The University of Liberia Alumni Chorus (ULAC) is a non-profit organization born of a storied musical tradition created by the Late Professor Agnes Nebo von Ballmoos, an internationally respected music scholar and educator. After assuming its mantle in 1961, Professor von Ballmoos, Liberia’s only ethnomusicologist, developed the University of Liberia Chorus into one of Liberia’s cultural crown jewels, reflecting Professor von Ballmoos’ vision of the Liberian Culture, through choral music.

Like many institutions, the University of Liberia was a casualty of Liberia’s tragic civil war during the early 1990s. When the University reopened following two decades of fighting, the music department had ceased to exist. Mrs. von Ballmoos, the driving force of the Music Department at the University, who had fled to London during the war, died in 2000. Dozens of Chorus Alumni had also resettled in the United States and other parts of the world. Several of them kept singing, years after their last University recital. Their dedication to the dreams of their late directress and their desire to assist their alma mater led the former chorus members to form the University of Liberia Alumni Chorus (ULAC) in 2009.

Since its inception, this group of over 50 Liberian professionals from various walks of life, scattered around the United States, Europe and Liberia come together once a year in a US city for a fundraising benefit reunion concert. This internationally renowned singing sensational group performs classical works of Beethoven, Handel and Gounod, as well as Negro Spirituals by Moses Hogan and Nathaniel Dett. The Chorus also features a repertoire of African choral music from South, East, and West Africa. Sacred and secular choral music from Zambia, South Africa, Ghana, and Liberia, by composers like Mariam Makeba, Ephraim Amu and music arranged by their late university chorus directress, Professor Agnes Nebo von Ballmoos.

In 2012, with some assistance from sponsors and at their own expense, more than thirty members of the Chorus traveled to Monrovia from the US to join other members residing in Liberia to participate in the second inaugural ceremonies of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Their participation in the ceremonies gave the Chorus a stronger sense of national pride, elevated the urgency not only to look back but to give back, and a heightened a commitment to the ideals and goals of the Chorus. Most importantly, it was a clear demonstration of their abiding love for country, and their hope and faith in the resilience of the human spirit. Since then, the Chorus continues to perform to high profile audiences that include dignitaries, academicians and celebrities.

During the Ebola Crisis in 2014, ULAC’s annual benefit concert was dedicated to all the men, women and children who had fallen victim to the deadly Ebola Virus Disease; and all those courageous individuals involved in the fight to eradicate the disease. ULAC presented a consignment of non-contact thermometers to the University of Liberia Ebola Task Force, headed by the then President of the University, Dr. Emmet Dennis.

With funds raised from its annual benefit concerts and donations from its supporters, ULAC’s scholastic assistance program continues to be its most visible platform to engage students at the University of Liberia and contribute to the mind-power development of our nation, Liberia. To date, 58 students have been beneficiaries of our scholarship program and that number will continue to grow. This year (2018), ULAC’s scholarship endowment was augmented with an amount of $10,000. The Chorus has presented about $1,500.00 as teaching and academic excellence awards to outstanding faculty nominated by the University for sustained excellence in teaching and academics.

The Chorus is spearheading a campaign for the construction of a Performing Arts Center at the University of Liberia. This ambitious initiative led ULAC to partner with the University of Liberia in 2016 and signed a commitment letter that resulted in the University availing 10 acres of land to ULAC for this flagship project. Subsequently, ULAC endorsed Kru Work Shop, one of Liberia’s most prestigious architectural firms, to provide architectural services for this project. ULAC is currently in the process of soliciting grants that will enable us to make this project a reality.

Visit their website at www.ulachorus.org to learn more.