Messiah Festival 2021 celebrating women in the arts

LINDSBORG — Bethany College announced the activities of the Messiah Festival in 2021.

All events will implement COVID-19 mitigation protocols to ensure the safety of participants.

Currently, there are no plans to attract live audiences. Instead, every event that is normally recorded and many other events are broadcast live. If it is possible to include live audiences, a limited number of tickets can be purchased on the day of the event. Please continue to follow www.messiahfestival.org for updates.

Art director Mark Lucas said: "At present, we are planning to implement Handel's Messiah with all our strength, but with a mask and distance from society."

In addition, this year's rehearsal schedule will be greatly reduced than before. Returning singers only need to participate in a group rehearsal before the rehearsal on March 21 (Sunday), while new singers will only need to perform a rehearsal to receive instructions on how to learn music by themselves. 

According to Manda Deegan, the coordinator of the Messiah Music Festival, all singers will receive a special resonance singing mask, which is made of a high-count cotton shell with a wicking technology knitted inside. Polyester fiber, and made of natural antibacterial bamboo charcoal fiber, antibacterial. Each mask also has a disposable filter, and a long bimetallic wire and silicone seal on the nose panel to maintain the aerosol and droplet content.

For the complete schedule of Handel's Messiah rehearsal, and a description of each event of the festival, please see below. For more detailed information about soloists in 2021, please visit www.messiahfestival.org.

• March 5th to April 4th: Lindsborg collection... Lindsborg art in the centre of Lindsborg

The Lindsborg Collection exhibition showcases the private art collections of local residents, focusing on artists who have links to Lindsborg or Bethany College. The show will be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm at 105 North Street in the center of Linzburg.

• March 1st to May 23rd: The 123rd Annual Midwest Art Exhibition at Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery

The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm.

• March 19th to April 4th: Participate in student art exhibition at Mingenback Art Center

•Sunday, March 21, 3 pm: Messiah costume rehearsal, held in Presser Hall, student soloists participate

• Sunday, March 28, 3 pm: Leadership Women’s Celebration in Presser Hall

This special event will invite outstanding female leaders who have connections with Bethany College and/or Lindsborg, including Lindsborg Mayor Becky Anderson, Bethany College President Elizabeth Mauch, and Susan Candea, Bishop of Madhya Pradesh from the American Evangelical Lutheran Church, And Evelyn Zabel Wilson of the Supreme Court of Kansas. A special female choir conducted by Britney English, a vocal teacher from Smokey Valley High School will also be on display. After the event, Swensson Park on the west side of Presser Hall will hold the foundation stone laying ceremony of Alma Swensson Garden. 

• 2:30 pm on April 1st: Honorary Recital for Students in Presser Hall

• Good Friday, April 2, to be determined

It has not yet been decided whether to perform live performances according to St. Matthew or to play Bach's "Passion Band", or to broadcast earlier performances. Watch the decision on www.MessiahFestival.org.

• Easter Sunday, April 4 at 3 pm: Handel’s Messiah is held in Presser Hall

The Bethany Speakers Association plans to work with the full speaker choir and orchestra for Easter to perform Handel's Messiah's full performance on Easter Sunday. To promote social distancing, choirs and orchestras will wear special singing masks and will be scattered throughout the Presser Hall auditorium. The event will be broadcast live. If the COVID-19 situation permits, a limited number of balcony seats can be purchased at the door on the day of the event. For more information, please visit www.MessiahFestival.org.

• Jazz Walk and Theatre Productions: Dates and details are to be determined.