Posted on March 9, 2013 by mnuet.com

VocalEssence has planned a varied and challenging 45th season.

“One would think it would be a challenge to keep things fresh after more than four decades — but we find the contrary to be true,” Philip Brunelle, founder of VocalEssence, said in a written statement.

“The mission of VocalEssence is to explore the human voice, and certainly that has no limit. I’m absolutely thrilled about next season — including the premieres and commissions — and we can’t wait to roll up our sleeves.”

Here are details of the 2013-2014 season lineup:

There Was a Child, October 27, 2013: In its season opener, VocalEssence and The St. Olaf Choir will share the stage, performing audience favorites by Eric Whitacre, René Clausen, Egil Hovland and F. Melius Christiansen. Then the choirs will join forces for the U.S. premiere of Jonathan Dove’s poetic masterpiece, There Was a Child, an epic and moving celebration of life. Composed in 2011 as a tribute to a friend’s son, There Was a Child traces a young man’s life from childhood to manhood in the spirit of Britten and Vaughan Williams. The passionate, romantic, and uplifting premiere will be held in the newly renovated Orchestra Hall.

Cocktails & Cabaret, November 18, 2013: This will be a special benefit event at the Metropolitan Ballroom and Clubroom. With Philip Brunelle at the piano, Twin Cities-based musical theater stars Simone Perrin, Bradley Greenwald, Greta Oglesby and Dieter Bierbrauer will fill the stage with songs of love, life and laughter. Attendees can sip a delicious cocktail, sample fabulous hors d’oeuvres, and soak in an incredible show. All proceeds benefit VocalEssence education programs, which bring music and cultural workshops to thousands of Minnesota’s schoolchildren each year.

Welcome Christmas, December 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 2013: Welcome the holidays with a tribute to the late jazz legend Dave Brubeck and his charming Christmas cantata La Fiesta de la Posada, featuring pianist Dan Chouinard and local mariachi band Mariachi Mi Tierra. Inspired by Mexican folk music, Brubeck blends Latin rhythms with American jazz in a stunning Christmas piece celebrating Las Posadas, the Latin festival recounting the journey of Mary and Joseph to the stable. Beloved carols will complete the program for a performance that will warm hearts and get everyone in the Christmas spirit!

Star of Wonder, December 14, 2013: Something to add to the family’s holiday traditions: the VocalEssence annual one-hour family Christmas concert. Kids are invited to sit up close as members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers perform familiar holiday music, including a rousing “Twelve Days of Christmas” sing-along, perfect for every age.

WITNESS: Stomp & Sing, February 9, 2014: Inspiring vocal activist Melanie DeMore will take audiences on a journey through the Sea Islands of Georgia and South Carolina. For the enslaved Gullah people, communal singing and dance were seen as vital to survival, and rhythm was deep in their souls. Through powerful spirituals performed in the Gullah tradition, accompanied by stick pounding, hand clapping and foot stomping, DeMore will challenge the audience to connect with our neighbors and the music within us.

John Rutter Jubilee, March 21 and 23, 2014: As dean of British choral composers and conductor of the world-famous Cambridge Singers, John Rutter has most recently been on the world stage for composing an anthem for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding. Here, Rutter will lead VocalEssence in a concert of his favorites, including his delightfully jazzy Birthday Madrigals, and music by some of his favorite English romantic composers, Charles Villiers Stanford and C. Hubert H. Parry.

Tchaikovsky for Voices, April 27, 2014: This soul-stirring season finale will celebrate centuries-old Russian orthodox tradition with The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, a precursor to the Rachmaninoff Vespers. The piece combines lush romanticism with a haunting and austere simplicity. VocalEssence and four of the region’s most acclaimed college choirs will join together more than 350 voices recreating the spirit of the original premiere performance in 1880 that Tchaikovsky called “one of the happiest moments” of his career.

¡Cantaré! Community Concert, May 20, 2014: At this multi-generational fiesta, prominent Mexican composers will work with school choirs, community choruses, and VocalEssence to create a stunning performance, bringing the sounds of Mexico to Minnesota in a family-friendly, bilingual music celebration!

Season tickets go on sale Saturday, March 9, in conjunction with the VocalEssence English Garden performance at 8 p.m. at Ted Mann Concert Hall. For tickets, details about the season and other information, please visit the VocalEssence web site or call (612) 371-5656.