Each year students from the Bethany Oratorio Society are selected to perform solos during dress rehearsal for Handel’s “Messiah,” the highlight of the Messiah Festival of the Arts held annually at Bethany College in Lindsborg.
This year 17 students were selected for this honor, including:
- seniors –Elisabeth Phelan, soprano, Longmont, Colorado, Alec Schneider, bass, Lindsborg, Kansas;
- juniors –Nick Bartholomew, bass, Salina, Kansas, Kathryn Campbell, alto, Minneapolis, Kansas, Isaiah Fabrizius, bass, Wakeeney, Kansas, Annie Halterman, alto, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Stephen Klaassen, tenor, Marquette, Kansas, Carson Montgomery, bass, Almena, Kansas, Kayln Powers, soprano, Lindsborg, Kansas, Alyssa Wierman, soprano, Brownell, Kansas; Ashlee Williams, alto, Aurora, Colorado;
- freshmen –Samantha Freeman, soprano, Lindsborg, Kansas, Aubrey Hitchcock, soprano, Junction City, Kansas, Abby Rishel-Barnett, alto, Lindsborg, Kansas, Matthew Slusser, tenor, Cheney, Kansas, Taylor York, tenor, Pueblo, Colorado-
Dress rehearsal for “Messiah” will be performed for the public at Presser Hall Auditorium on Saturday, March 24 at 3 p.m.
The Messiah Festival of the Arts began Monday, March 19 with the opening of the Messiah Juried Art Exhibit at Mingenback Art Gallery. The Messiah Festival features art, music and speaking events through April 1. The festival’s featured concerts will open Palm Sunday weekend with the “Messiah” Sing-Along, at 3 p.m. Bach’s “The Passion According to St. Matthew” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Good Friday, March 30. “Messiah” will be performed at 3 p.m. on Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday and Easter performances are in Presser Hall Auditorium. The Good Friday performance is in Bethany Lutheran Church, 320 N. Main Street, Lindsborg. Tickets for all performances can be purchased online at www.messiahfestival.org or by calling Bethany’s Messiah Coordinator at (785) 227-3380, ext. 8235.
Every year since 1882, the Bethany Oratorio Society has presented Messiah at the college. The society has performed Messiah across the plains, in Carnegie Hall, and on national television. For a full listing of special events and exhibits during the Messiah Festival of the Arts, visit www.messiahfestival.org.
