By Pamela Espeland | MINNPOST PUBLISHED: January 20, 2021 ‘Some Kind of Heaven’ is one kind of retirement; ‘Bolerobolero, the Film’ to premiere ALSO: VocalEssence’s “Believe” streaming now; Dominic Taylor’s “Cell Surface”; and more. A scene from “Some Kind of Heaven.” Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures Many people first heard of The Villages, the largest retirement community in… Read More →
By BECCA MOST | bmost@pioneerpress.com | St. Paul Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: January 14, 2021 at 9:12 p.m. | UPDATED: January 14, 2021 at 10:45 p.m. https://www.twincities.com/2021/01/14/ways-to-celebrate-mlk-day-in-the-twin-cities/ Although the pandemic has prevented many from celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in person this year, many events will still take place virtually. Saturday, Jan. 16 The VocalEssence… Read More →
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jennifer Weismann 612-716-0556 Jennifer@owl-marketing.com VOCALESSENCE SINGERS OF THIS AGE PRESENT AN MLK-INSPIRED CONCERT THAT WILL MAKE AUDIENCES “BELIEVE” Celebrated Minneapolis-based choral ensemble’s youth choir will present second part of a four-part performance series to inspire change in the world MINNEAPOLIS—January 13, 2021—The VocalEssence ensemble made up of a diverse collection of high school students, Singers Of This Age (VESOTA), will… Read More →
A pandemic didn’t stop these singers in their eighties at Trillium Woods from bringing a little joy to their lives. Together with the leadership of VocalEssence Vintage Voices artistic director Robert Graham and help from the brand new virtual choir recording platform SongAlong, these singers created a mini choir concert! After 10 weeks of Zoom… Read More →
We are getting SO CLOSE to meeting our 2020 goal of $248,680 to fully fund the VocalEssence mission. We are just $29,689.27 away, and have a 1:1 match up to $17,000 that was created by board and staff members who increased their gifts. Because of the pandemic, VocalEssence is in a different place financially than we’ve… Read More →
“The two of us watched your musical moments together each day and they truly were the highlight of his day.” —Tracy Rode, Jack Cole’s daughter Jack and Ann Cole were treasured by so many, including VocalEssence. We are humbled to know that Philip Brunelle’s Musical Moments were such a comfort to Jack in his last… Read More →
This Christmas Eve, gather the family (in person and virtually) for a LIVE sing-along and a broadcast of Welcome Christmas. CHRISTMAS EVE LIVE STREAM Thursday, December 24th at 6:30 PM CST Join Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III for a LIVE Christmas Eve edition of Take 5 with GPS. Usher in the magic by… Read More →
“The two of us watched your musical moments together each day and they truly were the highlight of his day.” —Tracy Rode, Jack Cole’s daughter Jack and Ann Cole were treasured by so many, including VocalEssence. We are humbled to know that Philip Brunelle’s Musical Moments were such a comfort to Jack in his last… Read More →
By Cathy Wurzer | MPR News Published: December 16, 2020 7:03 a.m. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/12/16/vocalessence-pushes-forward-with-annual-christmas-concert Artistic director Philip Brunelle leads VocalEssence in one of its previous holiday performances. Courtesy of Bruce Silcox Like so many holiday traditions, VocalEssence’s annual “Welcome Christmas” concert looks a little different this year. Still, the choral ensemble hopes the music brings… Read More →
“I am so excited to watch this. Thank you to your entire team for bringing this to our world. As a choir director (middle school and high school), I am facing constant challenges of how to keep my 150 students engaged, motivated, and inspired. Thank you!” —Melanie Brink, music teacher in the Middle East region of Muscat, Oman We are so excited… Read More →
There is so much excitement about Welcome Christmas this season! Check out the articles and videos below and make sure to watch Almanac on Twin Cities PBS (TPT) from 7-8 PM CST on Friday, December 18th to see a preview of Welcome Christmas! Minnesota Public Radio News Interview with Cathy Wurzer and G. Phillip Shoultz,… Read More →
Thanks to so many generous donors, we are inching closer to our year-end fundraising goal. Check back to this page to follow our progress. want to help us meet our goal? A gift of any amount helps keep our community singing through this pandemic! Donate
By Rob Hubbard | Star Tribune PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 7, 2020 — 11:42AM https://www.startribune.com/vocalessence-singers-make-a-welcome-return-in-video-holiday-concert/573318241/ REVIEW: VocalEssence returns in a video concert. PHOTO PROVIDED BY VOCALESSENCE Members of VocalEssence masked up to tape their streaming “Welcome Christmas” concert. Keeping gatherings small was recommended months ago by public health experts seeking to curb COVID. So what’s a… Read More →
By Amy Melin | Twin Cities PBS https://www.tptoriginals.org/a-pandemic-didnt-stop-this-choir-from-singing/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post-mno&utm_campaign=&utm_term=&utm_content=pandemic-choir&fbclid=IwAR2LJLX2MpMIUFD5wdvl5ZE14vBdo3yLwlQ1kiBk-HRTvUhaCOWkHNlSljA When COVID-19 first showed up in the U.S., G. Phillip Shoultz III, like many Americans, had no idea what was ahead. “All of us naively thought this is just going to be a few weeks and we’ll get back to our lives,” he reflects. But the director of… Read More →
By John Birge | Your Classical Published: Sunday, December 6 “Welcome Christmas” Carol Contest Synopsis On today’s date in 1998, two brand-new Christmas carols debuted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the “Welcome Christmas” choral concert of VocalEssence conducted by Philip Brunelle. The two carols, “Sweet Noel” by Joan Griffith and “The Virgin’s Cradle Hymn” by Richard… Read More →
