Quartets to return for musical celebration

Every summer for more than 40 years, Anderson University sent out student quartets to represent the college and minister through music and testimonials to churches and youth gatherings across the nation. On Oct. 4 several of those quartets will be joining voices once again for a reunion concert during Homecoming.

A quartet reunion has been a dream of DC Holloway BS ’65. Holloway, who lives in Florida, traveled with the Envoys Quartet (pictured below) in 1960 with Ted Martin BS ’61, Ralph Toon BS ’63, Fred Shively BA ’61 and accompanist Bob Asel BS ’61. After campmeeting in June, they launched their tour in St. Louis, traveling northwest to Seattle, down through California, across Arizona and New Mexico, and into Texas.

“It was a Christian ministry but it was also a good way to get word out about the college,” Holloway explains. For him, he says, “It got me out of the Midwest and I saw the country. I met people who have influenced me over the last 40 years.”

Holloway’s original idea was for former members to reunite and enjoy catching up, but in planning the event, the Alumni Office turned the meet-and-greet into a Celebration of Song. Any former quartet member who can recreate a quartet with some of their former classmates is welcome to perform.

Charles Wilson BTh ’45 is planning to make the trip. Wilson, J.W. Chitty BTh ’41, Albert Crim BTh ’58 and Alvah Crim BS ’46 traveled as the Preacher’s Quartet (pictured above) during the summer of 1939. (The Crim brothers are both deceased.) They had all known each other in their home state of Illinois and began singing together as students at AU. Dr. John Morrison, president of the university at that time, asked the four of them to travel for the college through the states of Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma, where the college was hoping to cultivate relationships with Churches of God. It must have worked because after that tour, Wilson says, “We had numerous students come to the college from that area.”

Wilson spent the next summer traveling with the Ambassador Quartet. During his time traveling with quartets, Wilson met ministers from across the country. Because of those contacts, the Gospel Trumpet Company (now Warner Press) hired him upon graduation to work in their retail division. He stayed with the company for 29 years.

Celebration of Song will be held in Byrum Hall from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Anyone interested in participating in the concert should contact Kim Wolfe, alumni relations coordinator, at (765) 641-4106.