Goshen College Men’s Chorus to share “Light in the Darkness” during spring break tour

GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College Men’s Chorus is touring the Midwest, sharing the theme of “Light in the Darkness” at churches and schools in Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, Feb. 26-March 4, as well as performing a concluding home concert in Goshen.

While the choir is on tour, people can follow the trip through an online blog several student singers will update, complete with photos, which will be available at choir.b.goshen.edu.

Directed by Assistant Professor of Music Scott Hochstetler, the Goshen College Men’s Chorus follows in the long tradition of GC male singing groups beginning with the men’s glee clubs and the Rambler Quartet of the early 1900s. Formed by the combined male voices of the Chorale and Chamber Choir, the Men’s Chorus performs music from all genres and time periods with special emphasis on sacred a cappella literature. The men perform in on-campus choral concerts and represent the college on periodic tours.

The Goshen College Men’s Chorus features the following members: (first tenor) Brett Conrad, of Denver, Colo.; Benson Hostetter, of Harrisonburg, Va.; Matt Nafziger, of Goshen; Luke Slagel, of Goshen; Jordan Weaver, of Lanark, Ill.; (second tenor) Stefan Baumgartner, of Goshen; Philip Bontrager, of Goshen; Micah Detweiler, of Kokomo, Ind.; Daniel Driver, of Goshen; Lucas Godshalk, of Plymouth, Ind.; Clayton Miller, of Goshen; JD Nafziger, of Goshen; Kolton Nay, of Dover, Ohio; Alex Pletcher, of Goshen; Bobby Switzer, of Berne, Ind.; (first bass) Kaleb Batten, of Mendon, Mich.; Aaron Bontrager, of Archbold, Ohio; Darin Bontrager, of Archbold, Ohio; Ben Breckbill, of Lincoln, Neb.; Karsten Hess, of Goshen; Min Ah Kim, of Kidron, Ohio; Jay Mast, of Goshen; James Miller, of Greencastle, Pa.; Nick Schwartz, of Phoenix, Ariz.; Jake Smucker, of Woodward, Pa.; Sam Smucker, of Newton, Kan.; Brody Thomas, of Springs, Pa.; Hans Weaver, of Lancaster, Pa.; Justin Yoder, of Perkasie, Pa.; (second bass) Jackson Bush, of Bluffton, Ohio; Zachary Clouse, of Goshen; Andre Eisenbeis, of Freeman, S.D.; Jacob Greaser, of Goshen; Colin Gregory, of Goshen; Jonathan Hershberger, of Lancaster, Pa.; Micah Isnogle, of Goshen; Aaron Kaufmann, of Tiskilwa, Ill.; Alex Matthews, of Pettisville, Ohio; Grant Miller, of Danvers, Ill.; Michael Miller, of Waterloo, Iowa; Seth Miller, of Wellman, Iowa; Brian Plank, of Pettisville, Ohio; Landon Slabaugh, of Kalona, Iowa; Seth Yoder, of Quakertown, Pa. and Jared Zook, of Canton, Ohio.

Hochstetler directs Chorale and Men’s Chorus, and teaches applied voice, vocal pedagogy and conducting. He holds a doctorate of musical arts from Michigan State University, a double master’s degree of music in conducting and voice from the University of Michigan, a master of arts from Western Oregon University and a bachelor of arts degree from Goshen College. Hochstetler has worked as music director at Western Mennonite School in Salem, Ore., and has also taught at the University of Michigan—Flint and Corban University (Salem, Ore.). He has performed opera and oratorio roles and given recitals in Indiana, Michigan and Oregon. His scholarly writings on Vaughan Williams have been published by The Choral Journal, and he is currently co-writing two books on choral diction for earthsongspublications.

Goshen College’s Music Department offers a bachelor of arts degree with concentrations in music education, performance, music technology, piano pedagogy and music in worship. The department’s 60 majors and minors enjoy participation in five choirs, staged musicals and operas, orchestra, wind ensemble and jazz band. The Music Department is housed in the Goshen College Music Center, built in 2001. The Music Center features the 1,000-seat Sauder Concert Hall, the 300-seat Rieth Recital Hall, rehearsal and practice rooms, classrooms, teaching studios, a recording studio and an art gallery. The Community School of the Arts, located in the Music Center, provides teaching experience and leadership training for Goshen College students. The Performing Arts Series regularly brings prominent national and international musicians to the Music Center.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.