Dr. Mettfield’s first year of choir is a success

JACK JONES
STAFF WRITER

3/24/2025

As the winter semester comes to an end, so too does the first year of Alma College’s Choir Director Dr Mattfeld. Mattfeld’s first year has been a success and the Alma Choirs have put on a multitude of events and concerts this year including a successful Choir tour, The Festival of Carols Performance, and recording professional tracks. 

Dr. Mattfeld was hired as Alma College’s Choir director at the beginning of this year after former long-time Choir director Will Nichols retired after 40 years with the college. Just like her predecessor Mattfeld continues to foster the community and tradition that has come to be associated with the Alma College choirs. 

“I wanted to be sure to continue many of the traditions he set, such as the singing of Loch Lomond, while also being true to myself and starting to create my own legacy within the choral program,” Mattfeld said.

When I talked to Mattfeld about her experience at Alma in her first year she had nothing but praise. 

“My students are very hard-working and wonderful people to be around; I truly enjoy my work every day,” said Mattfield. This community has been an emphasis of Alma College choirs for some time and it’s one that Mattfeld continues to pursue. Mattfeld also praised the Choir alumni and everyone on campus for making her feel welcome. 

Her students had similar praise for her, those I spoke to said that they had enjoyed their year with her. 

“She is very energetic and enthusiastic, her energy gets me into it” said Mick Webb (’27) a current member of the choir. Mattfeld’s energy has been a wonderful addition to the choirs and their passion is apparent. 

This past year has included many successful concerts and events for the College’s choirs. For one the choir went on a Michigan tour. During winter break, the choir traveled all across the state of Michigan to perform with local high school and church choirs. On this tour, they performed in cities such as Lansing, Traverse City, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo for over a thousand people in total. 

Excitingly the choir was also able to record some of its music professionally this last year thanks to the assistance of Grant Wiliford (’25).  These recordings are soon to be made into a CD and be put onto Spotify and Apple Music as representations of the Alma College choir’s work. Some of this music was also written by Alma College staff and students, one piece by Dr Justin Rito an assistant professor of Music, and another by Audrey Merrifield (’25), a senior composition student. 

Finally all three choirs, that being the choral, choir and acapella, performed at the yearly festival of carols with the Alma chamber orchestra. This event which celebrates the beginning of the holiday season has been a longstanding tradition for the college for the last twenty-two years.

Looking forward Mattfeld is excited to continue to work with the choir and welcome incoming freshmen. She is also looking forward to the choir tour of Ireland and Scotland during Spring term 2026, just one more longstanding tradition that Mattfeld continues to build on and nurture as the Alma College Choirs continue to grow. 

The Alma College choirs have some further events this semester, first, the choir in tandem with the orchestra will perform an Alma College Masterworks Concert on April 6th at 3 pm in Presbyterian Hall and Acapella will perform their Acapalooza on April 11th in the Thomas Anderson Chapel.