Dr. William Wyman and his critically-acclaimed University Choir are used to receiving rave reviews after their performances.
A standing ovation at a concert in Tartu, Estonia, can be added to their list of highest honors.
鈥淪imply amazing,鈥 said Wyman, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Nebraska Wesleyan for the past 36 years.
The University Choir recently returned from an international tour to Estonia and Sweden. The tour included performances in Tartu and Tallinn in Estonia and Uppsala and Stockholm in Sweden.
While the choir embarks on an international tour every four years, this particular tour was unique, said Wyman. Nebraska Wesleyan鈥檚 sister school is the University of Tartu.
鈥淢any groups travel to the big European countries like France or Germany,鈥 said Wyman. 鈥淥ur tour took us off the beaten path to an area that is rich in the history and tradition of choral music.鈥
Tallinn, Estonia, is home to 鈥淟aulupidu,鈥 an Estonian song festival held every five years. It鈥檚 considered one of the largest choral events in the world.
Estonia is also known for singing it鈥檚 way to independence. In the late 1980s, nearly 300,000 鈥 or one quarter of Estonians 鈥 joined in the Singing Revolution as they sang songs and hymns that were strictly forbidden during the Soviet years of occupation. The vocalists served as human shields to Soviet police who could not shut down the vast crowds of singers.
鈥淭o experience the culture and to perform in a place where people truly appreciate choral art is just amazing,鈥 said Wyman. 鈥淲e know we made a difference there.鈥
That was apparent when the crowd attending the performance in Tartu gave the choir a roaring standing ovation.
鈥淲e often get standing ovations so I didn鈥檛 think a lot about it,鈥 Wyman continued. 鈥淭he next day I was told that Estonians do not give standing ovations. I guess you could say that we did what we had hoped to do.鈥
The concerts in Estonia were also attended by the rector of the University of Tartu and the United States Ambassador to Estonia.
鈥淲hat a tremendous honor to have them as guests,鈥 said Wyman.
The tour also included performances in the small Swedish town of Uppsala and at a concert series in Stockholm.
University Choir member Erik Gosnell of North Platte said the tour provided an opportunity to study abroad.
鈥淚t has helped my yearning to study abroad become stronger,鈥 said Gosnell. 鈥淭here is something great and a lot to be learned in these kinds of experiences and opportunities.鈥
Gosnell recalled a favorite moment when the choir toured the Uppsala Cathedral, where they had the opportunity to rehearse their music.
鈥淲e rang that church like I鈥檝e never heard before,鈥 he said. 鈥淪ometimes you forget how beautiful the music you鈥檙e making is because during a tour it can get a little repetitious. But it鈥檚 moments like this that I remember why I love doing what I do.鈥
Choir member Samantha Peters of Omaha said the experience impacted her appreciation for music.
鈥淚 have a newfound respect for the way music crosses borders and changes lives,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he standing ovation in Tartu really touched me. These people sang for their independence. It just goes to show the power music has over people.鈥
The students鈥 experiences were exactly what Wyman was hoping for.
鈥淢y hope is to always get far more out of it than expected,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e got an astonishing amount for our investment.鈥
This fall the choir will begin rehearsing for it鈥檚 annual winter tour, which will take them to Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, and Kansas. In addition, the choir has been invited to perform a prestigious commissioned piece at the American Choral Directors Convention in February, and will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York next May.