Alvin M. Keeling 
GOSHEN — Goshen College’s Vox Profundi just wrapped up their “Walk Through the Valley in Peace” tour across the East Coast despite the ongoing pandemic creating challenges for their performances.
Choir director Scott Hochstetler said the sounds of the all-male choir, formerly known as Goshen College Men’s Chorus founded in 2004, draw crowds because of their unique harmony.
“It just creates a unique sound that’s really special and really appeals to a lot of people,” Hochstetler said. “They like to hear those low voices in harmony and when you sing them right you hear harmonics and it sounds really cool and beautiful.”
Vox Profundi is one of three choirs at Goshen College and is a requirement for bass and tenor choirs majoring or specializing in music programs. Still, it’s a popular program for those particularly interested in the performing arts, with Hochstetler stating that it’s one of their most popular choirs.
“What tends to draw people in is that special sound of low vocals and harmonies,” he said.
The choir consists of two tenor sections and two bass sections in a generally a cappella format. Hochstetler said the choir’s name was chosen because of the type of music being played. Vox Profundi means “deep voice” in Latin.
“We do our hallowed mark a cappella and a lot of it is in other languages – a lot of it is in Latin – so we thought that was a good fit,” Hochstetler said.
Vox Profundi has recently gained notoriety thanks to Goshen College alumni Caleb (Class of 2018) and Joshua Liechty (Class of 2019) from Pettisville, Ohio. Along with their sister Bekah, their group, “Girl Named Tom,” won season 21 of the NBC singing reality competition television series “The Voice” in December 2021.
As a result, the Vox Profundi Choir decided to visit the group’s primary alma mater, Pettisville High School, as a stop on this year’s tour, while “Girl Named Tom” travels and works on its record deal with Universal. .
Each year, one of Goshen College’s three choirs travels the country, performing in churches and Christian schools across the country. This year, the 28-man Vox Profundi choir was that group. They previously planned to go there in 2021, but due to COVID, they traveled to Camp Friedenswald in Cassopolis, Michigan, to create a recording of their tour to send out to potential venues. This year, the choir was finally able to travel to the East Coast for their week-long tour, staying with host families at each of their locations.
“Part of the joy of the tour is meeting all these people from various states and backgrounds,” Hochstetler said. “It can be difficult at times, but it’s very rewarding and you don’t get it if you stay in different hotels. We have character officers who tell jokes and give out vitamins and they are in charge of showing films. We had many good bonding experiences on and off the bus. It’s a chance for relationships to flourish and solidify.
