More than 250 voices will lend their talents to music that has stood the test of the time — from lullabies to spirituals — in the Lawrence University Academy of Music’s Girl Choir concert “Choral Classics” Saturday, Dec. 10 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, 510 E. College Ave., Appleton.
For the first time in the girl choir’s 15-year history, the concert will be performed twice on the same day, at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets, at $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and students, are available at the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.
The concert will feature performances by five separate choirs — Primo, Allegretto, Intermezzo, Cantabile and Bel Canto — under the direction of Molly Tomashek, Cheryl Meyer and Karen Bruno. Members of the choirs, selected by audition, include girls 8-18 years of age representing more than 50 schools from throughout northeast Wisconsin.
Selections to be performed include Handel’s “Give Thanks and Praise,” the Scottish folk song “The Raggle-Taggle Gypsies,” Schubert’s “Benedictus” and Gustav Holst’s “Ave Maria,” which is widely considered a masterpiece among women’s choir literature.
“The repertoire that will be performed in this concert is exceptionally varied,” said Karen Bruno, artistic coordinator of the girl choir program. “We will feature European ‘art music’ from as early as the 16th century, as well as more contemporary American choral compositions and folk songs from several foreign countries.
“We try to make our programs as accessible as possible, so no one should worry about being intimated by this type of musical literature,” Bruno added. “There will be extensive program notes with helpful information and lots of interesting facts.”
Founded in 1991, the Lawrence Academy of Music Girl Choir program provides quality choral opportunities for girls in the greater Fox Valley area and encourages the development of vocal technique, music reading skills, creativity, expressive artistry and an awareness of various cultures.
