New beginnings for Bethel College choirs
New beginnings for Bethel College choirs
With a new director, the ensembles have exciting new territory to cover.
The Bethel College Choir Department has hit the ground running with newly-cast ensembles and eager preparations for their approaching concert on November 6th.
Each choir participant has found themself in a transitional period. One need only walk down the music department halls of the Luyken Fine Arts Center to notice a new friendly face: Dr. Henry Waters. He stepped into the position of choir director, following the retirement of Dr. William Eash. Waters is originally from Tupelo, Miss., but has been living in the Wichita area for roughly 10 years.
“When I saw this position become available, it was a dream come true,” Waters said.
Waters was searching and hoping for a career which resembled his time at a private liberal arts undergraduate institution. He wanted the opportunity to “contribute to that education, that transformational experience.”
Choir members, themselves, are also in a time of new beginnings as the audition process for most ensembles has only just come to a close. Among these groups is the Concert Choir, which consists of 45 mixed voices.
One of the largest changes Waters has made to the Music Department is the establishment of a Chamber Choir, consisting of 16 members selected from the Concert Choir. Additionally, the faction previously known as the Women’s Ensemble has been recoined as the Chapel Choir. It is composed of 18 alto and soprano voices.
There are two additional student-led acapella groups, known as Woven and Open Road. Both ensembles have completed their casting, and plan to debut their new members at Bethel’s Fall Festival.
Waters said that he has been extremely impressed with the talent of his new students, calling their voices “magnificent…musical instruments.”
Each ensemble will be performing in their first concert on Sunday, November 6, at 3:00 p.m. in Memorial Hall. Prospective audience members can expect a fully thematic experience. The idea to interweave each piece into a broader theme is something new, which Dr. Waters introduces to Bethel.
During this upcoming concert, the Bethel choir will seek to answer the question: “Can We Sing the Darkness to Light?” Dr. Waters stated that he builds his themes around topics that are not often discussed. He felt that the effect the pandemic has had on people’s mental health was weighing on him over the summer. He also said that he has been reminding the ensembles that “we have this gift of coming together and singing, regardless of what's going on in the world…We can take a moment every single day to listen to music so we can…be hopeful for the future.”
Bethel choir may be in a time of immense change, but it is clear that the department is in good hands. Dr. Waters wants the community to come share their stories and fully experience the art of music.