By Rob Hubbard | Star Tribune PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 3, 2020 — 4:09PM Our guide to virtual holiday concerts for classical fans. HAVIN’ A BLAST EVENTS VocalEssence Welcome Christmas Yet one more loss to mourn this year is that of the holiday concert. Whether your December destination is Orchestra Hall, the Ordway or a local church, COVID-19… Read More →
By Pamela Espeland | MINNPOST PUBLISHED: December 4, 2020 Christmas concerts coming up; Louise Erdrich at One Book, One Minnesota Dr. Anton Armstrong conducting the Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra during the 2019 Christmas Festival. Courtesy of St. Olaf College And suddenly it’s December. Hard to believe almost nine months have passed since the first… Read More →
As we close out the most challenging year in our 52 year history, we are hearing some shining stories of resilience and moments of joy. Liza and Jim Ervin are singers in the VocalEssence Vintage Voices choir at Trillium Woods. It was December 2015 when they moved to the Twin Cities from Connecticut. Fortunately, friends… Read More →
By ROSS RAIHALA | rraihala@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: November 29, 2020 at 5:28 a.m. | UPDATED: November 29, 2020 at 9:48 a.m. https://www.twincities.com/2020/11/29/holiday-arts-guide-from-blenders-to-brickman-music-traditions-continue-online/ Nearly all of this year’s holiday concerts are virtual, but many familiar faces both local (the Blenders, Lorie Line, the SPCO) and national (Jim Brickman, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) have planned online events… Read More →
Artistic Director Philip Brunelle and Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III shared their experience recording the Welcome Christmas concert this year in partnership with Twin Cities PBS (TPT). It took more than $75,000 to fund this partnership with TPT, and to date we have raised $64,506! If you are interested in continuing to support the… Read More →
Buy local this weekend to support your favorite choir! Use code SALE20 for 20% off the items listed below. Offer expires on Monday, November 30th at 11:59 PM. Imagine Single Stream Find JOY and HOPE as the voices of our youth choir VocalEssence Singers Of This Age help you imagine a world where the… Read More →
Discover beauty in diversity, and imagine a world where the spirit of kindness, generosity, and love for our neighbors lives in us all year. Join the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age as they usher in the season of hope and love through songs, spoken word, and poetry from winter celebrations around the world, including Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, Hmong New Year, Kwanzaa, and Las Posadas. … Read More →
We hope you are safe and find ways to make the best of this pause that we are experiencing. Below is a status update for our organization. In person Rehearsals Cancelled Because of the recent conditions with COVID-19, VocalEssence has decided to move all rehearsals with singers online from now until November 30, 2020. We… Read More →
Ring (or sing) in the holiday season with a custom box delivered to you or your loved-one’s door! The box includes a custom VocalEssence branded campfire mug and cozy chenille blanket, goodies from Minnesota-made companies Folly Coffee and Chunky Funky Popcorn, and a songbook to follow along with as you watch the VocalEssence Welcome Christmas… Read More →
This year our beloved Welcome Christmas concert is available on VocalEssence On Demand AND will be televised across Minnesota on Twin Cities PBS (TPT) three times during the peak of the holiday season, and making it available to stream on their family of platforms. Relevant dates include: December 19th: Welcome Christmas becomes available to stream…
In this time when so much seems broken or difficult, don’t we all want to feel some joy? Sometimes feeling joy can come from being the person who helps even just one person through the uncharted waters of 2020. Now is your chance. Teachers are tired right now. They are being asked to do so… Read More →
VocalEssence Teaching Artists explore the yearly program theme through the lens of their artistic discipline, creating an integrative academic experience for students combining the study of African American culture with art, music, social studies, literature, character building, and other areas of school curriculum. VocalEssence Teaching Artists Timothy Berry, Vocalist/Composer/Percussionist Patricia Brown, Dance Instructor/Choreographer Brandon Commodore,…
We asked Artistic Director Philip Brunelle and Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III what they think about voting. Below is what they said. “I have never missed an opportunity to vote–usually in person at the elementary school in our neighborhood. Voting is one of the great privileges we have in our democracy–never take it for… Read More →
Single Streams are now on sale for all of the 2020-2021 Season concerts. For just $15 you can purchase on demand access to one of the eight performances below. Each performance will premiere on a specific date and will be available to watch on demand after that date. Featuring stunningly clear audio and crisp, high-quality… Read More →
