By: Kendra Barger
9/15/2005

Since Cecil Riney’s announcement last year that he was retiring, Friends University has been holding their breath. But now they can relax. Riney’s replacement for Quakers has everything under control. 

Mark Bartel is happy to be one of Friends University’s newest faculty members. In fact, he is more than happy. He feels that he made the right decision coming here.

Bartel, who is originally from Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario, Canada, had offers from four universities but chose Friends because of the program’s long distinguished tradition.
Bartel said that he was open to large or small universities, but he saw the benefit of the small, close-knit feel of faculty.

“Because the Fine Arts department is so prominent at Friends, it was a very attractive spot for me,” Bartel said. 

When Bartel visited Friends before accepting the job, he worked with the Quakers and got the feeling that they really wanted to be there and that they were interested in what they were doing. Bartel said he was drawn by the sound of the students, and even more, by their spirit.

“I don’t want to change basic things; I also don’t see a great need for immediate change,” Bartel said.

Over time he sees that the choir could become an ensemble due to its size, but for now he is interested in learning how the choir works and sounds. He wants to build on what has been done in the past.

Erin Pohlenz, a junior and second-year member of Quakers, said that Bartel is very different from Riney and that he probably always will be. Naturally, practices have been different. She said that she expected Bartel to be a perfectionist and he is. She also said that practices can sometimes be a frustrating process because he stops them so often, but he is kind and nice to work with.

Alex Lofland, another member, said they all understand that Bartel is young, but he is well-rounded and intelligent. He knows what he’s looking for and knows exactly what they need to do to get it right.

“I’m excited about the new musicality that Mr. Bartel is bringing to Quakers,” Pohlenz said.

Future plans for the Quakers include raising their profile beyond the city and the state. Bartel believes there is interest on campus to do so and hopes to get a Web site up and running at some point. Next year he would like to go on an international tour. Bartel wants Friends University’s Singing Quakers to become the St. Olaf Choir of the Southwest.

Besides directing the Quakers, Bartel is also directing a new women’s ensemble. The choir is mostly underclassmen. He is excited about the women’s ensemble and has been very impressed so far from the auditions. Bartel said the women have varied amounts of experience, but most of them have at least some.

Bartel feels these women do not want to be the “new choir.” They do not want four or five years to pass before they are recognized as good. They are ready to step up and work at making it happen now.

Some women are disappointed that they are not getting to sing in a choir with mixed voices, but Bartel said it is the reality of demographics. There are almost always more women willing to sing than there are men.

“Gender choirs are just as much a part of the choral tradition,” Bartel said.

Part of the problem may be that the women wanted to sing in Concert Choir, but choir has grown in size considerably over the past few years and there is no room for more women. The men, however, will almost always be accepted.

Bartel said students will probably sing in a number of different choirs while they are in college, and these girls will have their chance. Because of the growing number of people that want to sing, auditions may become more difficult. But that does not mean it will be harder for students to get into the choir they want to sing in. It just means that auditions will be or are becoming “more of a diagnostic tool than a permission giver,” Bartel said.

Laura Paine, a freshman and a member of the ensemble, feels that things are progressing nicely and was not disappointed that she did not get to sing in Concert Choir.

“I think I would have been intimidated coming into such a large choir,” Paine said. “Women’s ensemble is comfortable and relaxed.”

Paine said that Bartel knows what he is doing and whatever it is, it’s working well. She has never been in a choir where they started learning a song and sounded so good by the end of rehearsal. She feels that he pushes them, but it is good for them.

“He has an end goal in mind and knows what it takes to get us there,” Paine said.