Bethany College Announces Details for the 2024 Messiah Festival of the Arts

Jan 09, 2024

LINDSBORG, KAN., Jan 9, 2024 – The Bethany Oratorio Society invites all interested singers to join in the first rehearsal for the Messiah Festival on January 28 at 3 p.m. on the Presser Hall stage on the Bethany College Campus.


The theme for this year's festival is "Rejoice, Greatly!" The Bethany Oratorio Society has performed Handel's "Messiah" every year since 1882 and Bach's "The Passion According to St. Matthew" since 1929. 


"I anticipate this year will be extra special, as it is my last year at the helm of the Bethany Oratorio Society. My wife was offered an outstanding position at Kansas State University, and we will move to Manhattan this summer. My time at Bethany has been wonderful, and I would love to cap it off with the best performance yet," says Associate Professor of Music Mark Lucas, Director of the Bethany Oratorio Society


Guest soloists for this year's concerts include Rebecca Myers, soprano; Alexandra Colaizzi, mezzo-soprano; James Reese, tenor; and John Buffett, bass. Leslie John Flanagan, baritone, will also be featured in the performance of "The Passion According to St. Matthew." 


Myers, Colaizzi, Reese, and Buffett will perform a free recital at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, at Messiah Lutheran Church on the Bethany College campus. They will also perform at the ticketed events, "The Passion According to St. Matthew," at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 29, in Presser Hall Auditorium and Handel's "Messiah" at 3 p.m., Sunday, March 31, in the same location. 


For more information on this year's soloists and to purchase tickets for each concert, please visit messiahfestival.org or call the festival office at (785) 227-3380, ext. 8235, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday - Friday.

Congratulations 2024 Graduates

03 May, 2024
Bethany College conferred degrees upon 99 students in Presser Hall Auditorium on April 27, 2024. The ceremony honored students who earned Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Music Education from the college during the 2023-2024 academic year. Summer, fall, and spring graduates were honored during a Baccalaureate worship service at 10:30 a.m. in Presser Hall, followed by Commencement at 2 p.m. Campus Pastor Melissa Woeppel led the Baccalaureate Service, and Rev. Lamont Wells, Executive Director of the Network of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Co llege and Universities (NECU). Gracelyn Gaskill '24, a chemistry and music major from Lindsborg, Kansas, provided special music for Commencement. Senior class speakers Inioluwa "Enoch" Ojo '24, a biology major from Katy, Texas, and Benjamin "Ben" Turner '24, a History and Political Science Major from Peyton, Colorado, gave thoughtful remarks on their time at Bethany College, taking time to thank their friends, faculty, and coaches. Dr. Brent Mai '85, Dean of University Libraries at Wichita State University, gave the commencement address, encouraging this year's graduates to go out into the world and exercise the four tenets of stoicism: wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice.
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Interim President Steve Eckman commended the efforts of the faculty and staff in securing the grant, stating, "We are immensely grateful to the McPherson County Community Foundation for their incredible generosity. This grant will benefit our students and enrich the educational experiences available in the Smoky Valley community."

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30 Apr, 2024
The newly appointed Presidential Search Committee will commence their work immediately, aiming to recommend a candidate for Bethany College's 16th president to the board by the April 2025 board meeting.
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