St. Scholastica Choir participates in concert, national broadcast of Sing Democracy 250

On April 12, 2026, The College of St. Scholastica’s Chamber Choir participated in Sing Democracy 250. It joined the program’s anchor choir, the Together In Hope Choir, along with four other Minnesota choral groups and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra to perform the Minneapolis Signature Concert. This concert was recorded and streamed on MPR on July 4, 2026, and broadcast nationally on PBS on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.

Sing Democracy 250 is a national initiative driven by Minneapolis-based nonprofit Together In Hope Project, founded by Gary Aamodt and Celia Ellingson. The full program includes two new major compositions by American composers — “Redeem the Dream” by Brandon A. Boyd and “US” by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm — as well as “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

FOX21 visited a choir rehearsal before the national broadcast to hear from students about their experience. “There’s no more special way to connect with people as humans than to be able to sing together and share an experience of your love of music,” said Gabriel Muedeking ’27. The program was intended to explore what it means for American citizens to come together as a community in a democracy. Sophia Reeves ’27 shared, “Putting a meaning behind [the music] really gives you the power and energy to like perform it and sing it well.”

WDIO stopped by to interview Richard Carrick, associate professor of Music and director of Choral Activities, while he, students, and guests gathered to watch the broadcast on Sept. 25.