COLORADO CITY
On May 19, at 6:00 p.m., the Valley Community Church, 4253 Mercantile St., Colorado City, will host a return engagement by the Liberty Quartet.
Liberty Quartet was founded in October of 1995 out of a local church in Boise, Idaho. Royce Mitchell was the choir director and the other three members were in the choir. In 1997, Liberty began traveling full-time. Liberty is a gospel group based in the West with a full schedule.
After the concert at Valley Community Church, the group will travel to Loveland, Longmont, Erie, Sterling, Greeley and Estes Park before concert engagements in Idaho, Washington, California, Oregon and Wyoming. And, that’s just through the end of June.
The members of Liberty are Royce Mitchell, bass; Paul W. Ellis, lead; Will Arasmith, baritone; and Doran Ritchey, piano/baritone.
Royce Mitchell is one of the original founding members of Liberty. The first Southern Gospel quartet he sang with was The Gospel Four at the age of 13. He has completed his BA and Master’s degree in music. While teaching in the public schools for five years, he used the weekends and summers to sing with New Creation, a Gospel quartet. Royce served in fulltime church music ministry for over 13 years. It was while serving as a music minister in Boise that Royce, with three laymen from the church, organized Liberty.
Paul W. Ellis re-joined Liberty in February of 2014, having already sung with them from 2002-2006. Music has always been a big part of Paul’s life beginning in those early years as a pastor’s kid sitting next to his mom as she sang alto. Traveling and singing started in his teen years with mixed groups called Impact Teams in Nebraska. This continued in college, as he sang in mixed groups and his first quartet, The Collegiate Quartet. Following college, Paul served in ministry as both a youth pastor and music minister for 15 years.
Liberty's baritone singer, Will Arasmith, is steeped in gospel music tradition, as he was raised in a musical family with his parents in a mixed group called The Lighthouse Quartet. Growing up, Will was involved with marching and symphonic band and sang in high school choir and musicals. He sang bass in college and graduated from Washburn University with a Bachelor’s in Music Education with an emphasis in percussion in 2009. Will is also experienced in writing and arranging music and has numerous pieces written or arranged for drumline, percussion, small and large ensembles.
Doran Ritchey re-rejoined Liberty in January 2022 after his first stint from 20042009. Doran is the pianist, as well as a talented songwriter and baritone singer. Before originally joining Liberty, Doran attended Bible College in Pennsylvania where he graduated with a piano major and a vocal minor. In 2009, Doran sang what he thought was his last concert with Liberty and began to focus on his young, growing family. Doran was involved in church ministry positions for 12 years before returning to Liberty Quartet.
The Mission Statement of the Liberty Quartet is to impact the culture for Christ.
Liberty Quartet exists to provide a music ministry that impacts our culture for Christ. We strive to expand this ministry while scripturally maintaining integrity, excellence, and family.
A love offering will be taken at the concert which is open to the public.