Tree of Life Choir—Hear What They Will Sing in Transylvania

The Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation Adult Choir.  Row 1: Allison Joy, Beth Denise Hoover, Carrie MacDonald, Judy Stettner, Sue Kazlusky, Annette Jasiota, Carol Alfus, Therese Hart, and  Rhea Davis.  Second Row: Music Director Thomas Steffens, Ken Johnson, Ron Relic, Bob Tirk, Paul Krieg, Whitman Sears, and George Kazlusky.

The Adult Choir of the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road in McHenry will present their final local concert tonight, May 30 at 7:00 pm before they depart on June 7 for a performance tour of historic Unitarian Churches in the Transylvania region of Romania.

Those churches are the oldest Unitarian congregations in the world and have endured for more than 400 years despite persecutions by Catholics, Reform Protestants, the Islamic Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Nazis, and Communists. 

Thomas Steffens, the Music Director who retires after 26 years of service to Tree of Life and its previous identities in Woodstock, hopes that the visit will lay the groundwork for establishing an official Partner Church Agreement between the McHenry congregation and one in Romania.  That would foster regular contact, support for the Romanian partner, and ongoing exchanges.

The choir recently performed tune-up concerts at the DeKalb UU Fellowship and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin.  The McHenry concert will not only allow members of the Congregation to enjoy a program that has been honed over months of rehearsals, but will be open to the public.  The Adult Choir has earned a strong McHenry County reputation for its performances at multi-choir events.

The one hour concert will be followed by a question and answer period and a reception of hors d’oeuvres, desserts and refreshments.

The program is free to the public.  A free will offering may be taken.