In a day filled with emotional memorial events, the NIU community was able to find a quick escape with a memorial concert in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium.

The acoustic sounds of “Planning the Rebellion” and gospel group “The Sue Conway Victory Singers” gave viewers a temporary reprieve from the day’s events.

“Planning the Rebellion” brothers Robert and Scott Cerny along with friend Tom Rucker traveled from the Quad Cities to take part in the concert.

“Our friends saw something about the memorial online, and we felt this was a good way to get involved,” Robert said.

Their light-hearted set list included songs about love, escapism and the simpler things in life. The group selected cover songs such as Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” along with songs from their newest album, “Songs of the Earth.”

With the words of reflection and remembrance on everyone’s minds, the trio found it fitting to conclude their set with the lyric “won’t you put my soul at peace.”

“We’ve been playing since we were 12-years-old,” Scott said. “It was nice to give something back.”

“The Sue Conway Victory Singers,” a gospel group from Chicago, took the stage after a short intermission. Viewers clapped loudly as the group opened with an upbeat gospel song.

“Remembrance, reflection, mosaic, tapestry, all words used to describe today’s memorial events,” said lead singer Sue Conway. “All words that lead to music.”

Conway’s rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” received a strong reaction from the crowd.

“Even in difficult times it’s important to recognize the beauty in life,” Conway told the crowd.

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