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When the world feels unsteady, CMU invites Winnipeg to sing
Canadian Mennonite University will host a community-wide singing event, Singing Resistance, on Monday, February 2, at 7:00 PM in the Laudamus Auditorium at 500 Shaftesbury Blvd. The evening will bring together students, alumni, churches, and the wider public to sing songs of protest and courage, in solidarity with Minneapolis—part vigil, part community chorus—in response to the unsettling and often painful realities unfolding in the world today.
Rooted in traditions of music making and nonviolent action, Singing Resistance draws on a long history of communities who have sung together to endure hardship, speak truth, and imagine a more just future. From hymns sung in times of persecution to freedom songs carried through the civil rights movement, singing has always been a way for people to refuse despair, practice hope, and affirm their shared humanity.
The evening will be led by faculty musicians Dr. Anneli Loepp Thiessen, Neil Weisensel, and Darryl Neustaedter Barg, who will guide participants through a mix of old and new songs of resistance and hope. No musical experience is required. This is not a performance but a participatory gathering where everyone is invited to add their voice.
"When violence, political chaos, and injustice dominate the news, it's easy to feel powerless", says Dr. Loepp Thiessen, Assistant Professor of Music. "When people gather to sing, something changes. We become part of something larger than ourselves. We remember that hope is not something we wait for, it is something we practice together."
While this is planned as a single evening event, CMU anticipates that Singing Resistance may become a recurring gathering as the community continues to seek ways to respond to today's challenging times with courage, compassion, and connection.
Singing Resistance
In solidarity with Minneapolis
Monday, February 2, 2026
7:00–8:00 PM
CMU Laudamus Auditorium
500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Free and open to the public
For more information, please contact:
Sandra Koop Harder
Vice-President External
Canadian Mennonite University
skoopharder
431.337.5339
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