By Mackenzie Langham | The 2020 Spring semester has begun and with it has brought great new changes. One of those new changes is the merger of the Chapel Band and the Heritage Singers.
The Chapel Band and the Heritage Singers, have both wonderfully represented art and worship on campus for many years, and are now stepping into an exciting new season.
Andreahnna Rosenquist, a senior majoring in vocal performance, has been singing with the Heritage Singers since her freshmen year.
“Essentially, we’re joining the two, so the group is now called Heritage,” said Rosenquist.
Now that the two groups are combined, the choir members from the previous Heritage Singers will be switching out vocalists in chapel each week, allowing each singer from the group to have an opportunity to lead worship alongside the instrumentalists.
They also will occasionally be performing specials as a whole.
“Heritage used to be centered on choral music, but now instead of doing choral or ensemble music, we are doing pop-contemporary music,” said Rosenquist.
Caleb Callaway, a student leader of the Chapel Band since 2018, shared how excited he is about the change.
“The merging of the two musical groups is going to grow Heritage Singers and Chapel Band closer together and improve musicianship, and having this class will allow for us to both improve our quality as a band and to better lead God’s people in worship,” said Callaway.
Dr. Christopher Rosborough, the director of both musical groups, was the one who saw the opportunity to combine the two groups. He explained that in the current description for the academic course, the ensemble will serve an “ambassadorial role” for Howard Payne University and the School of Music.
“When looking at options to fulfill this vision, the idea of returning to vocal/instrumental group fit perfectly with the merging of Chapel Band. It is my goal that this new ensemble (Heritage) will be an outreach for churches, encounter events, and a host of other worship leadership opportunities,” Rosborough said.