Dear Friends,

Sometime during my second year, Jane Earnest Cordell offered the devotional thought that opened our weekly Jubilate rehearsal. She described the perfect gift as one about which the recipient says with delight, “It’s just what I wanted!” and “Isn’t that just like them, to give this to me!” That description has guided many of my birthday and holiday gift purchases over the years since UVA in hopes that I might offer my friends and relatives the perfect gift.

Jubilate was the perfect gift for our college days, a gift from God offered by University Baptist Church, nurtured by caring directors and ministers, and joyously shared by those alongside whom we rehearsed and performed. Jubilate provided us with the community we needed to sustain us through the ups and downs of college life, and the friendships we treasured for fun and discovery of our unique selves. Jubilate reminded us that God loves us, and it gave us ample ways to sing our thanksgivings and praises to God. In our busy weeks and crowded semesters, Jubilate allowed us time to slow down a bit, laugh and talk (till told to stop talking… so sorry, Carl Beard!), think about what was most important to us, and feel connected to something beyond our latest worry or problem. I cannot imagine what UVA would have been like without Jubilate and University Baptist Church to anchor my wanderings and enrich my relationships, and I give thanks for this perfect gift to my young life.

Perhaps you know someone entering UVA this coming Fall, for whom Jubilate might be just what they need for starting life on The Grounds? Perhaps you know someone returning to UVA who wants to sing or join a group, but they did not make that commitment last year? Perhaps you know family members, neighbors, or youth in your church, who are heading to The University for college or graduate school, and for whom Jubilate might be the perfect gift. If so, please tell them about “Jubilate” and encourage them to consider adding their voices and personalities to the choir.

The best and easiest way to make the connection between students you know and Jubilate is through the website: https://jubilateuva.org/ . Another way of connecting is to find the Jubilate table at the Student Activities Fair on Monday, August 26. Students can worship with UniBap/UBC on Sunday mornings and learn about Jubilate that way, too. One especially good Sunday for visiting the church is August 25, when there is a breakfast for students at 10am.
Thank you for giving to Jubilate with your time and talent in the past. Thank you for giving to Jubilate with your financial support and participation in reunions over the years since graduation. Thank you for giving to Jubilate with introductions and invitations to potential new members now.

With cheers and good memories,
Dale Peterson, Jubilate 1974-1977