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.
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.”