As the culmination of the 90th anniversary of the Singing Quakers, the choir will represent Friends University on a music performance and service tour to Costa Rica from May 19-28, 2015. The tour concert Venimos Cantemos (‘Come, Let Us Sing’) provides the opportunity to share faith in a cross-cultural setting.
Dr. Mark Bartel, director of the Singing Quakers said, “The students and I are grateful for this unique opportunity to share of ourselves through music, to represent Friends, and to experience the ‘pura vida’ of Costa Rica. We know that we will be changed.”
Music includes a wide range of classical choral selections as well as American folksongs, hymns, and spirituals, interspersed with lively Spanish-language arrangements. The choir will be singing at churches both large and small, elementary and high schools and also participating in hands-on service projects. Highlights include the community of Monteverde, founded by American Quakers in 1951, the San Jose Friends Peace Center, and experiencing the many natural wonders of this small nation known for its unique beauty.
For 90 years the Friends University Singing Quakers have sung to the glory of God and represented their university at home and abroad. The choir continues the long tradition of international touring as they cap off their 90th anniversary year with an international performance and service tour. The tour has been financed collaboratively by the university, the members of the choir and many generous Friends University alumni and supportive donors.
Friends University offers high-quality undergraduate and graduate academic programs for traditional students and working adults. Rooted both in the liberal arts tradition and the Christian intellectual tradition, students learn inside and outside the classroom. Friends University is a regional university with national programs and an international presence.