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. 

Nebraska Wesleyan University created just such a place with the launch of its Unity Choir last fall. This semester, more than 50 NWU 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 NWU 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 NWU’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.