About the Festival

UNL has long been 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 print and review with student-singers prior to arrival):

"The Awakening" to be purchased by individual schools (some of you might have this in your files from the 2018 UNL Festival if you attended) by Joseph Martin, Shawnee Press, TTBB, C-286 (HL35001492)
"Come to the Music" to be purchased by individual schools (some of you might have this in your files from the 2018 UNL Festival if you attended) by Joseph Martin, Shawnee Press, TTBB, C-307 (HL35001495)
"Gloria (from Heiligmesse)" (download and learn) Directors may request a pdf of the vocal parts with piano if they wish to use it for rehearsals or performances.

Schedule

Festival Schedule (subject to change)

Monday, October 3 – All events to be held in Kimball Recital Hall and Westbrook Music Building

Travel safely!

8:00am     north doors of Kimball 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 stage; tenor I to the Steinhart Room; tenor II to Lied Commons, basses to Kimball lower lobby. Baritones=Dr. Eklund, Mr. Parezo, Mr. Wyler, Mr. Noordermeer, Mr. Kilpatrick, Chancellor Palu, & Mr. Caberos; Tenor I=Mr. Buglewicz, Ms. Kornfeld, Ms. Valish, Mr. Madera, Ms. Ware, Ms. Lewandowski, & Mr. Behm; Tenor II=Mr. Zart, Mr. Dugdale, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Wagner, Ms. Simons-Bester, & Mr. Frew; Bass= Mr. Spencer, Mr. Groth, Mr. Meyer, Mr. Langhold, Ms. Kearney, Mr. Marquez, & Mr. McCauley

10:30am   Restroom break

10:45am   Resume rehearsal in together in Kimball Hall 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     PLV 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 in the red seats, please leave the room quietly so the next group can rehearse. Retrieve bags quietly after meal.

5pm           one of the Lincoln Boy Choir's sound check

5:15pm     the other Lincoln Boy Choir's sound check

5:30pm    set the stage

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

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

Kimball Hall House (seating area) opens for public.

6:30 PM   CONCERT (Directors, please notify your parent patrons/friends/fans that seating will be VERY limited this year because we basically are doing this for the students).

Travel safely on your return home!!!

Mark your calendar for next year: October 2, 2023, location TBA, as Kimball Recital Hall will be in the middle of major renovations.

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.