Houghton Academy’s Chamber Choir and Senior Bells, under the direction of Eileen Swanson, take to the road on April 19 for a three day tour to the Hagerstown, Maryland area.  Venues throughout the tour include church, nursing homes and a Christian school.

With such diversity, the ensembles have prepared a varied program, as well as a readers’ theater piece involving four of our students.

Our sacred selections include hymn arrangements of favorites such as The Old Rugged Cross and In the Garden, as well as perennial choral favorites like Ken Medema’s Moses.  Both groups go cross-cultural with the Chamber Choir’s O Sifuni Mungu and the Senior Bells’ African Alleluia.  For the senior citizens, we include an Irving Berlin Medley, the Gershwins’ I Got Rhythm, and handbell arrangements of Alexander’s Ragtime Band and George Cohan favorites:  Give My Regards to Broadway, Yankee Doodle Boy, You’re a Grand Old Flag.  In the contemporary vein, we offer Bring Him Home from Les Miserables and Beatles Medley on bells, bringing back favorites Yesterday, I Want to Hold Your Hand, and The Long and Winding Road. 

Both ensembles are auditioned groups of fourteen and thirteen respectively.  Chamber Choir is open to high school juniors and seniors only, while Senior Bells include grades 10 through 12.