Homecoming Concert
The Carthage Choir
Margaret Burk, conductor
Melissa Cardamone, accompanist
AMATI
James Ripley, conductor
Wind Orchestra
James Ripley, conductor
Katiann Nelson, mezzo-soprano
Saturday, September 27, 2025 7:30 p.m. | A.F. Siebert Chapel
Death Came a-Knockin’
Traditional Spiritual Arranged Ruthie Foster, transcribed by Paul Rardin Annaliese Ruhs, Jada Moss, and Shiloh Wheeldon, soloists
Hymne au Soleil Lili Boulanger
Katiann Nelson, ‘23, mezzo-soprano
This Little Light of Mine
Traditional Spiritual, arranged Moses Hogan
Katiann Nelson ‘23, mezzo-soprano
I’ll Be On My Way
Shawn Kirchner
Chase Juster, baritone
the carthage choir
margaret burk, conductor
melissa cardamone, accompanist
Alcott Songs Steven Danyew
Awake! Awake!
Hello! Hello!
Dear Grif
Here’s a Nut
Don’t Drive Me Away Lullaby
Katiann Nelson ‘23, mezzo-soprano
amati
james ripley, conductor
The Land of Wheat Don Gillis
I. The Planting
II. The Fields in Summer
III. The Lazy Days
IV. Thrashing Bee
The Promise of Living
wind orchestra
james ripley, conductor
Aaron Copland, transcribed by Thomas C. Duffy
the carthage choir and wind orchestra
james ripley, conductor
katiann nelson, mezzo-soprano
Arielle Allen
Lorelai Amborn
Kinsey Bakhaus
Tessa Baty*
Ella Bergfeld*
Benjamin Breitbach
Colin Campbell
Vian Caskey
Alexander Clarksen
Rees Davies
Rebecca DeBoer
Madison Edge
Morgan Elliott
Skylar Farr
Emma Faucault
Brayden Follett
the carthage choir
margaret burk, conductor melissa cardamone, accompanist
Jay Garlieb
Freya Haugen
Sarah Hege
Hannah Hoang
Hayden Izumi*
Chase Juster
J.P. Lucas
Trevor Milne
Jada Moss
Jake Muller
Layla Nemri*
Morgan Pickar
Chase Portner
Katherine Pullam
Jonathan Rasmussen
Winter Roland
Maria Romero
Annaliese Ruhs*
Andre'a Santoyo
Aubree Simon
Liev Schiffman
Shiloh Wheeldon
Ayden Wildman
*denotes officers and librarians
carthage choir texts and translations
Boulanger: Hymne au Soleil
Du soleil qui renaît bénissons la puissance.
Avec tout l'univers célébrons son retour.
Couronné de splendeur, il se lève, il s'élance.
Le réveil de la terre est un hymne d'amour.
Sept coursiers qu'en partant le Dieu contient à peine, Enflamment l'horizon de leur brûlante haleine.
O soleil fécond, tu parais!
Avec ses champs en fleurs, ses monts, ses bois épais,
La vaste mer de tes feux embrasée, L'univers plus jeune et plus frais, Des vapeurs de matin sont brillants de rosée.
-Casimir Delavigne (1793 - 1843)
Hymn to the Sun
Let us bless the power of the reborn sun.
With all the universe let us celebrate its return.
Crowned with splendor, it rises, it soars.
The waking of the earth is a hymn of love.
Seven rushing steeds that the God scarcely holds back Inflame the horizon with their scorching breath.
Oh, vivid sun, you appear! With its fields in bloom, its mountains, its thick woods,
The vast sea set ablaze by your fires, The universe, younger and fresher, With morning vapors glistening with dew.
Alcott Songs
I really enjoy the poetry of Louisa May Alcott, and I decided to create a song cycle comprised of six of her relatively short poems. I tried to pull together poems that are particularly fun, witty, and whimsical. As I began choosing these texts, I realized that it would be fun to organize them in a way that would depict a summer day. Musically, I tried to create melodies and textures that mirror the fun and wit of the poetry. There is a variety of music, from very light spring-like dancing in the opening song, jumping among lily pads in the second, flowers, squirrels, and bees, to the quiet and delicate lullaby at the end.
– Steve Danyew
The Land of Wheat
The Land of Wheat was commissioned by and dedicated to Mr. Nels Vogel. It is a Suite for Band in six movements that represents an attempt by the composer to portray the vast greatness of the land and the people from planting to harvest time. Some of it is reflective, other parts definitely descriptive. Altogether, it represents a tribute to the forces that bring about the miracle of growing grain.
– Don Gillis
Piccolo
Addison Kelnhofer
Flute
Kaylynn Brewton
Jessica Golden
Mandy Nelson*
Oboe
Bella Howard
Toby Staaden*
English Horn
Laurel Brown
Bassoon
Neil DuJardin*
Jalen Imroth*
Clarinet
Riley Gaylord
Maya Griffin
Hope Johnson*
Emma Lorenz
Grace Miller
Mary Rivas*
wind orchestera amati(*)
james ripley, conductor
Bass Clarinet
Madison Bazylewicz*
Dontice Wooley*
Saxophone
Ava Bartecki
John Cargille
Jalen Imroth
Jana Paulsen
Zach Shoemaker
Horn
Michael Aylward
Ella Christensen
Lanie Klawonn
Ellamae Monk
Trumpet
Bailey Dobbratz
Nathan Esboldt
Elliot Podratz
Luke Rodriguez
Trombone
Anita Gross
Johnathan Ledanski
Jake Muller
Andrew Schaer
Euphonium
Braedon Larson
Tuba
Riley Betthauer
Oliver Juarez-Wunderlin
Percussion
Cora Brown
Avery Conger
Cece Cooper
Lydea King
Emma Libecki
J. P. Lucas
Davian Santiago
Drake Thomas
Piano
Alasdair Ladd
Mezzo-soprano Katiann Nelson, originally from Waterford, WI, has just graduated from CU-Boulder with her Master’s Degree in Voice Performance, studying under Abigail Nims. In 2023, she graduated from Carthage College (Kenosha, WI) with undergraduate degrees in Vocal Music Education, and Piano and Clarinet Performance.
Katiann has enjoyed recently singing “Hänsel” in Hänsel und Gretel, and her other opera credits include “Meg” in Falstaff, “Taller Daughter” in Proving Up, and “Chorus” in La Boheme (Opera Colorado, Aspen Music Festival). Over the summer, she enjoyed performing “Dritte Dame” in Die Zauberflöte in the Young Artist’s Program Prague Summer Nights. She has participated as a finalist in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition (Denver, CO), the Patricia Crump Vocal Competition (Milwaukee, WI), and the CU-Boulder Concerto Competition. Katiann looks forward to covering “Octavian” in Boulder Opera’s production of Der Rosenkavalier in May, and will continue working with Opera Colorado as a chorister in Madama Butterfly.
Having recently finished her degree, Katiann maintains a studio of voice and piano students in Boulder and works as a pianist/coach for voice students at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Katiann would like to sincerely thank Dr. Ripley and Dr. Burk for inviting her back to Carthage as the guest alumna soloist, along with the students of Carthage Choir and the Wind Band. The stellar faculty (Dr. Masloski, Peg, Allison, and Barbara!) and excellent directors of Carthage will always stay on the top of the list of transformative people in Katiann’s life, and she is forever grateful to have been a part of the Carthage community.