More than 400 tenor and bass singers from across the Midwest will join in a day of singing and voice master classes at the annual RitterSing choral festival at Wartburg College on Saturday, Oct. 7.

The festival, designed to energize the singers and their school music programs, draws participants from across the region ranging in age from middle school through adults. Tickets are available at wartburg.edu/festivals for the finale concert, which begins at 5 p.m. It also will be livestreamed on Knight Vision at wartburg.edu/knightvision.

The members of m-pact, an a cappella ensemble respected worldwide as a trailblazer in the realm of vocal music, will lead a master class and perform Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” with the RitterSing choir during the finale concert. The ensemble has performed with pop superstars Sheryl Crow, Boyz II Men and Ray Charles, as well as jazz legends Natalie Cole, Bobby McFerrin and more.

Steven Hankle, assistant professor of choral music and music education at the University of Dayton, will direct the Squire’s Festival Chorus (seventh through 10th grade). At Dayton, Hankle directs the University Chorale and Bella Voce. He also is the chorus director for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus.

Lee Nelson, Wartburg’s Patricia R. Zahn Chair in Choral Conducting, will conduct the Knight’s Festival Chorus (ninth grade through adult) as well as Wartburg’s Ritterchor and the combined festival choir.