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December 2015
CONCERT: Welcome Christmas, Minneapolis
Advance ticket sales are closed, but tickets will be available for purchase at the door beginning at 2:30 PM. Swing in the holiday season with VocalEssence and Nils Lindberg’s A Christmas Cantata for chorus and big band. Blending jazz-infused style with traditional melodies, Lindberg’s cantata is an “iridescent medley that invigorates, inspires and swings in equal measure” (allaboutjazz.com). World premieres of two contest-winning carols for choir and trumpet will blow you away, and familiar carols for voices and brass will have…
Find out more »January 2016
TOUR: River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain, Moorhead
Supported by an Arts Tour grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Don Shelby as Mark Twain go on the road to Northern Minnesota to celebrate life on the Mississippi River. Through choral music and the spoken word, VocalEssence takes listeners on a musical journey of the past and present—choral masterpieces, favorite folksongs, traditional spirituals, and Americana—all paired with the words of Mark Twain. VocalEssence Ensemble Singers Don Shelby, actor Sara Pajunen, fiddle…
Find out more »February 2016
COMMUNITY SING: David Morrow
Advance registration for this event is now closed. However, there is still plenty of room at the church, so please come and join us! Sing Come We That Love the Lord (arr. Wendell Whalum), I’m Buildin’ Me a Home (arr. Uzee Brown), What Month Was Jesus Born In? (arr. David Morrow), and Three Congregational Folk Spirituals (arr. Wendell Whalum) with Morehouse College Glee Club conductor David Morrow. In addition, hear about the more than 100-year history of the Glee Club…
Find out more »CONCERT: VocalEssence WITNESS: Morehouse College Glee Club
This performance has limited availability. Please keep checking back as tickets may be turned back for resale. Low notes will be high points when the internationally-renowned Morehouse College Glee Club teams up with VocalEssence to celebrate male singing. Founded in Atlanta in 1867, Morehouse College remains the only all-male historically black college in the nation. The Glee Club is known for its musical precision, wide-ranging repertoire and distinguished alumni. VocalEssence and the Glee Club will share the stage with guest…
Find out more »March 2016
CONCERT CONVERSATION: Four Saints in Three Acts
Join us for a concert conversation with Artistic Director Philip Brunelle hosted by Randall Davidson, Executive Producer of the Northern Voice Festival.
Find out more »CONCERT CONVERSATION: Four Saints in Three Acts
Join us for a concert conversation with Artistic Director Philip Brunelle hosted by Randall Davidson, Executive Producer of the Northern Voice Festival.
Find out more »CONCERT: Four Saints in Three Acts
Called “ebullient, grand and unusual” and “a high camp masterpiece” by critics, Four Saints in Three Acts changed American opera when it premiered in 1934. Set in 16th-century Spain, the playfully humorous Four Saints traces the lives of saints on Earth through a witty libretto by Gertrude Stein and a stunning score by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Virgil Thomson. Collaborating with director/choreographer Carl Flink and his award-winning Black Label Movement, VocalEssence takes up the challenge of this path-breaking and distinctly American…
Find out more »CONCERT: Four Saints in Three Acts
Called “ebullient, grand and unusual” and “a high camp masterpiece” by critics, Four Saints in Three Acts changed American opera when it premiered in 1934. Set in 16th-century Spain, the playfully humorous Four Saints traces the lives of saints on Earth through a witty libretto by Gertrude Stein and a stunning score by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Virgil Thomson. Collaborating with director/choreographer Carl Flink and his award-winning Black Label Movement, VocalEssence takes up the challenge of this path-breaking and distinctly American…
Find out more »CONCERT CONVERSATION: Four Saints in Three Acts
Join us for a concert conversation with Artistic Director Philip Brunelle hosted by Randall Davidson, Executive Producer of the Northern Voice Festival.
Find out more »CONCERT: Four Saints in Three Acts
Called “ebullient, grand and unusual” and “a high camp masterpiece” by critics, Four Saints in Three Acts changed American opera when it premiered in 1934. Set in 16th-century Spain, the playfully humorous Four Saints traces the lives of saints on Earth through a witty libretto by Gertrude Stein and a stunning score by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Virgil Thomson. Collaborating with director/choreographer Carl Flink and his award-winning Black Label Movement, VocalEssence takes up the challenge of this path-breaking and distinctly American…
Find out more »April 2016
TOUR: River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain, Detroit Lakes
Supported by an Arts Tour grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Don Shelby as Mark Twain go on the road to Northern Minnesota to celebrate life on the Mississippi River. Through choral music and the spoken word, VocalEssence takes listeners on a musical journey of the past and present—choral masterpieces, favorite folksongs, traditional spirituals, and Americana—all paired with the words of Mark Twain. VocalEssence Ensemble Singers Don Shelby, actor Sara Pajunen, fiddle…
Find out more »TOUR: River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain, Mora
Supported by an Arts Tour grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Don Shelby as Mark Twain go on the road to Northern Minnesota to celebrate life on the Mississippi River. Through choral music and the spoken word, VocalEssence takes listeners on a musical journey of the past and present—choral masterpieces, favorite folksongs, traditional spirituals, and Americana—all paired with the words of Mark Twain. VocalEssence Ensemble Singers Don Shelby, actor Sara Pajunen, fiddle…
Find out more »TOUR: River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain, Bigfork
Supported by an Arts Tour grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Don Shelby as Mark Twain go on the road to Northern Minnesota to celebrate life on the Mississippi River. Through choral music and the spoken word, VocalEssence takes listeners on a musical journey of the past and present—choral masterpieces, favorite folksongs, traditional spirituals, and Americana—all paired with the words of Mark Twain. VocalEssence Ensemble Singers Don Shelby, actor Sara Pajunen, fiddle…
Find out more »AUDITION: 2016-2017 Season
VocalEssence is synonymous with excellence in choral performance, and our choruses are recognized internationally for flawless sound, innovative programming, and commitment to today’s composers. Auditions for all voice parts for the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers will begin April 17 and run through May. Additional dates may be added as audition times are filled. There is a $12 non-refundable fee for auditioning for the Ensemble Singers (eight paid positions per section; professional experience required) or Chorus (approximately 100 volunteer positions). Visit the audition page…
Find out more »CONCERT CONVERSATION: Listeners’ Choice LIVE
Join us for a concert conversation with VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz III hosted by Randall Davidson, Executive Producer of the Northern Voice Festival.
Find out more »