Written by Kenzie James // Photo provided by McKenna Watts
The Harding University Chorus started its semester off with the annual Harding University Chorus Tour, visiting schools and churches in Texas and Arkansas. The tour helped to bring the members of the ensemble together, and they are all looking forward to another semester of singing together.
“The music made us bond, and then the fun that we had in between did too,” chorus director Dr. Kyle Pullen said.
The Chorus Tour has been a tradition for much of the history of the ensemble. Sophomore Daniel Bennett, who has been in Chorus for four semesters, said his grandparents participated in the tour when they were Harding students in the 1960s and ‘70s, and it has continued since. This year, from Jan. 4 to Jan. 7, Chorus performed in six cities in Arkansas and Texas: Little Rock, Heath, Lewisville, Texarkana, Hot Springs and Beebe.
“We did very good with adapting to the different circumstances we were in, and [being able to quickly adapt] could also be used with the different styles of pieces we’re now learning,” Bennett said.
The stop at Lewisville Church of Christ in Lewisville, Texas, was particularly special for members of the ensemble. Students spent the afternoon playing ping-pong and board games, spending some of their rare free time bonding with each other. They ended the night with a performance that became one of Pullen’s favorite memories from the trip. He said it was the best performance of the tour, and it made the Chorus feel like they were more unified.
Sophomore Cathrine Hook, who is in her fourth semester in Chorus, said she also felt the ensemble bond through their performances. She said they sang some of the pieces memorized for the first time on tour, and that improved the performances because members were able to engage with one another while performing.
Another way the tour united Chorus members is through the obstacles they faced. Before going on tour, Chorus didn’t rehearse for over two weeks because of the holiday break. Another obstacle was that some singers had to switch voice parts to fill in for other singers who couldn’t go on tour.
“The challenges we faced on tour have prepared us for a more challenging second semester,” Pullen said.
Pullen said their music this semester will be more challenging, and he looks forward to seeing the bonds in Chorus grow tighter from working through difficult pieces.
The Harding University Chorus will have a few concerts this semester, but one they are looking forward to is the Grand Chorus Concert April 9. This concert will be one of the many events surrounding the Great American Eclipse April 8. In addition to the Harding University Chorus, the Grand Chorus will feature Harding’s Concert Choir and Harding Academy’s Chorus. The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will also perform at the concert for the eclipse. Both Bennett and Hook said they are excited about the honor of singing with the ASO and the challenges brought with the new music they will perform with Chorus.
