrabbeMakenna KrausSigrid LokensgardEmmalee Mindock

Claire MotenEmma NolteClaire OlsonMadison PriceSophie Quick-LaughlinJenna QuinnAdithi ReddyAnna RettlerChloe SawallCaitlin ScheelMaria Serna

Kate SlesarAudrey SobergBethany SteenbockMaKayla StrohmeyerEmily TeschMayLynn VangKelsey WadleighMoriah WebsterSamantha WellsChloe Zering

BEL CANTO

Elena AnderlaEmily BeenLily BirschbachIsabelle BlankClaire BoldtHannah BorchertZoe BossertGrace BrinkmannChloe CelsorAlana ChristenHaley CorcoranCorrina CzarnikAbby DollevoetEleanor Erbach

Phoebe FrantzGrace GollnickClaire GorgesEmma HagerAlyssa JansenJenna KellerKatharina KellerValerie LambertMeg LehmanCamryn MaesAshley MarcusenGabrielle MitchellElizabeth MoranAnna Olson

Jacy OlszewskiJulia PengraziChloe PetersonSydney PittnerClaire SawallElizabeth SchulzMcKenna SeegersSteph SerratoEmma SimonLena SimonRachel SinaClaire SlocumAshley SmithJulia Soma

Kathryn StonesmythJordyn UlmanAlaina VerstegenAlayna WernerRachel WestraCarrie WillsonHannah WolfrathBethany Zoch

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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 is currently co-teaching a Lawrence class in recorder and guitar

methods for music education majors. Merrifield holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Michigan

State University and a teaching certification and a Master of Music 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 Kodaly 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 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 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

Director’s Association and Music Educator’s 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 program. A vocal music specialist with the Appleton Area School District,

Meyer is an advocate for the Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) model

of teaching. She is a frequent cooperating and practicum teacher for Conservatory students

and is currently co-teaching a 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 ’99, 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 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, Classical School and North High 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.

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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 degree from Smith College, a teaching certificate from

Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music degree from Boston

University. She has taught choral music in the Appleton and Oshkosh school districts and at

an international school in Senegal. Bruno has been a guest speaker and adjunct faculty

member for 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) instructional model. 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, a Rotary Scholarship Award winner and was recognized by the Danbury 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, at

state and divisional conventions of choral conductors.

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

Appleton Area School District new teacher mentoring program.

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GIRL CHOIR CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Allegretto sings at First English Lutheran ChurchSunday, Nov. 13, 201610:30 a.m. service

Bel Canto performs as guest artists with Fox Valleyaires Barbershop ChorusTuesday, Dec. 6, 20167 p.m.James W. Perry Hall, UW–Fox Valley

Cantabile sings at First English Lutheran ChurchSunday, Jan. 8, 201710:30 a.m. service

Arioso Tour to Green Bay: Exchange with Green Bay Girl ChoirSunday, Jan. 8, 2017Noon–3:45 p.m.

Tutti Raffle to support Academy Tutti Fund for Tuition AssistanceTickets distributed February 2017Drawing March 25, 2017, at conclusion of Girl Choir concert

Capriccio sings at Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist FellowshipSunday, March 5, 201710:45 a.m. service

Bel Canto exchange with Cantori Choir (Plymouth, Minn.)Sunday, March 5, 2017; details TBD

Girl Choir Concert: Now I Become MyselfSaturday, March 25, 20172 and 7 p.m.Lawrence Memorial Chapel

Bel Canto and Young Men’s Chorus ConcertSaturday, April 8, 20177 p.m.Lawrence Memorial Chapel

Auditions for 2017–18Primo, Allegretto auditions: April 3 and 4, 2017Capriccio, Arioso auditions: April 9 and 10, 2017Cantabile auditions: April 23 and 24, 2017Bel Canto auditions: April 23 and 25, 2017

Note: A current calendar for each choir is available for download from each choir’s web page. Visit go.lawrence.edu/academy-girlchoir for links.