I
like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote
peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much
that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them
have it.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
In 1984, during the “deep freeze”
phase of the cold war, two women forged their visions together to found the
Eugene Peace Choir.One vision is of a compelling choral ensemble promoting the message of
peace with the same intensity, quality, and power as the nation’s military
choirs employ to promote patriotism, heroism, and militarism.Another vision is of a diverse, inclusive group of people, bonded
together by joyful harmony into a mutual support system, embodying the concept
of peace directly through loving, compassionate, respectful interaction.These twin visions have been two beacons guiding the choir’s
existence for 18 years.
We
honor the birthright of every human being to sing and to experience the
harmony of different voices.We also honor the causes we support in song by dedicating ourselves to
crafting polished, spirited performances.Reflecting many facets of a progressive worldview, our songs range in
mood from meditative, to humorous, to motivational; and our sound can be
formal and disciplined, or wild and rowdy.Much of our material has come to us through the folk process and all
our music is highly accessible, that’s part of the purpose.
A
characteristic of EPC appearances is our engaging relationship with the
audience.We
encourage people to experience the power of being part of a unified group by
raising their voices with ours.We seek to widen the circle of participation, and through the sharing
of songs, build momentum for social movements that help create a more humane
future.
We
receive a wide range of local and regional performance requests including arts
festivals, community celebrations, collaborative concerts, benefit events,
academic conferences, political demonstrations, and more.This variety of performances enables us to reach diverse audiences.
We
also encourage and enjoy much lively recreational socializing among current
and former members.Different groups enjoy boating, crafting, skiing, dining and many other
activities together.And we always make room on our calendar for a big choir retreat to
someplace gorgeous every year.
We
typically areto new members in September.No special musical skills or experience are required; just a strong
motivation to learn, a willingness to support the needs of the group,and a burning desire to give one’s best, singing for a better world.
