Turning the page on an inspiring season

By Brendan Nystedt, Bass, Magnolia Chorale

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Although my music folder gets lighter as we turn our sheet music back in, the end of each semester with Magnolia Chorale makes my heart feel heavy. For me, it's a time to celebrate everything we've accomplished together, a time to let go of mistakes, and a time when I start to look forward to all the things that summer holds in store.
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As corny as it sounds, it's like we've put another volume on the shelf. Hopefully “Lift Every Voice and Sing” sits proudly alongside the other performances, 37 years' worth of joy, hard work, inspiration, and rehearsals, fundraising, snacks, and perhaps most importantly, community.

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Performing "Freedom's Plow", May 2026 concert.

It's that last aspect that I've been thinking about the most now that the good ship Magnolia Chorale has charted a course for another new adventure. I think that we should be really proud of the work we did on “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and that the dedication to highlighting voices that go unheard should put a little extra wind in our sails. I felt proud to get to belt out songs in both the Bunun (“Ana Tupa Tu”) and Woodland-Cree (“yôtin”) indigenous languages—hemispheres apart in origin, both spoken by so few people. By performing the long-lost Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight, we breathed life back into the work of Florence Price, the first female African-American orchestral composer. And in singing “Ayúdame” we animated the voices of those crying out for help.

The fact that we can have our own small community that's in conversation with other communities across cultures, history, geography, and time is astounding. We can keep forgotten works and languages alive in places and in ways those who originated them could never imagine, even if it's for a brief moment. This semester was a potent reminder to me that through music and language every voice is connected, and can be made as one. Sometimes it takes work to get there—in our case, weeks of rehearsal, and a lot of heavy lifting from our guest musicians, alto Larissa on the drum, soloists (Xochitl, Brian, Cooper, Jennifer, Becca, Neil, Annaleigh, Kelsey...y'all crushed it this semester!) the board, our staff (what we do is not possible without the encouragement and sage advice of Joseph, Nic, and of course without Zhanhong on the piano), and support of our donors.

If you're interested in any of these things, Magnolia Chorale is always looking for new singers. Although we're off for the summer, our new semester starts on September 13th, with an exciting new theme. Read more about how to add your voice to our group here, and we hope to see you in September!

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