HILLSBORO, Kan. — The Tabor College Oratorio Chorus and Community Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Brad Vogel, Professor of Choral Music, will present Handel’s Messiah at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6., at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, 300 Prairie Point, in Hillsboro.
Solos will be sung by Tabor seniors Justin Moore, Emily Olson and Kayla Vix; juniors Darren Enns and Aaron Stepanek; and sophomore David Vogel. Lisa Loewen Kroeker, a 2003 graduate of Tabor, also will perform as a soloist.
First performed in Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 1742, Messiah is Handel’s most famous composition and is among the most popular works in Western choral literature. Although the work was conceived and first performed for Easter, it has become traditional to perform the oratorio during Advent, the preparatory period of the Christmas season.
“Much of the Hillsboro community sees Messiah as the beginning of the Christmas season,” said Vogel. “The college is happy to bring this music to the community.”
Dr. Sheila Litke, Associate Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy, will play the harpsichord, and Stephen Vincent, Adjunct Instructor of Organ, will have the privilege of playing Messiah’s familiar melodies on the church’s newly-restored pipe organ.
The vintage Kimball organ, restored by master organ builder Burton Tidwell of Marion, Kan., was donated to the church by Calvary United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kan. The organ will be heard for the first time in public at this performance of Messiah.
“Burton Tidwell is an extremely busy man, building and restoring large pipe organs from California to Texas to Kentucky to Florida and the Bronx,” Vogel said. “Pipes for this organ have come not only from the Wichita organ but from rebuilding projects in the Bronx and beyond. Some of the pipes are about a hundred years old.”
An offering will be taken following the performance of Messiah to assist with costs of the production. For more information, call the Tabor College Music Department at (620) 947-3121.
The Tabor College Handbell Choir will be among the groups performing at the community-wide Thanksgiving Service and Fall Festival Concert, “With Praise and Thanksgiving”, beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, 300 Prairie Point, in Hillsboro, Kan.
The event, co-sponsored by Tabor and the Hillsboro Area Ministerial Association, will feature a variety of groups and soloists from the Tabor Music Department. Admission is free with a donation of a non-perishable food item for Main Street Ministries. A freewill offering will also be taken for the work of the Ministerial Alliance.
The Handbell Choir will be playing the Christmas favorite, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” directed by Dr. Richard Cantwell, Director of Instrumental Music and Chair of the Music Department.
The Tabor College Handbell Choir began in 2003 with a significant donation from Dr. Don and Connie Isaac to purchase the first 2-octave set. The third octave was added through a generous donation from the Sam Regier Family in memory of Sam’s mother, Katharina Friesen Regier, an early Tabor College music faculty member.
According to Cantwell, handbell ringing requires a unique combination of musicianship, eye-hand coordination and personal focus. He recommends Handbell Choir participation for Tabor students planning to serve in the area of church music either as a vocation or a service.
“Many churches have handbell sets with a lack of skilled volunteers to lead them,” Cantwell said. “Tabor is fortunate to have a group of fine musicians willing to fit the Handbell Ensemble into their busy academic schedules.”
The Handbell Choir played during worship services held Sunday, Nov. 8, at Community Bible Church in Abilene, Kan., the home church of senior handbell choir member Andrea Kuntz. On Tuesday, Nov. 10, the choir performed for 125 residents and family members at Showalter Villa, in Hesston, Kan., where senior member Janae Rempel’s grandmother resides.
Unlike an orchestra or choir in which each musician is responsible for one line of the texture, a handbell ensemble acts as one instrument, with each musician responsible for sounding his or her assigned bells whenever that note appears in the music.
“Handbells is the type of group where everyone needs to be there, each part is so important,” said Sarah Friesen, a sophomore from Guthrie, Okla. “The Hesston audience was unique in that so many people either had played handbells or had a relative or friend that is a handbell player. It was a fun experience.”
Sally Epp, a freshman from Gilter, Neb., agreed, saying, “I enjoy handbells, it’s a new experience. After playing the piano for many years, it’s like starting over on a new instrument, and you learn to laugh at your mistakes.”
In addition to Kuntz, Remple, Friesen and Epp, other member of the Tabor College Handbell Choir include Katheryn Camp, Debbie Miller, Emily Olson, Emily Schmidt and Heidi Versaw.
