Kansas City and won a second-place silver medal with its "One of Those Songs" package, missing out on a gold medal by five points out of 3,000 possible. That photo finish prompted a return to international the following year in Portland, where GNU earned a second-consecutive silver medal after posting the chorus's highest average score ever, a 95.0%, with a revamped "One of Those Songs" package. After sitting out in 2013, the chorus earned a third-place medal in Las Vegas with its "Winter Wonderland" package. Following the 2014 campaign, Director Peter Benson announced his resignation and the chorus hired Douglas Carnes in July 2015, with Scott Kvigne leading the chorus in the interim. Outreach In keeping with the Barbershop Harmony Society's goal to "Keep The Whole World Singing," Great Northern Union is active in reaching out to young singers in various ways. Since 2004, GNU has played host to a collaborative festival concert with area collegiate men's choruses. The event has frequently featured performances by the involved men's choruses and recent BHS International Collegiate Quartet champions, master classes on the barbershop style taught by GNU, and a mass chorus of all those involved for a finale. Great Northern Union also plays host to an annual Real Men Sing event that gives younger men in grades 7-12 the opportunity to sing. Participants at the all-day event form two youth choruses and give a concert at the end of the day, singing alongside GNU in the finale. GNU has been the featured performer at other Real Men Sing events in the Midwest as well. Since 2011, GNU has organized a summer youth men's chorus called 30 Below, which features men under 30 years old joined by GNU's younger members. The 30 Below chorus performs at the annual summer "Barbershop In The Park" event in St. Paul. GNU is an active member and participant in the month-long Northern Voice Festival, a collaborative effort of several Twin Cities-area singing ensembles that similarly aim to promote vocal music. GNU was named one of four "must-see" ensembles at the inaugural Festival Day. In recent years, GNU has been invited to perform at a number of professional educator association events in the region, including American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conferences and the Minnesota Music Educators Associations conference. References Choirs in Minnesota Musical groups established in 1986 1986 establishments in Minnesota