APPLETON, WIS. — Lawrence University will play host to two choir events this weekend, Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24.
The Lawrence University choirs present “A Century Apart” at 8:00 p.m. Friday, February 23 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. This concert is free and open to the public.
The concert features music that discusses the same topic some centuries apart, such as the sun and its rebirth, praising God with instruments, love lost and hoped for, and more. The concert includes selections sung by the Viking Chorale, Cantala, and the Concert Choir under the direction of Richard Bjella and Phillip A. Swan. The program includes “Exultate justi in Domino” by Viadana, “Amor” (“Lamento della ninfa”) by Monteverdi, “Sing a New Song to the Lord” by Paul Basler, “When David Heard” by Norman Dinerstein, “Effortlessly Love Flows” by Aaron Jay Kernis, “Hymne du Soleil” (“Hymn to the Sun”) by Lili Boulanger, and more.
In addition to the Friday night concert, the Viking Choral Festival will be held on Friday and Saturday, culminating in a free concert Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church Sanctuary, 325 E. Franklin St., Appleton.
Five high school choirs have been selected to participate in the Viking Choral Festival based on their excellence and reputation as outstanding choir programs throughout Wisconsin. The choirs selected to participate in this year’s Festival include Fond du Lac High School Concert Choir conducted by Cory Schneider; Middleton High School Concert Choir conducted by Thomas Mielke; Oshkosh West High School Chorale conducted by Herb Berendsen; Manitowoc Lincoln Chamber Choir conducted by David Bowman; and Hartford Union High School Concert Choir conducted by Stephanie Klockow. The choirs will participate in clinics and workshops throughout Friday and Saturday.
The concert Saturday afternoon includes works by Brahms, Stroope, Martini, Tchaikovsky, Handel, and more. All five schools will perform in the Viking Festival Choir and perform the finale under the direction of Paul Nesheim, assistant professor and director of choral activities at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Nesheim is a frequent clinician and guest conductor for high school festival and honor clinics, including the 2004-05 Minnesota All-Men’s Choir.
