Concert Choir gears up for tour season
Over spring break, the choir will tour through four midwest states: Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas.
Last year, the Bethel College Concert Choir ended their season in the most extravagant way possible; a three week tour across Europe, which ended with the final concert of former BC Choir Director Dr. William “Bill” Eash. There was a lot of anticipation to see the follow-up season, and it would be an understatement to say the BC choir hit the ground running. And now, just around the corner, the Bethel College Concert Choir States tour is about to begin.
Under the direction of the new choir director, Dr. Henry Waters, the Concert Choir and various other groups are preparing for their four state tour across the Midwest. Departing in early March, leg one of the tour kicks off in Kansas City, where the choir will perform at various churches as well as a BC alumni event.
Next, the choir will stop at Drake University to meet with composer Eric Barnum, who wrote two of the choir’s current pieces, including the piece Prairie Elegy, which has not yet been published, and only performed by a handful of choirs.
After a night in Iowa City, the choir goes to a popular choir tour city, Chicago, where they will spend the longest leg of their tour, with back to back days of adventure through the “Windy City.”
To wrap up the trip, the choir will travel to St. Louis, getting to see sites such as the Gateway Arch and Union Station before seeing the Broadway Production of To Kill a Mockingbird at St. Louis’s Fox Theater, before returning to Bethel to enjoy their last weekend of spring break.
This tour follows a similar route to that of previous tours, even revising some plans from the 2020 tour that was canceled due to COVID-19. Waters plans on also incorporating student groups Open Road and Woven into the concert, as well as the newest musical group to make its mark on campus, the Chamber Choir.
The Bethel College Concert Choir has a rooted history of absolutely astonishing crowds with their performances, and for some in the choir this States tour will be the biggest music performance related trip they’ve had in their careers.
Waters has been working with his choir for several months now on their pieces, and a sendoff home concert on Feb. 26 will be available for those who will not be able to attend any tour concerts.
Waters summed up his feelings for the work his choir put into their performances as well as for this tour in two simple words: “I’m excited!”