Community Youth Choir Share Songs of Peace

The Midwest Youth Choir (MYC), completed their Winter Concert, Wednesday, Dec. 13 at Hammond Central High School. The holiday program theme was Peace.

The evening began with a candle lit theme setting introduction, which was read by Juan J. Moreno, Director of Economic Development City of Hammond. Arturo Cardenas, read the same text in Spanish as students in the MYC Level 1 read words relating to peace: Respect - Honesty - Gratitude - Beauty - Kindness - Charity- Love.

“All these words are important but love is an enduring priority. When guided by acceptance and appreciation for others around us, a brighter more wholesome future is possible. A future with more creative opportunities, more music, more art and more humanity,” Juan J. Moreno read. 

The MYC Level 1, consists of students five to seven years old. Directed by Bob Miligan, they performed Christmas songs like We Wish you a Merry Christmas and I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. 

BBB4E founder Michelle Golden shared the story of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and President Jimmy Carter. Mattie was a young boy with the dream of being a peacemaker. He was born with a fatal neuromuscular disease, which took his life at age 13. Though Mattie had limited childhood experiences due to rigorous treatment, he engaged the public through his positive writing.

MYC L2 sang holiday songs as well as pop hits like The Climb by Miley Cyrus. All of the students closed the evening with a group performance of Christmas Wish. The audience joined in to sing with the lyrics “So just imagine peace, on earth this Christmas/ For the children and children yet to come.”

Thank you to the community members and families who attended.