The EMU Chamber Singers spread a message of hope and unity on the global stage as the choir toured Europe earlier this summer, singing at historic venues in the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland before capping off its tour with a series of performances at the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism celebration in Zürich on May 29.
The auditioned touring chamber choir was one of five ensembles chosen from around the world—joining groups from Indonesia, Kenya, Paraguay, and Switzerland—to perform songs at the event, The Courage to Love: Anabaptism@500, hosted by Mennonite World Conference. About 3,500 Anabaptists gathered in Zürich for the celebration, including about 1,200 worshippers who filled the Grossmünster church for the service, while many tens of thousands more watched the event live online.
The 24 members of the Chamber Singers performed nine full concerts, two church services, and several impromptu outdoor gigs along their 2½-week European tour. In addition to their singing, the group’s EMU students and alumni visited museums, joined walking tours and history lectures, and explored Anabaptist heritage sites, a concentration camp, and the Anne Frank House.
Chamber Singers Director Dr. Benjamin Bergey ’11 said the choir performed for large crowds at nearly every concert and left a visible impact on many audience members through the quality of their singing and the poignancy of their message of hope and unity. “Several pieces moved dozens of people to tears, including ‘Prayer of the Children’ and ‘Ukuthula,’” he said. “Many audience members came up afterward to share how much hope it gave them to see so many young people so deeply invested in both the music and the message.”
Members of the Chamber Singers said their transformative experiences on the tour deepened their faith and strengthened their commitment to peace & justice. In Zürich, they shared meals with singers from around the world and traveled by bus and rehearsed together. “It was a wonderful intercultural experience,” Bergey said.
For Emma Nord ’25, an alto from Greenville, Illinois, one particularly memorable moment during the 500-year celebration came while witnessing Anabaptist and Reformed Church leaders wash each other’s feet at the service. “Their humility and desire for reconciliation was beautiful,” she said. “It was the experience of a lifetime, for sure.”
Joshua Stucky, a rising senior from Princeton, New Jersey, who sings bass in the Chamber Singers, also toured Europe with the choir in May 2023. But he said the music on this most recent trip resonated even more deeply with audiences. “I think our message of hope and unity crosses language barriers,” he said. “It carries so much weight right now.”
Thank you to all the alumni, friends, family, and donors who supported the tour in so many different ways!
Watch a recording of the Chamber Singers in the video above
and read more about the event in the Anabaptist World post below.
The music and message provided by the EMU Chamber Singers was beautiful, powerful and amazing. Thanks to Benjamin and each choir member for your contribution that helped make the 500-year celebration of Anabaptism in Zurich extra special for me and others.
What a wonderful trip and memorable experience! Were any of the concerts on the trip recorded? I would love to hear/watch!