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Students Pleased with New Choir Professor
By Caroline Sapp '09
STAFF WRITER

When Sweet Briar’s brother school Hampden-Sydney is mentioned, many things come to mind: parties, Farmville, crazy guys, drinking, and lots of laughter. Consequently, one might not usually associate classical composers such as Bach and Mendelssohn with HSC.

But for Frank Archer, a Hampden-Sydney College 1973 graduate and visiting associate professor of music, both Bach and Mendelssohn are a habitual presence in his classroom at Hampden-Sydney and here at SBC.

Professor Archer has toured with the Westminster Choir, taught choir at Norfolk Academy, is a current professor of music at Hampden Sydney College, and involved with Lynchburg’s Opera on the James River.

Yet, with all that Professor Archer does, including settling his daughter in at Virginia Tech for her sophomore year, he found the opportunity to work at Sweet Briar “irresistible.”

What brought Professor Archer is the dedication to tradition that is very similar to the tradition at Hampden-Sydney. The fact that both institutions “are committed to the education of both men and women, just separately” gives him a great opportunity to explore in detail the creativity available in voices.

The greatest challenge that Professor Archer expects to face is getting “creative repertoire” into his students’ hands, and also to foster an “atmosphere of relaxation and fun.” He wishes to make it clear that anyone can “come check out the atmosphere…anyone is welcome.”

As for plans for the future, Hampden Sydney is Sweet Briar’s brother school, so it seems only natural that Professor Archer plans to join the HSC and SBC choirs together, in the spring semester.