International Choir
The premier choral ensemble on campus,Wayland’s International Choir was created in 1949 by Dr. Shelby Collier. The choir has maintained a reputation for excellence as it has performed throughout the United States and abroad.
The choir tours extensively each year, singing for schools, churches and other events throughout the Southwest and abroad. This outstanding choir has been selected to sing for such prestigious audiences as the Southwest Division of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the TexasMusic Educators Association (TMEA), the American-Czech Choral Festival in Prague, the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Baptist Convention of New Mexico. The choir recently toured Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, performing in various locations.
Membership in International Choir is by audition only. Choir members represent students from virtually every discipline on campus. If the student loves to sing and has had previous choral experience, he or she is eligible to audition for this premier ensemble.
Wayland Singers
Wayland Singers is a non-audition mixed choir representing students from across campus.Rehearsing three times each week, Wayland Singers presents fall, Christmas and spring concerts in Harral Auditorium, the university’s main concert hall. In addition, the choir sings in area churches and in chapel each semester and often combines with the International Choir to perform major works with the Plainview Symphony.
Pioneer Singing Men
This ensemble of men is open to students from across the campus and meets each week. The Singing Men perform throughout the area and will, on occasion, combine with the Singing Women at Wayland for concerts and social activities.
Pioneer Singing Women
This ensemble of women is open to students from across the campus. The group meets twice each week preparing for performances throughout the area. The women will, on occasion, combine with the Singing Men at Wayland for concerts and social activities.
Spirit
The choral ensemble Spirit was formed in 1976, originally called the Spirit of America Singers. The group name was shortened to Spirit and now consists
of 10 singers selected by audition. Spirit is a very diverse musical group performing contemporary and oldies pop music, show choir music, contemporary Christian, gospel and jazz . Due to their busy performance and recruiting schedule, students in Spirit are paid an hourly minimum wage. In order to audition, any student, music or non-music major, must also be a participant in Wayland Singers or International Choir.
Spirit’s recent honors include two performances at the TMEA convention and inging of the National Anthem at two NBA San Antonio Spurs basketball games. Spirit also travels to various cities throughout the United States for concerts, including Wayland campuses located in other areas such as Alaska and Hawaii.
About the Director
Dr. Scott Herrington has been Director of Choral Studies at Wayland Baptist
University since 1992. Dr. Herrington conducts WBU’s premier choral ensemble, The
International Choir, as well as the Wayland Singing Men and the Wayland Singing
Women.
Dr. Herrington holds a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from West Texas State University. Additionally, he holds master’s degrees in church music and choral conducting from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and West Texas State University. His Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting is from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. He considers the late Dr. Hugh Sanders and Dr. Eph Ehly as his most influential conducting teachers.
A product of the Texas Music Education system (and former TMEA All-State
Choir member), Dr. Herrington enjoys the opportunity to work with high school tudents
through the many clinics and as a conductor for the Texas Baptist All-State
and TMEA Region choirs. He has worked with choirs in Kansas, Oklahoma, New
Mexico and Texas.
Contact Information
Dr. Scott Herrington, Director of Choral Studies
1900 W. 7th Street, CMB 399, Plainview, Texas 79072
(806) 291-1062 choir@wbu.edu
The School of Music at Wayland Baptist University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music