VocalEssence WITNESS will blow you away this February with the sound of not one, not two, but four separate groups on stage. In total, 365 voices will be celebrating male singing and Morehouse College, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s alma mater—a sight (and sound) that will rock you to your core and leave you clamoring for… Read More →
The VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, conducted by Philip Brunelle, were a big part of the sold-out A Prairie Home Companion show with Garrison Keillor on Saturday, December 26. If you missed it, you can listen to the entire program and watch video segments online, including this rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Music makes the perfect gift for family and friends, and Cyber Monday through December 25 you can save 20% on tickets to VocalEssence Season Concerts that will make hearts merry well after the holiday season; just use discount code WELCOME1516 at checkout. You can also provide loved ones with the joyful sounds of our latest… Read More →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMTCe1c7iko As you celebrate Thanksgiving, take a break from the chill of fall and enjoy this video. The VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, conducted by Dale Warland, performed “Summer” from Seasons by Dominick Argento at the VocalEssence Made in Minnesota concert on Sunday, October 26, 2014 at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. Happy Thanksgiving!
Students from six Twin Cities high schools gathered on Monday, November 16 at Southwest High School in Minneapolis for their first rehearsal with VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III to prepare for their performance with VocalEssence and the Morehouse College Glee Club for the WITNESS concerts in February 2016. Students learned five songs, rehearsed… Read More →
VocalEssence and the American Composers Forum are pleased to announce the two winning composers of their 18th annual Welcome Christmas Carol Contest. This year, the contest sought new carols for SATB Chorus and trumpet in B-flat or C. Carols composed by Josh Bauder and Laura Caviani, both of Minnesota, were selected from a total of… Read More →
When VocalEssence brings in a group like Voz en Punto for VocalEssence Presents: Voz en Punto on November 15, we engage them in more than the performance—we want them to work with all aspects of the community! From November 13-16, the group will visit schools, lead a community sing and perform as part of a… Read More →
https://vimeo.com/70340076 Voz en Punto is “one of the world’s great vocal sextets,” says VocalEssence Artistic Director Philip Brunelle. “This amazing group of singers has a 25-year history of celebrating the musical culture of Mexico, past and present, as well as performing music from around the world. Their blend, their flexibility, and their love for music… Read More →
Exquisite, moving, and remarkable are words that have been used to describe the VocalEssence Dreams of the Fallen concert on Sunday, October 11 at the O’Shaughnessy, performed by the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Jeffrey Biegel and Maria Jette, and featuring the Midwest premiere of Jake Runestad’s Dreams of the Fallen.… Read More →
VocalEssence has partnered with the Minnesota Humanities Center’s Veterans’ Voices Program, which draws on the power of the humanities to call attention to the stories and contributions of veterans. This initiative amplifies, honors and recognizes the stories and contributions of Minnesota veterans in their own voice through plays, art, discussion groups, and the Veterans’ Voices… Read More →
For those who would like a preview of one of the pieces that will be performed at the VocalEssence Dreams of the Fallen concert on October 11, 2015, which features songs of survival, hope and healing, here is a look at “Controlled Burn.” The VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers, conducted by Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, performed “Controlled… Read More →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC4EWANvsp4&feature=youtu.be October is Veterans’ Voices Month, as proclaimed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2014, and VocalEssence will open our 47th Season on October 11 with Dreams of the Fallen, a tribute to U.S. military Veterans. Jake Runestad, whose monumental work with Iraq war Veteran and poet Brian Turner provides the centerpiece and title for the… Read More →
A new VocalEssence program is working wonders for senior singers and their communities! Vintage Voices, which integrates the arts into the lives of older adults by creating choirs in assisted living communities and senior centers, has inspired older adults at Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood (shown above in their spring concert video), Sabathani Community Center Senior… Read More →
From the full houses for six performances June 23-28, 2015, to relaxation on the water and community engagement, the River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain: Alexandria Tour offered the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers a wonderful time in residence at Theatre L’Homme Dieu in Alexandria, Minnesota. The Star Tribune published an in-depth article on the theater… Read More →
Members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Magnum Chorum, led by guest conductor Mark Stover, artistic director of Magnum Chorum, engaged the audience with “Blessed Assurance” during the sing-along portion of their performance at Lyngblomsten Mid-Summer Festival in St. Paul on Saturday, July 11, 2015. The performance and sing-along of hymns, spirituals and choral classics… Read More →
