A Cappella Choir to embark on Spring Choral Tour
The University A Cappella Choir from Concordia University, Nebraska, will travel to Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri for its annual spring tour March 27 through April 1. The choir will conclude the tour with two local-area concerts on Sunday, April 7 at 3 p.m. at First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln and at 7 p.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward.
“The A Cappella Choir strives to perform music at a high artistic level – music which inspires, instructs and entertains the listener,” said Dr. Kurt E. von Kampen, conductor. “But the mission of the choir goes beyond mere artistry. The University A Cappella Choir exists to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in song and to honor God with the musical talents the students have been given.”
The internationally acclaimed choir will perform concerts at churches and schools in six cities on their six-day tour. Concert sites include Pacific Hills Lutheran Church in Omaha; Trinity Lutheran Church in Hampton, Iowa; Trinity Lutheran Church in Elkhart, Indiana; Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois; Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church and the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri; and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Concordia, Missouri.
The choir performs full-length concerts, school assemblies and participates in Sunday worship services. The repertoire of sacred and secular choral compositions spans all historical periods and is representative of many cultures. This year’s concert features choral music by Felix Mendelssohn, Lucas Pearsall, Camille Saint-Saëns, Morten Lauridsen, J. David Moore, Paul Manz, David von Kampen, Tom Trenney and others.
The A Cappella Choir has toured the country each year and internationally approximately every four years since its inception in 1939, performing throughout Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Asia, Mexico and most recently South Africa. It also has participated in international choral festivals in Australia and Austria, placing first and third respectively under von Kampen’s direction.
Kurt von Kampen earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Concordia University, Nebraska, a master’s degree in choral conducting from Oakland University and a doctorate in choral music education from the University of Nebraska.
Admission to concerts is free. Free-will offerings will be taken at evening concerts to help defray tour expenses.
Members of the University A Cappella Choir (listed by state, then alphabetically by city and last name) include:
Aaron Christiansen, sophomore, Palmer, Alaska, bass II
Matthew Wahlers, freshman, Napa, Calif., bass I
Breann Huber, junior, Arvada, Colo., alto II
David Krueger, senior, Aurora, Colo., bass II
Bethany Schilling, junior, Denver, Colo., soprano I
Jacob Roggow, senior, Cottage Hills, Ill., bass II
Ruth Alliger, junior, Fort Wayne, Ind., soprano II
Bethany Zeckzer, freshman, Fort Wayne, Ind., alto II
Jeramy Willis, senior, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, tenor II
August Bollhagen, freshman, Hampton, Iowa, bass II
Alex Kaldahl, junior, Spencer, Iowa, bass I
Isaiah Armbrecht, senior, Williamsburg, Iowa, bass I
Matthew Patron, freshman, North Newton, Kan. bass I
Nathanael Patron, senior, North Newton, Kan., tenor I
Christopher James Jr., junior, Topeka, Kan., tenor I
Elizabeth Lange, senior, Topeka, Kan., alto II
Josiah Schultz, senior, Bay City, Mich., tenor II
Zachary Mueller, freshman, Frankenmuth, Mich., tenor I
Sarah Mueller, senior, Hemlock, Mich., soprano II
James Gramzow, freshman, Royal Oak, Mich., bass I
