United In Praise(About Us)
"There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:4-5,12-13
Present
...UP now
In recent years, the choir has grown from strength to strength. Our numbers have more than doubled and at present, membership is about fifty. However, we still welcome and are looking for more members as we have no bounds in terms of size. The bigger the choir, the louder the sound, the merrier the dance and ultimately the greater the praise.
Past
United in Praise (UP), formerly the Modern Black Mass Choir (MBMC), is a diverse student group consisting of both undergraduate and graduate Duke University students who profess the Christian faith. The choir is one of the oldest student groups on the campus of Duke University. During the mid-sixties, a time when Duke did not openly embrace its cultural and ethnic diversity, the Modern Black Mass Choir was organized in a local church for Duke's Black students. In 1972, the choir was reorganized as a Duke University student group.
Each year the choir performs at numerous community and on-campus engagements, which consists of ministering at local churches and community centers, participating in youth outreach events, and culminating each semester with a concert. The choir also participates in an annual Spring Tour. During the 1997-1998 school year, in an effort to represent the diversity of the choir members, and above all to emphasize our purpose, the choir was renamed United in Praise. Though the name of the choir has changed, our commitments to Duke University, the Durham community, and Almighty God have remained the same.
United In Praise has two main branches of ministry, namely the choir and the praise dance ministries. The two work hand in hand at engagements and together form the family we call United In Praise. The choir performs at different engagements that range from churches and schools to even the general community. The Praise Dance ministry uses mime and dance to minister the word. We also have talented musicians who put their hearts to arranging and playing instruments for both the choir and the dance groups