Dr. Adeline Bethany: Perfectingthe fine arts at Cabrini

by Rachel Atbelia Anderson

"Sleep till the break of day ," Adeline Bethany, associate professor, chairperson, fine arts, conducts a soothing Christmas song with smooth sways and rhythmic hand gestures. A flood of musical experience flows through her hands as she instructs the chorus to move the song to its exact pitch.

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Standing on a wooden box with a pen sticking out from the back of her right ear, she conducts other popular Christmas songs.

There is a break in the music so that she can discuss the Christmas concert's song menu. She names carol after carol.

"How do these sound to you?" Bethany asks. There are a few responses from the chorus. "We'll see how the audience is responding," she says firmly. "We're not going to do all of them."

Further instructing the singers on their concert, she reminds a few older gentlemen that they are not permitted to stand up against the wall during the real concert. (She explained later that they would be standing a long length of time.)

"Your feet are going to hurt. My feet always hurt," she says smiling. She strongly advises them to wear comfortable shoes. "Like those Chinese shoes. I had a pair, but I lost them."

The chorus begins their harmonizing again. Their voices slowly die down to a near whisper. Bethany steps down from her box, looks up and cups her hands to form an imaginary megaphone. The voices rise and become louder.

Listening to the chorus, one hears the time they put into practicing. Watching them, one can't help but laugh at the few members performing silly antics in the background. Bethany continues to conduct.

The pianist provides a cue for yet another song, but the song is not heard. Bethany looks up into a blank face. She says firmly, impatiently, "Come on."

The music stops. The singer speaks. "I didn't go over it," he says with a nervous chuckle.

The last note is sung to that ofa popular tune. "What happened? I'm disappointed with that. Can we do that one again?" she asks softly, with a touch of compassion. The pi~ist pl&ystheir cue and they start again.

Practice ends. Singers begin to leave. Bethany lingers, socializing with them, providing musical pointers. Placing her hand on the head of one girl, she smiles telling her information.

According to Bethany, the chorus is ready fut" their Christmas concert. "They better be ready," she says.

Bethany's duties include more than conducting the chorus. She must schedule courses, obtain staff to teach the courses, schedule cultural events, advise art administration students, and teach soµie music courses.

Bethany has a Ph.D. in music. The entire process moved her to attend a diverse list of schools; schools that emphasized different aspects of music.

Bethany obtained her Bachelor of Music from the University of Arts in Philadelphia. During that time, she lived in West Philadelphia, where she grew up. "I'm a city girl."

After the Bachelor's degree, she worked for her Masters in music at West Chester University. Bethany earned her doctorate of music at Villanova University.

After her graduation from college, Bethany taught grades one through eight, in public and parochial schools. Later, in 1975, she came to Cabrini College to teach an elective course in music methods to education majors.

After a while, she asked if she could offer a course in~ music. Though the person told her "it will never carry," she was granted permission.

Is Bethany going to continue here?

"If Cabrini will have me. There is some~ special about Cabrini College that I find very ap.,-___,_ Bethany says.

Bethany realizes she is frequently seen dashing on campus. How does she think people percei·. "Sometimes I hear people say I'm intimidating," SD: She has heard this said quite a few times, and it shod::i "Just my size should make me not seem intimicb.:ix.:

During her first years at Cabrini, she also taught at Neumann College and Delaware County Community Dr. Adeline Bethany, chairperson, fine arts depa.n:=-r College (D.C.C.C.). Bethany has since erased Neumann (photo by Mike Stevenson) College from her list of duties, but continues to instruct a chorus at D.C.C.C. The D.C.C.C. chorus began with fifteen members, it has since grown to 112. The chorus members at Cabrini College total 42.