Brooke Ann Duerr, freshman, Warren, Mich., soprano II
Jonathan Chapa, junior, Buffalo, Minn., bass II
Albert Boldt, senior, Hewitt, Minn., tenor II
Brandon Holmes, junior, Waconia, Minn., bass I
Max Johnston, freshman, White Bear Lake, Minn., bass II
Vanessa Marsh, senior, Concordia, Mo., soprano I
Caleb Fischer, sophomore, Jefferson City, Mo., bass II
Charlotte Lines, sophomore, Marshall, Mo., soprano II
Emma Brand, junior, Springfield, Mo., alto I
Erin Rowland, senior, St. Peters, Mo., alto II
Evan Johnson, junior, Sweet Springs, Mo., bass I
David Ehrke, freshman, Alma, Neb., tenor I
Alexandra Ryks, sophomore, Bellevue, Neb., alto II
Allison Mackie, senior, Columbus, Neb., soprano I
Grant Stadler, freshman, Columbus, Neb., bass II
Garret Drews, freshman, Fremont, Neb., tenor I
Alyssa Hoeft, sophomore, Garland, Neb., soprano II
Elizabeth Bergdolt, sophomore, Grand Island, Neb., alto I
Trenton Bruntz, freshman, Hastings, Neb., tenor II
Megan Kroeker, sophomore, Henderson, Neb., soprano I
Jacee Pfeifer, sophomore, Holdrege, Neb., alto I
Amy Guenther, sophomore, Lincoln, Neb., alto II
Rebekah Guilford, freshman, Lincoln, Neb., alto I
Cecilia Minchow, freshman, Lincoln, Neb., alto II
Audrey Rich, senior, Lincoln, Neb., alto I
Nicholle Harstad, freshman, Norfolk, Neb., alto I
Shanda Fujan, sophomore, Oakland, Neb., soprano I
Thomas Johnson, junior, Omaha, Neb., bass I
Avery Kesar, sophomore, Omaha, Neb., bass I
Jazmyn Yates, senior, Omaha, Neb., soprano II
Anna Watters, sophomore, Panama, Neb., alto I
Christian Watters, sophomore, Panama, Neb., tenor I
David Dieckhoff, senior, Seward, Neb., tenor II
Kayleah Moravec, senior, Seward, Neb., soprano I
Melody Niemoth, senior, South Bend, Neb., soprano I
Jacob Sumpter, senior, Superior, Neb., tenor II
Tabitha Ristvedt, freshman, Utica, Neb., soprano II
Keziah Bruns, sophomore, Waco, Neb., alto I
Alyssa Montana, junior, Long Island, N.Y., alto I
Noah Freeman, sophomore, Bend, Ore., tenor I
David Woelmer, senior, Allen, Texas, bass I
Timothy Rasch, senior, Denton, Texas, bass II
Melinda Buhler, junior, Fort Worth, Texas, soprano I
Emma Gremmer, senior, New Braunfels, Texas, alto II
Joshua Frerking, sophomore, Tomball, Texas, bass II
Corrianne Cain, junior, Cedarburg, Wis., alto II
Aaron Huesmann, sophomore, Jackson, Wis., bass II
Sarah Benz, sophomore, Kewaskum, Wis., alto II
Sophie Hoelz, junior, Milwaukee, Wis. alto II
The 2019 A Cappella Choir Spring Tour Itinerary
Wednesday, March 27th
Pacific Hills Lutheran Church
1110 S. 90th St.
Omaha, Neb., 68124
Concert time: 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 28th
Trinity Lutheran Church
16 12th Ave NE
Hampton, Iowa, 50441
Concert time: 7 p.m.
Friday, March 29th
Trinity Lutheran Church
30888 CR 6
Elkhart, Ind., 46516
Concert time: 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 30th
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
1300 Beltline Rd
Collinsville, Ill., 62234
Concert time: 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 31st
Chapel of the Cross
11645 Benham Rd
St. Louis, Mo., 63136
Sunday services: 11 a.m.
The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus
Concordia Seminary
801 Seminary Place
St. Louis, Mo., 63105
Concert time: 3 p.m.
Monday, April 1st
The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus
Concordia Seminary
801 Seminary Place
St. Louis, Mo., 63105
Chapel Service: 9:30 a.m.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
401 S. Main Street
Concordia, Mo., 64020
Concert time: 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 7th
First Plymouth Congregational Church
2000 D Street
Lincoln, Neb., 68502
Concert time: 3 p.m.
St. John Lutheran Church
919 N. Columbia Avenue
Seward, Neb., 68434
Concert time: 7 p.m.
