Carthage College Choir

media release: Embarking on its spring 2024 tour, the award-winning Carthage College Choir will perform a concert in Madison on Friday, March 1.

The performance is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Luther Memorial Church, 1021 University Ave. Admission is free and open to the public, with no tickets required.

Founded in 1927, the Carthage Choir has a rich touring tradition. In 2019, the college ensemble won first prize in both the folk song and classical categories at the prestigious Spittal (Austria) International Choir Competition.

The choir’s tour program, titled “At the River: Visions and Crossings,” invites reflection and conversation about the role that water plays in our communal lives. Carthage’s scenic lakeside views inspired choir director Margaret Burk as she weaved the musical narrative. 

“When I ask students to define what it means to be a Carthaginian, most students begin by mentioning Lake Michigan,” Burk explains. “We have this incredible reminder of the power and the fragility of life right at our doorstep — a paradox that has captivated my attention and inspired musical responses.” 

Burk crafted the program in four parts, titled Meetings, Visions, Whispers, and Crossings. Each section highlights a different way that human lives intersect with bodies of water. 

“Whether as meeting places, as sources of salvation, as reminders of drought, or as promises of freedom, rivers, lakes, streams, and bridges exist everywhere in our lives,” Burk says. 

From Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria to the modern stylings of the band TUNE-YARDS, this diverse and energetic program will challenge listeners to carefully reflect upon their own relationships to the bodies of water that give us our collective life.

The Carthage Choir’s spring tour also includes performances in Minneapolis. For more information, contact the Carthage College box office at 262-551-6661 between noon and 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.