The musical and comedic talents of three former Tabor College fine arts students who have been making headlines as professional show business entertainers will be featured on campus once again when “Three Fold” performers Michael Woods, Landon Tucker and Jonathan Regier return for three public performances, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 6-8, in the Chapel-Auditorium.
The “Three Fold” performance series begins at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, with the one-man comedy “Fully Committed,” performed by Woods, a 2005 Tabor graduate, who has been acting and doing comedy in Chicago, Ill. A musical concert will follow at 9 p.m., performed by Tucker and Regier, both 2006 Tabor graduates, who have been playing together and separately in Virginia Beach, Va.
Woods will perform “Fully Committed” again at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. At 9 p.m. the three actors will perform improvisational comedy together in a revival of the ever-popular Tabor touring troupe, “Mind Your Head.”
The improv comedy of “Mind Your Head” will be repeated in a performance at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8.
Tickets are $5 for general public ($3 for current Tabor students) and may be purchased in advance at the Student Life Office or at the door on the night of the performance. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Tabor Theatre program which helped launch the entertainers’ careers.
“It has been rewarding and meaningful to stay in touch with these three and other friends of theirs from Tabor days,” said Judy Harder, Associate Professor of Communications and Drama. “In the course of visiting back and forth these last few years, it seemed the right time for them to come back and perform together on our campus again. All three enjoy performing together and they love to interact with their audiences. I am confident that all who attend will experience fine quality entertainment.
“They are donating their time and talent in appreciation for their experiences in the arts at Tabor,” Harder added. “They often express their desire to support the arts at Tabor. After expenses are covered, proceeds from the weekend will be used to support needs of Tabor theatre productions.”
Michael Woods
Woods has received much attention from prominent theaters in the Chicagoland area and has been acting consistently since he arrived in town. Act One Studios reviewed Woods as ”…fantastically funny… His physical humor, high stakes commitment, and great sense of humor is a joy to behold.” The Chicago Tribune hailed Woods as, “a standout character actor” and “masterful in his (comedic) timing.”
According to Harder, “Woods performed ‘Fully Committed’ as his Senior Project while at Tabor and we are in for an amazing repeat performance of a flustered phone clerk taking on more than 35 characters calling for reservations at a trendy New York Restaurant.
“I am eager to see Michael’s tour de force comedy,” she added. “Michael’s performance of Fully Committed was phenomenal while he was here at Tabor, and I have no doubt that his reworking and repeating the one-man comedy will result in another amazing performance.”
Following graduation from Tabor, Woods earned an MFA in Acting from Regent (Va.) University, and roomed for awhile with Tucker and Regier who took advantage of various music and acting performance opportunities in the Hampton Roads area.
Woods said he is eager to return to the Tabor College stage.
“Tabor College is where I crafted the dream that I am now living out,” Woods said. “Coming back to perform at Tabor is a great way at looking back at how far the three of us have gone, where we will go in the future, and looking to where others might dream to go as well.”
Rachel Pederson, also a 2006 Tabor graduate, from Wichita, will be assisting Woods with sound effects during Fully Committed.
“She is giving up a week of workdays to rehearse with Michael in Wichita before they perform here on campus,” Harder said. “She was involved with theater in a major way while at Tabor, along with the guys.”
Regier and Tucker have embarked their own solo careers as singer-songwriters (both have solo CDs available) and they frequently perform together. Throughout the summers of ‘08 & ‘09, they played at Beach Street USA on the oceanfront in Virginia Beach, and, recently appeared as “Jonathan and Landon” on the “Live Music Friday” segment of the FOX 43 TV news program in Virginia Beach.
Introducing them to the television audience, the announcer said, “We’re celebrating with the acoustic rock duo Jonathan and Landon… These guys are college buddies that turned music into a career, and that’s very cool!”
According to the “About” section on his website, Regier is a “surveyor of moments.”
“He puts into melodies that unusually perceptive glimpse between you and the stranger you walked by today. His words describe that very glance that will tap on your reflective shoulder the moment you sit down to unwind. Jonathan is a musician of perception. “I take a moment and live there in my songs. I’m committed to finding out whether it resonates with other people.”
Jonathan Regier
Jonathan’s debut EP, The Smithson Sessions, is a snapshot of these moments, colored by the sun and stars of Virginia Beach.”
Regier just finished a number of short film projects as well as playing piano for the Patsy Cline show on the oceanfront. His first feature film, “The Box” comes out at the end of October, in which he plays one of the black ops officers.
