Professor and Vibrant Voice Studio coach Marcus Simmons spends the noon hour as an accompanist to one of his voice students. The office space he uses (CC 312) can only house three people during the pandemic. “Getting to know some of the students (through doing a master class)…I found that the students were very talented.” | Photo by Alan Kopitske

From reflection to register

New vocal coach Macrus Simmons works to reinvigorate men’s choir with a Godly emphasis.

By Alan Kopitske | Freelance Writer

The National Public Radio awaited Marcus Simmons as he boarded a train from Philadelphia to D.C. on a chilly January morning. The details are fuzzy, but he remembers that he wasn’t feeling well.

Hot black tea at the train station. Water en route. Lots of liquids to get his instrument ready. He had a lot to pray about on the way. He felt better enough when he arrived, but his voice was scratchy during sound check. The anxiety beared down, but everything went well.

“That performance was one where God really did it for me,” he said.

Professor and Vibrant Voice Studio coach Marcus Simmons instructs Freshman Naomi Henderson on when to take breaths during a phrase. Simmons makes it clear to his students that singing needs just as much conditioning as any given sport. “It’s all about which muscles you’re working…singing has that just like soccer or any other sport does.” | Photo by Alan Kopitske

Simmons was invited to Bethel as a guest performer last spring. During his visit, he was impressed by the kindness of the faculty and the talent of the students. When Bethel offered him a position, he accepted the same day.

Bethel wasn’t just a fresh start for Simmons however, he knew God had brought him here for something more than that. He thought about his purpose as a vocal coach at Bethel and what God wanted to do through him. He was soon able to find answers to those questions. Part of Simmons’s job is to reintroduce men’s choir to Bethel, an ambitious task considering previous groups. Bethel’s music department has offered tours to every other group in the past, but the men’s group has never been skilled enough in their eyes.

“Tackling the challenge of COVID choir is different. But I believe we’re finding success.” — Marcus Simmons, Director of Bethel Royal Register

With the group’s first performance of a unique version of In the Bleak Midwinter (composed by Simmons) behind them, the Royal Register has begun work on their next piece, with the goal of recording before the end of first semester. Despite the challenges caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, the Royal Register meets in person.

“Tackling the challenge of COVID choir is different,” Simmons said. “But I believe we’re finding success.”