{"id":365226,"date":"2026-06-18T04:02:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T04:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/365226\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T04:02:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T04:02:15","slug":"voices-in-unity-america-250-choir-seeks-singers-for-july-3-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/365226\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Voices in Unity America 250 Choir’ seeks singers for July 3 event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A choir set to perform in front of a crowd of thousands at a July 3 Independence Day celebration at the Orange County Fair & Event Center has put out the call for more members of the community to join them.<\/p>\n

The Voices in Unity: America 250 Choir is a project proposed by Costa Mesa Arts Commissioner Debora Wondercheck to mark a quarter-millennium of American history. She said during an interview Tuesday it\u2019s a fitting metaphor for the rich blend of individuals and communities that make up the United States of America.<\/p>\n

\"Youth <\/p>\n

Youth join their voices together as part of the Voices in Unity: America 250 Choir during rehearsal at the Costa Mesa Senior Center on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really all one, one voice coming together celebrating our nation, but celebrating it from a place where our cultures are what makes our nation great. It\u2019s not individuals or one type of person. It\u2019s all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

About 80 people had joined their voices with the choir as of Tuesday. Wondercheck hopes to see that number grow to around 250 in time for the performance, part of the city of Costa Mesa\u2019s annual Independence Day festivities at the fairgrounds next month.<\/p>\n

\"TeWinkle <\/p>\n

TeWinkle Middle School choir teacher Stacy Neacato leads the Voices in Unity: America 250 Choir during rehearsal at the Costa Mesa Senior Center on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

(Eric Licas)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about all of us, so bring some people,\u201d Wondercheck said. \u201cThey don\u2019t have to sing perfectly or be a professional. It\u2019s just about being unified in voice. And we\u2019ll train them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instructors include TeWinkle Middle School Choir Conductor Stacy Neacato and Costa Mesa High School Choir Director Ashley Riopka. Tamara Fairbanks, a Newport-Mesa Unified teacher on special assignment, and Susanne Reid, chair of the Vanguard University Music Department, are also helping lead the program.<\/p>\n

\"Newport <\/p>\n

Newport Harbor High sophomore Alyssa Niles, left, joins other youth taking part in the Voices in Unity: America 250 Choir during rehearsal at the Costa Mesa Senior Center on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

(Eric Licas)<\/p>\n

For younger singers like Newport Harbor High sophomore Alyssa Niles, the choir has been an opportunity to learn from more experienced musicians and build ties with people of all ages and backgrounds. And for those like her mother, Alma Niles, who were singers in a past life but may have fallen out of practice while keeping up with the demands of day-to-day life, it provides a chance to reignite their passion and rediscover a community in the arts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the camaraderie,\u201d Alma Niles said. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s good singing solo and all, but for me I like the different voices, the soprano, alto, bass. There\u2019s harmony.\u201d<\/p>\n

The last time she sang in a choir, she was a student attending St. Paul University in the Philippines and part of a group that traveled to California for a performance in 1999. In the intervening decades she immigrated to America, settled in Newport Beach and started a family.<\/p>\n

\"Members <\/p>\n

Members of the Voices in Unity: America 250 Choir rehearse at the Costa Mesa Senior Center on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

(Eric Licas)<\/p>\n

Alma Niles said she felt joy and pride watching her daughter explore her own talent for singing in recent years. The Independence Day celebration will be their first performance together.<\/p>\n

The choir will perform a set list of music from across generations that highlight themes of diversity and unity through shared ideals of liberty and opportunity. Selections include \u201cLean on Me\u201d by Bill Whithers, \u201cOne Nation\u201d by Teresa Jennings and \u201cLift Every Voice and Sing,\u201d which is commonly referred to as the African American National Anthem, by James Weldon Johnson.<\/p>\n

\"Mary <\/p>\n

Mary Watson-Bruce, center, one of the co-founders of the OC Women\u2019s Choir, joins the Voices in Unity: America 250 Choir for rehearsal at the Costa Mesa Senior Center on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

(Eric Licas)<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you haven\u2019t done it in a while, come on back,\u201d Wondercheck said. \u201cWe have a lot of individuals here who came from that same place, where they were on the fence. But they came. They are finding friends, and they\u2019re finding their people here. And the people are from all kinds of different backgrounds, and we\u2019re celebrating everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those interested in joining the chorus are asked to attend the next rehearsals, scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. on June 23 and June 30 at the Costa Mesa Senior Center, 695 W. 19th St. <\/p>\n

\"Costa <\/p>\n

Costa Mesa High School choir conductor Ashley Riopka guides children taking part in the Voices in Unity: America 250 Choir during rehearsal on Tuesday,<\/p>\n

(Eric Licas)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A choir set to perform in front of a crowd of thousands at a July 3 Independence Day…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":365227,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[148203,163,165,164,78731,179,1043,148205,20217,5679,1524,1459,592,1406,7091,148202,10605,148204],"class_list":["post-365226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-alma-niles","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-choir","tag-community","tag-event","tag-independence-day-celebration","tag-individual","tag-july","tag-nation","tag-part","tag-people","tag-performance","tag-singer","tag-unity-america","tag-voice","tag-wondercheck"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/365227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}