Echoes of Peace Choir: Sara and Choir receive St. Louis County Award

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Sara and Choir receive St. Louis County Award

The Excellence in the Arts & Sciences Award was presented November 8, 2011 with appreciation by the Saint Louis County Board of Commissioners to Sara Thomsen & The Echoes of Peace Choir "in recognition of your dedication, innovation, and outstanding contributions to the Arts & Sciences. Your excellent gifts of time, talent, and resources have contributed to the exceptional quality of life in our region, and have helped to make Saint Louis County a better place to live and grow for all of our citizens."

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About the choir

Anyone with a desire to sing is welcome to join this non-audition community choir. No previous singing or music reading experience required. Our repertoire includes songs from various cultural and spiritual traditions around the world, songs of justice and peace, songs of hope and longing, and songs that are simply fun and full of celebration. At the heart of what we are about is coming together to sing in harmony as a means of both personal, local and global transformation. Singing opens the heart and re-enchants the spirit. Harmony brings harmony!

Sara began the choir in Duluth, MN in 2002 to sing for the Art of Peace event, a local response to the events of 9/11/01. The Art of Peace, held annually for six years, brought varied artistic expressions together to inspire and instigate creativity and peacemaking. The choir has since grown and evolved to presenting annual concerts and singing at various community events thoughout the year. The Duluth choir has a membership of about seventy five voices. Sara Thomsen is the founder and artistic director.

The nonprofit organization Echoes of Peace was formed in 2012, marking the 10th anniversary of the choir and serves to support and expand its mission to inspire awareness, action and reflection on critical social issues using music and the arts to build and bridge informed, engaged and caring communities.

Echoes of Peace is a member of the Ubuntu Choirs Network, a "growing community of choirs who believes that the joy of singing is a universal birthright, and that together, regardless of musical background, we can help improve the world by joining voices in song." This network was founded by Shivon Robinsong and Denis Donnelly, co-directors of the Gettin' Higher Choir in Victoria, B.C. Canada. Sara is a graduate of their Community Choir Leadership Training.