About the Festival

UNL has long been a men's chorus national leader and will again be hosting a fall men's choral festival. It is positioned early in the school year so as to provide an often-needed boost to the enthusiasm for male singing in your school.  Music is either purchased by individual schools or downloaded via pdf to interested directors from this site. Music is often newly composed or arranged specifically for this wonderful event. It helps reduce music costs and early ordering for the participating schools.  Some schools bring their entire men's chorus and desire a performance slot on the evening festival concert; other schools bring available and interested young students and sing in the massed choir on the concert. All singers, young and seasoned join together in the festival chorus 6:30pm free concert.  Participation is free; the evening concert event is free of charge.  Interested directors should Email Dr. Pete Eklund at UNL at pae@unl.edu

Please consider joining us for this wonderful fall choral event. Many groups have made this a part of their fall curriculum and performance schedule and it has been an absolute treat to see the male ensembles grow in talent, numbers, and performance product over the years. For these men to perform in front of a large packed auditorium is just what they need to return to their local schools and spread the infectious enthusiasm for singing.

Attire for the rehearsal-day is 'casual.' However, we love the concept of the men's choirs wearing matching school choir t-shirts or polos during the day (MEN'S CHOIR PRIDE!). And another viable option is wearing your school's attire to promote school spirit.

Attire for the performance will be (for the high schoolers) a white or very light-colored dress shirt, dark dress slacks, dark shoes and socks, and a tie (however, if your men's chorus has a specific performance uniform, please show your pride and wear that). 

Repertoire (please order or print and review with student-singers prior to arrival):

to order: Ad Astra ("To the Stars") TBB by Jacob Narverud, Carl Fischer, CM-9710

to order: The Awakening (yes, the same as last year, my guys wanted to do it again, you may already have it) TTBB by Joseph Martin, Shawnee Press, 35001492

download and print: The Heavens are Telling TBB by Franz Joseph Haydn (edited/arranged by Pete Eklund

Schedule

Festival Schedule (subject to change)

Monday, October 2 – All events to be held at St. Paul because of Kimball Hall rennovation/updates/upgrades

Travel safely!

8:00am     doors open

8:30am     Seating (fill in all empty seats in the front—there will be neon sticky notes separating the choir)

9:00am     Morning Rehearsal; break at 9:20 to sectionals

9:30am - 10:30 AM   Sectionals  — baritones go to front; tenor I to TBA; tenor II to TBA, basses to TBA. Baritones=Dr. Eklund, TBA, TBA, TBA; Tenor I=TBA, TBA, TBA; Tenor II=TBA, TBA, TBA; Bass=TBA, TBA, TBA

10:30am   Restroom break

10:45am   Resume rehearsal in together in sanctuary in same seats as earlier

noon          Lunch Break

1:30pm     Resume rehearsal (use the same seats as morning rehearsal)

1:35pm     University Singers short performance

2:00pm    Resume rehearsal

3:15pm     TBA guest choir sound check (15min)

3:30pm    UNL Varsity Men's Chorus joins rehearsal

4:20pm    Resume rehearsal

4:45pm    dinner break, leave clothing bags under the pews, please leave the room quietly so the next group can rehearse. Retrieve bags quietly after meal.

5pm          TBA sound check

5:15pm     TBA sound check

5:30pm    set the stage

5:45pm    UNL men on stage (with brass, TBA - 10-15 min)

6:00pm   High school singers can have access to TBA and the Men's Restrooms for changing

House (seating area) opens for public.

6:30 PM   CONCERT

Travel safely on your return home!!!

Mark your calendar for next year: October ????, 2024, location TBA (the 'new' Kimball Hall or St. Paul)

UNL Conference Services is committed to providing appropriate accommodations to guests with disabilities. In order to ensure that appropriate arrangements can be made, guests with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations must contact the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities at 402/472-3787 at least three weeks prior to their scheduled arrival on campus. Please be prepared to tell that office the name of the conference/camp and dates of attendance.