Messiah Festival announced

For nearly 140 years, Bethany College has held the Messiah Festival (Messiah Festival), which was postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19. The spring festival will be held in the Spring Festival of 2021, and preventive measures will be taken to Limit the spread of the virus.  

"At present, we are planning to perform Handel's Messiah with all our strength, but masked and distanced from society. If the Covid situation does not improve, we will turn to performances with fewer performers," said Dr. Mark Lucas, the art director. 

However, there are currently no plans to attract live audiences. Instead, every event that is normally admitted and many other events will be broadcast live online by the college. 

This year's film festival will celebrate "Women and Art", including artworks from the list of festival events starting in March. 

According to the press release, if it is possible to include live audiences, a limited number of tickets will be available on the day of the event. For the latest information on possible tickets and events, please visit www.messiahfestival.org.

That's hardly the only change the festival is going through. The rehearsal time will be shortened. The returning singer will only need to participate in one regional rehearsal before the dress rehearsal on March 21. 

According to the introduction of Manda Deegan, the coordinator of Messiah Music Festival, all singers will get a special resonance singing mask, which is made of a high-thread cotton shell, the inside is knitted polyester with wicking technology, and natural anti-bamboo charcoal knitting -Microorganisms and 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.

Deegan joined the festival office this year as a coordinator. She is a violin and viola instructor, musician, string instrument bow repairer and tuner in Salina. Deegan is a native of Denver and graduated from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. During his husband's military career, he spent ten years traveling, playing and teaching in various places from South Korea to Kentucky. Deegan currently has a private studio of 45 violin and viola students.

The final performance list is not yet complete. 

Lucas said: "According to St. Matthew, whether we will implement Bach's passion has not yet been finalized." 

However, starting from February 14th, there will be a complete holiday schedule. The event will be broadcast live on March 5. 

The current holiday schedule is as follows: 

February 14th, Sunday-only new singers (singers who have been singing for 1-3 years are also invited to participate in this rehearsal).

Sunday, February 21-soprano only

Sunday, February 28 – Altos only

Sunday, March 7-Tenor only

Sunday, March 14-Bass only

Sunday, March 21-Dress rehearsal

*All rehearsals will be held in Presser Hall from 3-5 pm

Messianic activities:

March 5th-April 4th: Lindsborg collection... Lindsborg art in downtown 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 1pm to 5pm at 105 North Street in the centre of Limburg.

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

The 123rd Annual Midwest Art Exhibition will feature works by Bethany College graduates Richard and Lawrence's Tom Klocke; and mixed media by Salina native Jim Sherraden (Jim Sherraden) of White Creek, Tennessee Woodcuts; works of art by members of the Sandzén Gallery Exhibition Committee (Cary Brinegar, Wayne Conyers, Maleta Forsberg, Michael Jilg, Elizabeth Liljegren, Ron Michael, Karla Prickett and Rose Marie Wallen); a collection with Hayes' Dave Woolard.

The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we will not be able to hold the opening reception of the exhibition.

March 19th to April 4th: Student art exhibition under review at Mingenback Art Center

The Art and Digital Media Department of Bethany College will hold a corridor exhibition at Mingenbach Art Center. The exhibition will be created by a local female art director and judged by visual arts artist Ruth Moritz by Bethany College students Traditional judging works created. On the stage of the Palmer Auditorium on March 28, 2021 (Sunday), after the "Celebration of Leading Women", there will be an award ceremony for award-winning art students, followed by a small reception.

Sunday, March 21, 3 pm: Messianic costume rehearsal is held in Presser Hall Auditorium, student soloists participate

Student soloists from the Music Department of Bethany University will sing arias as part of Handel Messiah’s annual rehearsal. The event will be broadcast live, and if Covid conditions permit, a limited number of tickets will be provided at the gate on the day of the event. For more information, please visit www.MessiahFestival.org.

Sunday, March 28, Palm, 3 pm: Leadership Women's Celebration in Presser Hall

This special event will invite outstanding women with connections to Bethany College and/or Linzburg, Kansas, including the Mayor of Lindsburg, Becky Anderson, and Dr. Elizabeth Mauch, President of Bethany College, USA Susan, Bishop of the Central Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Church. Candea and Kansas Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Zabel-Wilson (Evelyn Zabel-Wilson). A special female choir hosted by Mrs. Britney English, a vocal teacher at Smokey Valley High School will also make an appearance. After the event, Swensson Park on the west side of Presser Hall will hold the foundation stone laying ceremony of Alma Swensson Garden. The event will be broadcast live, and if Covid conditions permit, a limited number of tickets will be provided at the gate on the day of the event. For more information, please visit www.MessiahFestival.org.

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

The annual Messianic Arts Festival Student Honor Recital shows the best music majors and minors from the Music Department of Bethany College. The event will be broadcast live, and if Covid conditions permit, a limited number of tickets will be provided at the gate on the day of the event. For more information, please visit www.MessiahFestival.org.

April 2, Good Friday: 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 4th 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, and if Covid conditions permit, a limited number of balcony seat tickets will be provided 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 to be determined

Bethany College was established in 1881 by immigrants from the Swedish Lutheran Church. It is an American evangelical Lutheran college. The mission of Bethany College is to educate, develop and challenge individuals so that they can live a life of faith, learning and service, and the pursuit of truth and excellence. Bethany connects its past, present and future through unique programs such as Good Life Scholarship, providing all local high school graduates with four-year, full tuition college scholarships. Bethany College is located in Lindsburg, Kansas, the craft capital of the state. Find us online at www.bethanylb.edu.