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MPR's John Birge interviews Philip Brunelle on the announcement of the 2008-2009 40th Anniversary Season

VocalEssence announces 40th season

by John Birge, Minnesota Public Radio
April 20, 2008

Listen to feature audio at minnesotapublicradio.org

The Twin Cities choral group VocalEssence will celebrate its 40th anniversary season in 2008-09 with a tour of England and a collaboration with six of the Twin Cities' most prestigious professional and community choirs.

St. Paul, Minn. — VocalEssence Artistic Director Philip Brunelle says the 500 voices of his group and the six choirs will sing a newly commissioned work by Dominick Argento.

"There's an amazing vitality about choral music in this community," Brunelle says. "It's not just VocalEssence. There are many other choral groups with their own identity in the Twin Cities and we've never sung together before."

The season kicks off with a 40th birthday party at Orchestra Hall hosted by Garrison Keillor. Jazz pianist Billy Taylor returns in February for a performance of his composition, "Peaceful Warrior," dedicated to Martin Luther King. And VocalEssence will perform the music of popular choral composer Eric Whitacre in March.

Philip Brunelle spoke with Minnesota Public Radio's John Birge about the upcoming VocalEssence season.


HEAR what the BUZZ is about!

  • "P.D.Q. Bach is the only dead composer who can still be commissioned. We should all be grateful that VocalEssence had the temerity and pizzazz to commission the opera Oedipus Tex, and stage it as if it were a real opera. Here's to forty years of singing outside the box!"
    Peter Schickele (a.k.a. P.D.Q. Bach)

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