Voices of Lee celebrates 30 years

Voices of Lee, a 15-member a capella ensemble, is more than just a college choir; they are a family.

On Sept. 21, over 150 former and current members of Voices came together to perform on the Conn Center stage. This concert was open to the public and honored 30 years of excellence, tradition and Voices of Lee founder and director Danny Murray.

Like many families, Voices began the tradition of reuniting in the form of reunion concerts. After its tenth anniversary in 2004, Murray holds reunion concerts every five years. This year is no different, and he is excited to welcome his family back to Lee University.

“It’s a family-like atmosphere, so it just seems natural to get together. And when they come together it’s like magic,” said Murray.

Voices of Lee 25th anniversary concert. Photo courtesy of Victoria Eachus.

Commissioned by President Dr. Paul Conn to create an ensemble rooted in Christ and dedicated to excellence in music, Murray recruited 16 incoming freshmen in 1994. Lee University’s Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing, Dr. Jayson VanHook, was one of those freshmen.

Although encouraged by his parents to attend an in-state school, he was interested in attending Lee and was hopeful a scholarship could help him get there. VanHook’s high school had told him of a music opportunity.

“I had heard that there was a group that was being formed and it was going to be a new thing, an a capella group. And they were going to travel and recruit for the school and represent the school, but also, do other types of events like maybe go into a small setting like a home and perform for a small group,” said VanHook.

He connected with Murray, and on the day of his high school graduation, he auditioned for this new group called the Voices of Lee.

“Then I didn’t hear from him [Murray] again until two days before I moved into Lee. Cause I had just abandoned the idea and I was leaving for Purdue University. By then I was living in Indiana, and so I was getting ready to move to Purdue and he calls me and he's like, ‘can you be here in two days?’ And I said, ‘yeah,’ so that’s what I did,” said VanHook.

As an original Voices member, VanHook has had the opportunity to see the group grow and change.

“I am very proud to be a part of Voices, but we were not what they are today,” said VanHook.

Instead of 16 individual handheld microphones, Voices used two stand-up vertical choir microphones, and the now iconic beatboxing was nonexistent in VanHook’s time. While technology has changed the heart and mission of Voices has not.

“We're trying to build a brand, and the brand is that of excellence and anointing together in our music that touches people's hearts. That's what we want to do. And so if you keep the heart in the matter that always is a distinguishing attribute,” said Murray.

VanHook agrees that the tradition of Voices and their pursuit of high-caliber music is what can make the difference when recruiting new students.

“We believe in excellence, we believe in preparing to be excellent in your field of study, but we also believe in the spiritual aspect of that. God can bless that and you can feel his presence through our gifts… Voices kind of embodies that it's like it's excellent, but it's also worshipful. And so when you bring them in front of our families, I think they feel that and they kind of understand a little part of what makes Lee special,” said VanHook.

Junior theology major and current third-year member of Voices, Brooklyn Goff, grew up witnessing how special Voices is. After attending the 25th-anniversary concert with her grandfather, Goff saw their talent as unparalleled.

“I have had Voices CDs in my car since I was, since I got a car, and so I guess my dream of being in Voices kind of died off a little bit. Like I can never do that,” said Goff.

However, because Voices prioritizes a family-like environment, Goff was encouraged to join the group through alums who cherished the group and knew she would too.

“It's basically been the alumni not of just people I came in with who are graduated now, but people from the past 30 years who have been such massive influences in my life who have not only led me in this direction, but have led me in other directions in my life, and I know that these are the people that I can rely on and they're trustworthy,” said Goff.

Voices of Lee rehearse every day and perform around 100 shows a year. Murray said that, at times, it can prove challenging for students, but the family environment is the glue that holds the group together.

“They’re like family in my life, like when I came in the group they became like big siblings to me and they treated me as if i was their own family. Because it didn’t matter if I was in the group for thirty minutes or from thirty years ago. I was a part of their family,” said Goff.