On stage...over the years

Performances

The United Nations Singers seek to promote the ideals of peace, tolerance and understanding through their music. They have performed for a wide variety of functions and audiences ranging from hospitals, churches and schools to official United Nations events at Headquarters. Over the years they have also traveled extensively. See below for some highlights in their concert calendars over the years.

1960s

In 1963, on their first foreign tour, the Singers filled a heavy schedule of engagements in Wales. The highlight of the trip was their performance in the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Choruses from 30 countries participated in the event.

In May 1965, for the first time, proceedings of the Security Council were transmitted "live" to Europe via satellite by United Nations Television. The Council's discussion was about the situation in the Dominican Republic. The UN Singers were invited to sing a few songs to commemorate this historic news event, and they were included in the live transmission to Europe.

An 18-day concert tour of Scandinavia in 1965 included performances in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Stockholm and at Helsingor – the site of the famous castle in Hamlet. The Singers also performed in Upsala, Sweden, the hometown of former Secretary-General. In a ceremony to commemorate his tragic death during his UN service, each singer laid a red rose on the late Secretary-General's grave.

On 24 October 1966, the Singers participated in a special celebration of the twenty-first anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, held at Rockefeller Center in New York. Guests included Nelson Rockefeller, Governor of the State of New York; John V. Lindsay, Mayor of New York City; New York State Senator Jacob Javits; Robert S. Benjamin, President of the United Nations Association – USA; Metropolitan Opera star Roberta Peters, and television star, Johnny Carson.

1970s

In 1971, in the General Assembly Hall, on the occasion of the observance of the twenty-sixth anniversary of the United Nations, the United Nations Singers presented the premier performance of the "Hymn to the United Nations" under the direction of the late Pablo Casals. Casals had written this composition to the words of a poem by W.H. Auden.

On 18 September 1971, the United Nations Singers were the special guest artists at the Cleveland Orchestra's International Festival held at Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, Ohio.

In the summer of 1974 the Singers went to Asia for a two-week tour of Tokyo and Osaka. The exciting performance in Tokyo was broadcast over television and radio by NHK, the national broadcasting company of Japan, which sponsored the tour.

On 24 September 1975, The Mexican-American pianist, Augustin Anievas, and the Polish dramatic soprano, Teresa Kubiak, performed in the General Assembly Hall this evening to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the United Nations. The United Nations Singers opened and closed the programme and brief addresses were made by the President of the General Assembly, Gaston Thorn (Luxembourg) and by Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim.

In 1975, the United Nations Singers sponsored the celebration of the First International Music Day at Carnegie Hall.

1980s

In 1981, the Singers performed for Million Dollar Round Table members at Radio City Music Hall during their annual meeting.

In 1982, the Singers travelled to Jamaica, West Indies, and made appearances in Kingston and Mandeville for the benefit of the Jamaica Cancer Society. Audience members included His Excellency the Governor-General, the most Honourable Sir Florizel Glasspole and Lady Glasspole, and Mayor of Mandeville Cecil C. Charlton.

On Easter Sunday, April 1983, the Singers returned to Radio City Music Hall for the 64th annual Easter Service sponsored by the Council of Churches of the City of New York. Several thousand people ignored the torrential rains outside and listened to religious songs, readings and a sermon.

The United Nations Headquarters ceremony this morning commemorated International Peace Day, established by the General Assembly in 1981 to correspond with the opening of its regular session each year. After the UN Singers' rendition of "Let There Be Peace And Let It Begin With Me", Robert Muller, Assistant Secretary-General of Secretariat Services for Economic and Social Matters, read a message from Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar.

In March 1986, through the good offices of the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), the United Nations Singers were invited to the Dominican Republic by the Carol Morgan School (which has a student body from 40 countries) to participate in their twelfth annual Festival de Música, held in Santo Domingo. During the Festival, the UN Singers joined voices with eight other choral groups from all over the Dominican Republic, as well as choristers from Bogotá, Colombia, and Curacao, to form a mass choir. The Singers also made a live appearance on "El Gordo", one of the country's most popular television programmes, and performed at the National Theatre and at la Atarazana (a restored section of the old city) in celebration of International Women's Day, sponsored by INSTRAW. This trip to the Dominican Republic has been an especially fond memory for some Singers who are still with the group today!

In 1989 the United Nations Singers were invited to participate in the prestigious "Semana Coral Internacional de Álava", a music festival that has taken place in Vitoria, Spain, each year since 1981. The Singers were designed the "estrellas" or stars of the festival. The highlight of this tour was the invitation to sing for the President of the Basque Government at the Palacio de Ajuria-Enea. The Singers will return to this festival in August 2008.

1990s

The Singers went to Argentina in 1993 at the invitations of the Provincia de Cordoba, the village of Canta in Mendoza, and the Pablo Casals Chorus in Rosario. After Argentina they travelled to Santiago, Chile, and performed at the United Nations regional commission in Chile (ECLAC).

In 1995 they went to Europe to participate in several events marking the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. The first was the Festival Mundial, followed by an ecumenical service at the Parish‘t Heike in Tilburg, the Netherlands. From there they travelled to Antwerp, Belgium, and then to Eschborn and Herford, Germany, where they were warmly welcomed and hosted by the United Nations Association of Belgium and Van Breda Insurance Company, the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), and a German Choir ("Der Choir"), in Eschborn.

In 1996 the Singers travelled to Hungary to participate in Natur Expo '96, a summer festival of music, artists, parades and sporting events, commemorating the 1,100 anniversary of the Magyars in Europe. Natur Expo '96 was an important event which brought together all types of stakeholders in environmental conservation and helped raise awareness of environmental issues. After Hungary the Singers also visited and performed in Austria and the Czech Republic

During their stay in Hungary the Singers gave a concert in the Festetics Catle, in Keszthely, located along the famous Lake Balaton. Here we see a close-up of some of the Singers and their colourful costumes.

September 1996…and the Singers were off to Lousville, Kentucky, to participate in the Tapestry Conference, Educator's Appreciation Night, at the Bomhard Theater, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville, sponsored by the Kentucky Department of Education in cooperation with the Ashland Inc. Foundation.

In early October 1997, the Singers sponsored an exhibit in the South Lobby of the Secretariat building that showcased Singers' memorabilia from the prior 50 years. Photographs, programmes, posters, newsletters and press coverage form different countries were displayed as well as the club's banner and awards received.

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