College of the Ozarks to host Chorale Concert

POINT LOOKOUT,  MO — College of the Ozarks will present its biannual chorale concert titled “Voices,” to be held in the Williams Memorial Chapel at the campus of College of the Ozarks, on Oct. 22, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.

The concert theme is “Voices,” and it will feature eleven various pieces from all around the world. The College of the Ozarks Chorale will perform a selection of pieces in English as well as languages such as Zulu and Sesotho. It will also feature live, instrumental accompaniment.

“The theme ‘Voices’ demonstrates how each of our voices are different, and the things we say have different effects,” said Shayla Johnson, junior vocal performance major and College of the Ozarks Chorale member. “The chorale concert is good for the community because it is a moment to decompress from stresses of life and come together as a community to worship the Lord. I am looking forward to being able to hear and see the hard work the chorale put in to glorify our Lord and Savior and to share Him with others.”

The theme was inspired by different voices from around the world. No matter the culture or background, each voice plays an irreplaceable role in society. The composers of these pieces were inspired by the voices of diverse people and cultures to create an inspiring and unified piece.

About the conductor

Dr. Nathan Cornelius serves as the director of the College of the Ozarks Chorale, the auditioned vocal ensemble for the College. He is a native of Eastern Iowa. Cornelius holds an Associate of Arts degree from Waldorf College in Iowa; a Bachelor of Music Education from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Master of Music in choral conducting from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri; and a Doctor of Education in curriculum and instruction from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. Cornelius is in his 22^nd year of teaching and his 15^th year at Kickapoo High School. Prior to Kickapoo, he spent six years as vocal director at Reed Middle School in Springfield and one year in Minnesota.

Cornelius is a member of NAfME, ACDA, MMEA, MCDA, and NEA and has served as Vocal Vice President of South Central District of the MMEA for 4 years. He has been awarded Springfield Teacher of the Month (April 2006) and MCDA Outstanding South Central Choral Director in 2013. Cornelius has held the office of Vocal Vice President for South Central Missouri Music Educators for four years and is the Springfield Public Schools Curriculum Development Coordinator for Secondary Vocal Music.

In addition to directing the College of the Ozarks Chorale, Cornelius serves as the artistic director of The Messiah Project, a non-profit Christian arts group in Springfield.

About College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian, liberal arts college, located in Point Lookout, Missouri, on a 1,000-acre campus. Christian values, hard work, and financial responsibility comprise the fundamental building blocks of the “Hard Work U.” experience. The College earns numerous accolades yearly, including No. 2 Best Performers on Social Mobility-Regional Colleges in the Midwest and No. 4 Best Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-2025 and No. 3 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly, 2024. To achieve its vision, the College pursues academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic, and cultural goals. These goals are mirrored in School of the Ozarks, a laboratory school that completes the K-college model.

The Keeter Center — the College’s award-winning lodge, restaurant, and conference facility — earns awards consistently, including the TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award 2024 and the Best of the Best and Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 from ConventionSouth magazine. The Keeter Center features historic lodging, fine dining, and meeting rooms. With more than 350 student workers, it is the largest workstation on campus.