March 29, 2024

Last Friday, the Wittenberg Choir performed their last concert of the semester in Weaver Chapel. This concert marked the homecoming of the group after a spring break tour across the Midwest that brought the Wittenberg Choir to cities such as Indianapolis, Louisville, and Bloomington, Illinois.
The Friday night concert consisted of the program from the trip, including spiritual songs such as “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and secular songs such as “Music, Give Voice!” The concert showcased the diversity of skill that the choir possessed, with lyrical music, dancing and clapping. Before the intermission, pianist and organist David Crean played a Bach solo on the organ. Junior Elaina Vimmerstedt also added to the diversity of the show by performing a guitar accompaniment to “This Little Light of Mine.”
Including this final concert at Wittenberg, the choir performed this concert 12 times. This spring break trip is an annual tradition of the choir and Frances Fonza, conductor of the Wittenberg choir, stated that this year’s performances met with great success.
“It’s great for church relations because we do concerts at churches,” Fonza said. “This year, we sang at 10 churches, nine of which were Lutheran. It’s also great for recruitment because we visit high schools on our tour route.”
This year, the choir visited Spencer County Middle and High Schools in Taylorsville, Kentucky and Proviso Math and Science Academy in Forest Park, Illinois to encourage students to pursue music and post-secondary education. All the concerts the choir performed over the course of the trip were free and open to the public, which stays true to the Wittenberg traditions of community and giving. Students returning from the trip reported having a fun time while on the trip.
“I learned a lot, mostly about the other people on trip,” said sophomore Jendaya Herbert. “When you spend 10 days with a certain group of people, you realize that they’re more interesting than you realize and that they’re so multitalented. They’re different people outside of choir. You realize that you’re all doing the same thing for the same reason.”
At the end of the concert, the singers performed two songs that have become a tradition for the choir. Fonza invited Wittenberg choir alumni to the stage to perform the benediction and, for one last time, the seniors of the choir came forward to sing the Wittenberg Alma Mater.
“The students grew as a family, and the sound became more blended and expressive each concert,” Fonza said.
She looks forward to continuing the tradition of the spring break concert tour next year. She said that the choir will most likely bring the choir to another region and that she is excited to apply what she learned this year to next.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *