Something Beautiful and Good
By Tom Trenney
At a time when people seem to find more reasons to be divided than connected, our communities need places to come together simply to do something beautiful and good.
Ƶ created just such a place with the launch of its Unity Choir last fall. This semester, more than 50 Ƶ students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members from the Lincoln area sing in this multigenerational ensemble. They enjoy performing music from creators and cultures that have long been underrepresented in collegiate music programs.
Here's what some Unity Choir members have to say about their experience.
- “It’s a welcoming space for people of differing ages and experiences to make music together, and I always leave the class feeling uplifted and energized.”
- “When I moved to Lincoln a couple years ago, I was looking for an ensemble where I could sing music I love. I found that group!”
- “I’ll admit I get nervous singing around other people. Unity Choir at Ƶ is very welcoming and people are always going to help.”
Unity Choir meets for the second eight weeks of each semester, performing in “Christmas in Wesleyan” in the fall and in Ƶ’s “BIG SING” in the spring. Rehearsals are Sunday evenings from 7-8:45 p.m. Students can register for the class for 0 or 1 credit on Self-Service, and friends from the community can reach out to me for more details at ttrenney [at] nebrwesleyan.edu (ttrenney[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu).
Tom Trenney is assistant professor of music.