The college and chamber choirs joined visiting alumni for the annual homecoming choir concert on Sept. 23. 

This was the first performance of the year for both the college and chamber choirs, and conductor James Holleman temporarily returned from sabbatical to help run the event.

“We have been doing this for well over 20 years,” Holleman said. “We’ve always wanted to get alumni of the music department involved during homecoming weekend, and it’s turned into a nice tradition.”

Holleman shared the stage with Bradley Holmes, guest conductor for the semester of both choirs during Holleman’s absence. Holmes and his wife, Beth, taught choir together for 31 years at Millikin University.

“My wife and I moved this summer to Hillsdale to be near our family, especially our grandkids. The timing worked out well for me to step in for the semester for professor Holleman,” Holmes said.

The tradition begins an hour before the concert starts, according to Holleman.

“Alumni gather with the choirs for a time of fellowship over donuts and cider from Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm,” Holleman said, “so everyone can reconnect before they sing together.” 

The concert opened with the college and chamber choirs combining with the alumni to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The college choir then sang two songs of its own, conducted by Holmes.

“I brought in some new songs to the event that we sang without the alumni, so it was a little different than previous years, but I think it went really well,” Holmes said.

Holleman agreed the changes made the concert even better.

“I thought it was a really nice addition, and it gave the alumni a chance to hear the choir,” Holleman said.

One of those new songs was “I’ll Be On My Way” by Shawn Kirchner, which included a solo by junior Stephen Berntson.  

“The song is about accepting one’s death as a journey to a better life in heaven,” Berntson said. “The singer is reassuring his loved ones that there is no need to grieve his journey. I really enjoyed singing it and I’m excited to sing it again at the end of the year concert.”

The group on the stage then thinned to just the chamber choir for two additional songs, before everyone returned for “Here’s to Song,” with solos by freshmen Magdalen Saffian and Lillian Ferrell.

“Singing in this first concert meant so much to me,” Saffian said. “Coming from a small school, I just love singing in a choir with people who want to be there and aren’t required to sing but genuinely love to be there.”

The concert concluded with the “Alma Mater” song, and even the audience joined in for the Hillsdale anthem.

“It’s a great event, especially since it gives the students a taste of the pressure of a performance early on in the semester,” Holleman said. “We’re going to keep doing it and hopefully continue to grow the involvement of alumni in the event.”