Philip Brunelle:
The past month has been another busy one for Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence Founder and Artistic Director. This is the time for auditions for the Ensemble Singers as well as new singers for the Chorus–so many hours have been filled with this important task. Putting the final touches on the 2023-2024 season (subscriptions are available now!) have always been a priority–making for a fantastic 55th season!
We continue to interview candidates for the VocalEssence Board and the list of possibilities is inspiring! The annual Chorus America conference in San Francisco was a great opportunity to meet colleagues and discuss plans for the future. It was also a wonderful moment to honor Mike McCarthy, long time honorary VocalEssence board member and 20 year treasurer for Chorus America; how special it was that Kay McCarthy could attend this event honoring her husband, Mike.
A poignant occasion was the memorial service for Jeanne Patterson on June 12. Jeanne was VocalEssence first business manager (when it was Plymouth Music Series) and served in that role for 20 years. She was a phenomenal person who helped launch this intrepid choral organization.
A special celebration this month was the occasion at Cay Shea’s wonderful home marking the successful conclusion of our Bridge to the Future campaign. Speakers from our Vintage Voices and Singers Of This Age (SOTA) programs spoke eloquently about our work in these areas and Natalia Romero, one of our Ensemble Singers, enchanted the audience with her singing.
And, don’t forget to tune in to Philip’s Renaissance Man podcast. The latest episode features a conversation hosted by the Minnesota chapter of the American Choral Directors Association at St. Olaf College to speak with students interested in choral directing and choral music composition. Therees Hibbard serves as the host and interviewer in this fascinating discussion. Click the button below to listen.