As for Tucker, according to the “About” section on his website, his desire is “to stir up people to look at life from a different perspective and challenge them to a life well lived. I want to live hard, laugh loud, and love deep…and I wouldn’t mind some company along the way.”
In addition to performing, Tucker has been a worship leader for various ministries and is currently serving at Freedom Fellowship in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg Collegiate in Williamsburg, Va. He recorded an EP during his last year at Tabor with the help of 2007 Tabor graduate, Keith Warkentin. It is available for sale at cdbaby.com.
While at Tabor, Woods, Regier and Tucker shared the spotlight in several shows, such as “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Twelve Angry Men,” and “The Drawer Boy.”
“Anyone who attended the Tabor College production of “The Foreigner” in 2002 will not soon forget the hilarious comedy featuring Woods as Charlie, Regier as Ellard and Tucker as Froggy,” Harder said.
“Jonathan and Landon also sang in the Concert Choir and performed musical worship with Crosswise and Share, Prayer & Dare,” she added. “They toured with comedy improv calling themselves “Mind Your Head,” and Landon’s work in graphic design further established their reputation as a multi-talented threesome.”
Landon Tucker
According to Regier, the coaching and experience he received from Tabor both in music and acting provided the solid foundation that he needed to pursue his passion as a professional entertainer. He looks forward to sharing the Tabor spotlight again with his former college chums, who have become great professional colleagues.
“I love performing with Mike and Landon,” Regier said. “They are so good at what they do that I have full confidence when I’m on stage with them. I know they’ve got my back.”
For Tucker, returning to Tabor is an opportunity to give back to a college that gave so much to him.
“I always enjoy coming back and performing at Tabor,” Tucker said. “It’s a lot like coming home again. My experiences there helped shape who I am today; the people, the education, the community life. Tabor gave me opportunities to grow as a musician and artist and helped give me a solid foundation from which to move forward. I’m happy to give back what I can.”
The Tabor College Symphonic Band, including the Jazz Band, Flute Ensemble and Bluejays’ Pep Band, will perform its Home Concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 3, in the College Chapel-Auditorium. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.
According to Dr. Richard Cantwell, Director of the Symphonic Band and instrumental ensembles, the Home Concert will contain a variety of music performed during concerts given in Oklahoma during the band’s annual Spring Tour, April 23 to 27.
“Providing a wide variety of music for the audience and the ability to play many different styles for the audience’s enjoyment is a goal and desire of each individual and the group,” said Cantwell, who is in his 11th year of directing music at the college and also serves as Chairman of the Music Department.
This year the band is featuring student soloists Corina Neufeld, oboist, from Denver, Colo.; marimba players Lisa Hall, McPherson, Kan., and Joel McCoy, Olathe, Kan.; and, trumpet player Eric Funk, Littleton, Colo.
The Symphonic Band members are selected by audition and come from across the United States. The Jazz Band and Flute Ensemble members are selected from members of the Symphonic Band.The Jazz Band will be performing a variety of “Big Band” and “Swing Band” selections.The Flute Ensemble literature will be selected from classical and sacred selections.
“The ensemble members are individually fine players, but combining the individual abilities into a fine performance organization is an enjoyable and rewarding challenge,” Cantwell said. “Making beautiful music, making energizing music, making music fun and enjoyable are all desires of the ensemble.”
Dr. Cantwell holds a Doctorate in Music Arts Degree in Instrumental and Choral Conducting from the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City having worked extensively with Dr. Glenn Block and Dr. Eph Ehly. He is married to Dr. Linda Cantwell, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing at Tabor College.
A number of talented pianists, instrumentalists, and vocalists will be performing on stage during the Tabor College Music Department’s annual Honors Recital, beginning at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 5 in the Chapel-Auditorium.
Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.
According to Dr. Richard Cantwell, Director of Instrumental Music and Chair of the Music Department, the Honors Recital is an opportunity for music students who are studying applied lessons to perform in a formal setting.
“Many of the applied students are not music majors, but are minors or members of our performing groups and would not normally have a recital requirement,” Cantwell said.
“It should be a great evening of wonderful music.”
Honors Recital Performers:
Violin Trio – Mary Goering, Katherine Goering, Julie Wiens
The Tabor College Symphonic Band, including the Jazz Band, Flute Ensemble and Bluejays’ Pep Band, will perform a series of free public concerts in Oklahoma during its annual Spring Tour, April 23 to 27, 2009.
