The 60th Presidential Inauguration provided a once-in-a-lifetime singing opportunity for Nebraska U's Ramiel Christensen and Analee Adams.
Christensen, a fourth-year vocal performance major, and her granddaughter, Adams, a first-year secondary education major, traveled together with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln combined choirs to perform at the inauguration ceremony and other venues in Washington, D.C.
“Being able to share it with my granddaughter was just amazing — to share the history and the love and things we’ll be able to remember for a lifetime,” Christensen said.
Christensen is a member of the University Singers, and Adams is a member of University Chorale — choirs in the Glenn Korff School of Music that do not regularly perform together. As soon as the opportunity opened up for the University Chorale, Adams knew she wanted to participate.
“I signed up as fast as I could,” Adams said.
The pair roomed together on the trip and said they spent most of their time together. Christensen said it was nice to be able to enjoy the sights together at their own pace, and Adams said having a travel partner she knew so well made the trip easier.
“I always had somebody to talk to and somebody to walk next to,” she said. “It was wonderful.”
The pair said most of their family is musical and the family sings together often when they get together. Adams even decided to join a choir in college after seeing her grandmother’s winter concert with University Singers about a year ago.
“I was just sitting there with my jaw gaping like, ‘I can’t miss out on this,’” Adams said.
It was the first time Christensen and Adams participated in a formal choral performance together, and singing in places like the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the Capitol Rotunda left Adams in awe.
“Walking through the Capitol for the first time, I started crying,” Adams said. “It was so incredible.”
The visit to the Basilica and attending the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery were especially memorable moments during their time in Washington. Both locations evoked reverence from the entire group, Adams said.
“I’ve never heard the choir be so silent,” Adams said.
Christensen also said the look of joy on the face of Lt. Col. Ryan Nowlin, director of the “President’s Own” United States Marine Band, was another great moment that stuck with her. Singing in the echoing Capitol Rotunda posed its challenges, but she was proud of the final performance.
“I was standing there singing and watching the colonel lead, and he was so happy,” Christensen said. “Everyone worked together and it came together so beautifully. I was so thrilled.”
Christensen said it still hasn’t fully set in how special the opportunity was to perform in this setting, especially with Adams.
“If I had been doing it alone, it would be really nice, but to be able to share it made it that much more important,” Christensen said. “It will be a moment in time we will share forever.”
