Single tickets for this event go on sale on July 1, 2008.
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Celebrating its 32^nd year, Welcome Christmas! is a beloved Twin Cities holiday tradition! This season's centerpiece is the world premiere of "El Niño de los Andes" (The Child of the Andes), written for VocalEssence by Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. Alongside familiar Christmas favorites, VocalEssence premieres two brand new carols from the 11^th annual VocalEssence/American Composers Forum Welcome Christmas! Carol Contest for French horn and chorus.

Four performances:
Sunday Dec. 7, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis

Celebrating its 32^nd year, Welcome Christmas! is a beloved Twin Cities holiday tradition! This season's centerpiece is the world premiere of "El Niño de los Andes" (The Child of the Andes), written for VocalEssence by Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. Alongside familiar Christmas favorites, VocalEssence premieres two brand new carols from the 11^th annual VocalEssence/American Composers Forum Welcome Christmas! Carol Contest for French horn and chorus.

Additional performances:
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina

Create your subscription of three or more VocalEssence performances and save!

Celebrating its 32^nd year, Welcome Christmas! is a beloved Twin Cities holiday tradition! This season's centerpiece is the world premiere of "El Niño de los Andes" (The Child of the Andes), written for VocalEssence by Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. Alongside familiar Christmas favorites, VocalEssence premieres two brand new carols from the 11^th annual VocalEssence/American Composers Forum Welcome Christmas! Carol Contest for French horn and chorus.

Additional performances:
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis

Create your subscription of three or more VocalEssence performances and save!

Celebrating its 32nd year, Welcome Christmas! is a beloved Twin Cities holiday tradition! This season's centerpiece is the world premiere of "El Niño de los Andes" (The
Child of the Andes), written for VocalEssence by Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. Alongside familiar Christmas favorites,
VocalEssence premieres two brand new carols from the 11th annual
VocalEssence/American Composers Forum Welcome
Christmas! Carol Contest for French horn and chorus.

Additional performances:
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis

Create your subscription of three or more VocalEssence performances and save!

Six prestigious professional and community choirs in Minnesota join forces with the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers for a celebration of the incredible choral music tradition in our community. Kantorei, Magnum Chorum, Minnesota Chorale, National Lutheran Choir, The Singers and Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus each perform a work premiered or commissioned by VocalEssence over its 40 year history. Then, over 500 magnificent voices join together for the world premiere of a work composed for this occasion by Dominick Argento.

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The London Times calls his music "extraordinarily beautiful." Classics Today says it is as "electrifying as anything you've ever heard." Young singers agree that Eric Whitacre is the hottest thing in choral music-his music has been played over a million times on MySpace. Eric Whitacre conducts the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers, joined by the St. Olaf Choir and the 160-voice Minnesota Honors Choir, including a world premiere composed for this occasion.

Join us for an Eric Whitacre Festival Weekend! Choral singers can participate in a community sing event with the composer. The date, location and how to register will be announced soon.

Minnesota high school students in Grades 11-12 can audition for the Minnesota Honors Choir this fall.

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VocalEssence celebrates the 90^th birthday anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with music dedicated to and inspired by his life and vision. Influenced by Dr. King, jazz legend Dr. Billy Taylor performs his composition Peaceful Warrior, a three-movement work written for chorus, orchestra and jazz trio.

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Celebrating its 32^nd year, Welcome Christmas! is a beloved Twin Cities holiday tradition! This season's centerpiece is the world premiere of "El Niño de los Andes" (The Child of the Andes), written for VocalEssence by Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. Alongside familiar Christmas favorites, VocalEssence premieres two brand new carols from the 11^th annual VocalEssence/American Composers Forum Welcome Christmas! Carol Contest for French horn and chorus.

Additional performances:
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008 (7:30 pm) - Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 (4 pm) - Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis

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Kaddish: Music of Remembrance and Hope is a new work by Lawrence Siegel celebrating the truth and beauty of individual testimony, given voice by fifteen Holocaust survivors. Klezmer melodies weave through this music for soloists, chorus and chamber orchestra. Highlights from the new authorized edition of Bernstein's Mass complete a haunting, unforgettable evening.

This performance is dedicated to Dr. Stephen Feinstein, U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos and Raoul Wallenberg.

Visit The Kaddish Project website

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The VocalEssence Chorus, Ensemble Singers, and special guests The St. Olaf Choir and tenor Dan Dressen fill the magnificent Cathedral acoustic with Berlioz's Te Deum, joined by full orchestra -including twelve harps! This all-French program also features lyrical music of Poulenc, Villette, Duruflé and Daniel-Lesur.

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