According to Dr. Richard Cantwell, Director of the Symphonic Band and instrumental ensembles, a variety of music will be performed at different venues, beginning with the group’s first performance, at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 23, at the Mennonite Brethren Church, in Fairview, Okla.
“Providing a wide variety of music for the audience and the ability to play many different styles for the audience’s enjoyment is a goal and desire of each individual and the group,” said Cantwell, who is in his 11th year of directing music at the college and also serves as Chairman of the Music Department.
“Instrumental music has a very different effect on its audience than piano or choral music,” Cantwell added. “The variety in timbres is greater and individually unique.The contrast in musical style is broader and more diverse. The resonances are thin and thick in nature. The dynamic levels are various and can become overwhelming.”
This year the band is featuring student soloists Corina Neufeld, oboist, from Denver, Colo.; marimba players Lisa Hall, McPherson, Kan., and Joel McCoy, Olathe, Kan.; and, trumpet player Eric Funk, Littleton, Colo.
The Symphonic Band members are selected by audition and come from across the United States. The Jazz Band and Flute Ensemble members are selected from members of the Symphonic Band.
The Jazz Band will be performing a variety of “Big Band” and “Swing Band” selections.The Flute Ensemble literature will be selected from classical and sacred selections.
“The ensemble members are individually fine players, but combining the individual abilities into a fine performance organization is an enjoyable and rewarding challenge,” Cantwell said. “Making beautiful music, making energizing music, making music fun and enjoyable are all desires of the ensemble.”
Other performances include:
* Friday, April 24, Memorial Road Mennonite Brethren Church in Edmond, Okla., at 7 p.m.
* Saturday, April 25, Oklahoma National Memorial, in Oklahoma City, followed by an evening concert at the Corn Mennonite Brethren Church, in Corn, Okla.
* Sunday, April 26, the band will provide music during the morning worship service at the church in Corn.After a lunch at the church, the band will travel to Enid, Okla., for a concert at the Enid Mennonite Brethren Church, at 6:00 pm.
* Monday, April 27, the ensembles will perform at the Oklahoma Bible Academy, Enid, Okla., before returning home to Hillsboro.
Upon returning to Hillsboro, the band will perform its Home Concert at 4 p.m., Sunday, May 3, in the College Chapel-Auditorium.
Dr. Cantwell holds a Doctorate in Music Arts Degree in Instrumental and Choral Conducting from the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City having worked extensively with Dr. Glenn Block and Dr. Eph Ehly. He is married to Dr. Linda Cantwell, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing at Tabor College.
Celebrating its 100th year, Tabor College is a four-year Christian liberal arts institution located in Hillsboro, Kan., with a second campus, the School for Adult and Graduate Studies, in Wichita, Kan. Visit us at www.tabor.edu.
Pianist Brandon Voth will perform his Senior Piano Recital at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 21st at the Tabor College Chapel-Auditorium.
Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.
Voth, a Music/Biblical and Religious Studies major from Lynden, Wash., will perform Italian Concerto (Moderato) by Johann Sebastian Bach; Piano Concerto in D Major by Franz Joseph Haydn; Four Impromtus (Allegro Molto Moderato) by Franz Schubert; La fille aux cheveus de lin, La cathedrale engloutie, and Minstrels by Claude Debussy; and, Suite for Piano: Presto, Andante, and Vif, by Francis Poulnec.
“I wanted to provide a good variety of styles, genres, and time periods for both myself and the listener,” Voth said. “I’ve always loved Debussy because of his impressionistic emotional contrast, and the Poulenc set has really grown on me.The Bach and Haydn provide a nice contrast from the more contemporary and romantic pieces, and the Schubert is very opposite of everything else with its dark foreboding nature.”
Voth credits his musical success to his instructors, including his piano teacher, Dr. Shelia Litke, Associate Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy, who is an accomplished concert pianist.
“Tabor has done wonders to advance me musically,” Voth said. “All of the professors I get to work with show care and respect for me as a person as well as a love for music.I’ve had numerous opportunities to use newly acquired skills in a variety of settings; from church on Sunday mornings to football games on Friday nights, to traveling the country with the choir and band.”
Piano performance is Voth’s way to express his Christian faith, he added.
“Music is a language, a language that can express what words can’t,” Voth said. “Yes, getting the notes right is important, and many hours are spent towards that goal, but after that’s all finished, you can wade out into deeper waters and immerse yourself in it.Romans 8 talks of Jesus pleading on our behalf with ‘groans that words cannot express’, and music gives me a chance to ‘speak’ with Him with words I cannot express.”
