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May 2015
VINTAGE VOICES: Seasons Sunshine Singers Concert
Come and experience the sounds of Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood's new choir in Songs of Love and Life, an exciting program featuring selections of jazz, blues, spirituals, folk songs and more! Free and open to the public. Reception to follow in the Cafe. Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood is part of a new VocalEssence community engagement program called Vintage Voices, an exciting new choral program that integrates the arts into the everyday lives of older adults by fostering the creation of choirs in assisted…
Find out more »June 2015
TOUR: River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain, Tuesday, June 23
Members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Don Shelby as Mark Twain go on the road to Alexandria, 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 Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, conductor Sara Pajunen, fiddle Jon Cranney, director
Find out more »TOUR: River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain, Wednesday, June 24
Members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Don Shelby as Mark Twain go on the road to Alexandria, 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 Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, conductor Sara Pajunen, fiddle Jon Cranney, director
Find out more »TOUR: River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain, Thursday, June 25
Members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Don Shelby as Mark Twain go on the road to Alexandria, 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 Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, conductor Sara Pajunen, fiddle Jon Cranney, director
Find out more »TOUR: River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain, Friday, June 26
Members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Don Shelby as Mark Twain go on the road to Alexandria, 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 Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, conductor Sara Pajunen, fiddle Jon Cranney, director
Find out more »TOUR: River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain, Saturday, June 27
Members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Don Shelby as Mark Twain go on the road to Alexandria, 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 Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, conductor Sara Pajunen, fiddle Jon Cranney, director
Find out more »TOUR: River Songs and Tales with Mark Twain, Sunday, June 28
Members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Don Shelby as Mark Twain go on the road to Alexandria, 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 Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, conductor Sara Pajunen, fiddle Jon Cranney, director
Find out more »July 2015
PERFORMANCE AND SING-ALONG: VocalEssence at Lyngblomsten Mid-Summer Festival
Join members of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and guest conductor Mark Stover for a performance and sing-along of hymns, spirituals and choral classics on the Chapel Mainstage at Lyngblomsten's "celebration of arts for all ages." The musicians will engage attendees at the festival, which is designed to accommodate special needs and various levels of mobility. Complete information about entertainment and activities is available on the website or you can download a festival guide.
Find out more »August 2015
VINTAGE VOICES: Seasons Sunshine Singers Concert
Come and experience the sounds of the Seasons Sunshine Singers, Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood’s new choir, in an exciting journey down Broadway! From Tin Pan Alley to Rogers & Hammerstein, you will hear a variety of some of the greatest hits from the golden age of musical theater. The concert is free and open to the public, with a reception following in the Cafe. Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood is part of a new VocalEssence community engagement program called Vintage Voices,…
Find out more »October 2015
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute: Dreams of the Fallen
The 47th VocalEssence season will open with a special salute to USA service veterans – a concert with the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and guest soprano, Maria Jette. Join OLLI to get a sneak preview of the Midwest premiere of Dreams of the Fallen with VocalEssence Artistic Director Philip Brunelle, composer Jake Runestad, and soprano Maria Jette. Not to be missed! To register for the course, membership in OLLI is required. Contact http://www.cce.umn.edu/olli/ for…
Find out more »CONCERT CONVERSATION: Dreams of the Fallen
Join us for a concert conversation before the performance with composer Jake Runestad, poet Brian Turner, and pianist Jeffrey Biegel hosted by Randall Davidson, Executive Producer of the Northern Voice Festival.
Find out more »CONCERT: Dreams of the Fallen
Our 47th season will open with a special tribute to U.S. military Veterans. Join us on the soldier’s journey from survival to hope and healing through Samuel Barber’s beautiful Adagio for Strings, Ralph Vaughan Williams’s mystical Toward the Unknown Region, Jocelyn Hagen and Dessa's Controlled Burn and the Midwest premiere of Minnesota composer Jake Runestad’s poignant Dreams of the Fallen, with special guests soprano Maria Jette, pianist Jeffrey Biegel and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Jake discusses his work in a…
Find out more »POST-CONCERT HAPPY HOUR: VocalEssence Resonate with Jake Runestad, Brian Turner and Jeffrey Biegel
Join VocalEssence Resonate, our young professionals group, for a happy hour with Dreams of the Fallen composer Jake Runestad, poet Brian Turner and pianist Jeffrey Biegel after the Dreams of the Fallen concert on Sunday, October 11, 2015. Enjoy the company of other choral music lovers—and free appetizers while they last—at Green Mill just a few minutes from the O'Shaughnessy in St. Paul.
Find out more »November 2015
COMMUNITY SING: José Galván
Advance registration for this event is closed. We hope you will join us—you can still register at the door! Join Voz en Punto director and past VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! composer José Galván for a FREE fun-filled morning of singing, laughing and dancing Mexican-style! No experience necessary. As a thank you for participating, the first 100 registrants will receive a complimentary ticket to VocalEssence Presents: Voz en Punto, so join us! Event Sponsor This presentation is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring…
Find out more »Voz en Punto at the Minnesota History Center
Enjoy an hour-long performance by a cappella Mexican vocal ensemble Voz en Punto at the Minnesota History Center, introduced by Head Consul Alberto Fierro from the Mexican Consulate in Saint Paul. Founded in 1990, Voz en Punto builds upon traditional Mexican folk songs to create thrillingly inventive vocal jazz arrangements. Its founder, director, and baritone, José Galván, first forged a relationship here in Minnesota during his time as a composer-in-residence for ¡Cantaré!, a VocalEssence educational initiative that brings the talents…
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