Alexandra Cordoba – Lincoln, Nebraska … Twenty-seven students in the select choir, Koinonia, from Campion Academy (CA) in Loveland, Colorado, traveled to Union Adventist University (UAU) in Lincoln, Nebraska, to participate in the 2025 Union Choral Music Festival, January 29 – February 1. They joined over 200 students from Adventist academies across the Midwest, working together to perform six songs as a mass choir.

From Wednesday through Friday, students dove into the rigorous rehearsals, some lasting nearly 13 hours a day.

Students had the unique opportunity on January 31 to record in UAU’s new recording studio. The entire festival choir was recorded in groups, and one male and one female singer was chosen from each group to be the lead singer. The completed video was presented at the night concert on February 1, and students got to hear their voices edited together.

For the Friday night vespers program, each academy had the chance to showcase their songs. Campion was the last school to sing and received a standing ovation for their performance of “He Never Failed Me Yet,” featuring multiple soloists including Michael Shannon and Natalie Bryant.

CA student Marc Winokan commented on how he felt after performing, saying, “After our performance it was really exciting to see everyone cheering and screaming for us. I’m glad that it went well, and we were able to praise God through our music.”

The 200-member choir joined together on February 1 to sing for the church service and again in the evening for a final concert. Janey Padilla-Reyes, CA student, reflected on the culmination of the rehearsals saying, “It was truly something that was prayed over and a message that the group brought to everyone.” One of these selections, “The Lord is My Shepherd,” was a new composition written specifically for this year’s festival and made its debut at the event.

Students celebrated their hard work and accomplishments Saturday night with pizza and got to hang out with friends, play sports, swim, and have fun at the Reiner Wellness Center. During their free time, students also enjoyed exploring downtown Lincoln.

“Music fest was a lot of fun. Although, the practices were extremely long and tiring, the opportunity to sing a debut song and hear the final outcome at the concert was worth all the labor put into it,” concluded student Toby Quillin.

—Alexandra Cordoba, Campion Academy Student News Team. Photos supplied.