The Tabor College Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Bradley D. Vogel, Professor of Choral Music, will perform a free public concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 5, at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church.
The choir recently returned from its Spring Tour, in which it gave 10 concerts, from March 19 to March 27, in Kansas, Colorado, and California.
The concert, entitled “The Aroma of Christ,” is based on 2 Corinthians 2:15 and explores the themes of Christ in the World, Christ in Us, and With Christ in Eternity.
“The concert repertoire is designed with the aim to magnify the greatness of God and His love,” Vogel said. “Through beauty of sound and text, we hope that listeners recognize God in us and around us.”
Musical selections will range from standard choral works of Palestrina, Rachmaninoff, Stanford and Durufle, to arrangements of hymns, spirituals, and gospel songs. The concert choir will be accompanied by piano, organ, flute, oboe, and violin.
“I do believe that art glorifies God, and that people are enriched by beauty,” Vogel added. “Our prayer is that people will feel enriched by hearing the choir.”
The Tabor Concert Choir had their last concert of tour tonight at a beautiful church in San Jose. This week has gone by so quickly, it’s hard to believe that tomorrow they will head back to campus. Every night the choir has performed exceptionally well but tonight I felt a strong presence of the Spirit. Their song, My Jesus I Love Thee, which has become my favorite, brought tears to my eyes tonight. It has been a privilege to worship with them, something Ryan and I will never forget.
Family and Friends
Some choir members have been able to see their family members on tour. Jessica Kelley’s dad, step-mom and brother were present to support her and I captured their reunion on camera.
Julie and Stephanie Wiens, mom, Denise, attended more than one concert this week and shared with us her thoughts on having two daughters at Tabor.
And I saw my freshman roommate, friend, and former TC choir member, Lisa Auchterlonie. She is living near San Fransisco, using her musical talent in voice overs and entertainment.
Tabor College Concert Choir Highlights
Enjoy interviews with Dr. Vogel and choir members, live recordings of their music and some additional pictures!
With plans to join the the Tabor choir on a visit to the Sequoia National Park, Ryan and I set out a bit late this morning. The choir however was running a bit early and when we arrived at the church we had just missed them. We decided to head out on our own in hopes of catching them on the road or seeing them in the park.
Ryan and I entered the southern part of the park near Visalia. As we drove through, we were in awe of God’s mighty creation. We saw some of the world’s biggest trees, majestic mountain tops, rushing rivers and beautiful valleys. We also experienced a drastic change in temperate-from sunny and mid 60s on the valley floor to snow and low 40s in the giant sequoia forest.
On our way out of the park, we stopped to take a final picture of a valley covered with orange wildflowers and much to our surprise we finally saw the Tabor charter bus.
College Community Church MB
One of my favorite parts of this week has been reuniting with Tabor alums. Tonight I had the opportunity to reconnect with Matt Insley (he graduated in 2004) who is also the youth pastor at College Community MB. Ryan and I treated some youth to pizza, soda, and fellowship before the concert. It was a blessing for me to hear Matt explain to his youth how Tabor prepared him for seminary and service. The youth had great questions and I truly believe this was one of the best interactions I have had this week.
I found out that Matt is about ready to graduate from the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary (MBBS) along with another Tabor grad, Matt Regier. I was so excited to hear that Matt Regier and his wife, Tia, will be returning to serve at Main Street Ministires in Hillsboro.
And that’s not all, it was also a blessing to reconnect with former Tabor faculty member and current Interim President of MBBS, Lynn Jost and his wife, Donna. We greatly miss them but are proud of where God has taken them and called them serve.
The best part of this day was for choir members Ashley Siler and Ben Friesen, who got engaged at Sequoia National Park. If you get a chance, ask them about their story-it’s a good one!
Solos will be sung by Tabor seniors Justin Moore, Emily Olson and Kayla Vix; juniors Darren Enns and Aaron Stepanek; and sophomore David Vogel. Lisa Loewen Kroeker, a 2003 graduate of Tabor, also will perform as a soloist.
The musical and comedic talents of three former Tabor College fine arts students who have been making headlines as professional show business entertainers will be featured on campus once again when “Three Fold” performers Michael Woods, Landon Tucker and Jonathan Regier return for three public performances, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 6-8, in the Chapel-Auditorium.
