In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Arthur B. Jennings. Arthur B. Jennings 1887-1972 Arthur B. Jennings, known to many as “Herr” Jennings, was an American composer and organist known for his work at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis. The son of… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Jester Hairston. Jester Hairston 1901-2000 Jester Hairston was an American actor, composer, songwriter, arranger, choral conductor, Goodwill Ambassador, and expert on Spirituals. He was born in Belews Creek, North Carolina, the grandson of a slave,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Carl Heinrich Graun. Carl Heinrich Graun 1704-1759 Carl Heinrich Graun was a German composer of operas and sacred music, known especially for his Passion oratorio Der Tod Jesu. Graun was a chorister in Dresden, and… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Coreen Duffy. Coreen Duffy b. 1976 Dr. Coreen Duffy is the Interim Director of Choral Activities at the University of Montana School of Music, where she conducts the Chamber Chorale, Cantemus Women’s Choir, and University… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Thea Musgrave. Thea Musgrave b. 1928 Rich and powerful musical language and a strong sense of drama make Scottish-American composer Thea Musgrave one of the most respected contemporary composers in the Western world. Born in… Read More →
This season VocalEssence is offering our family-friendly programing FREE to the local Latinx community, including our on demand, one-of-a-kind performances that are exclusive to the new website VocalEssence On Demand. For more than five decades, VocalEssence has used singing to connect people across cultures. 13 years ago, we worked with the Latinx community to create… Read More →
On today’s episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence we feature inventor and chef George Crum (originally George Speck), credited with inventing the potato chip. Our musical pairing is “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, made popular by Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, and the Pips. George Crum aka George… Read More →
On today’s episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence we feature American folk artist and quilter, Harriet Powers, who weaved stories into her art to pass stories to future generations. Our musical pairing is “We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder,” a traditional Negro Spiritual by a hidden figure. Harriet Powers (1837-1910) Notable Achievements: Although not recognized during… Read More →
On today’s episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence we feature famous mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose mathematical calculations helped send Apollo 11 to the moon. Our musical pairing is “I Got a Robe,” a traditional Negro Spiritual. Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) Notable Achievements: Presidential Medal of Freedom, Silver Snoopy award, NASA Group Achievement Award, Congressional… Read More →
On today’s episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence we feature Dr. Percy Lavon Julian. Despite considerable persecution due to segregation and racism throughout his life, Percy Julian became a steroid chemist and an entrepreneur who ingeniously figured out how to synthesize important medicinal compounds from abundant plant sources, making them more affordable to… Read More →
On today’s episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence we feature local Minnesotan, Frederick McKinley Jones, an inventor best known for the development of refrigeration equipment used to transport food and blood during World War II. His invention radically altered American consumer’s eating habits; now people could eat eat fresh produce across the United States during… Read More →
On this Valentine’s Day, GPS highlights the outstanding accomplishments of Dr. Charles Drew, who is responsible for the creation of what we’ve come to know as “blood banks.” We turn to Aretha Franklin for our musical inspiration which melds our faith in the Creator and love for each other in one classic song that… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer F. Melius Christiansen. F. Melius Christiansen 1871-1955 F. Melius Christiansen is an American conductor, educator, and composer of Norwegian birth known for founding and arranging music for the St. Olaf Choir. Born into a family… Read More →
Join GPS for the 13th installment in our series highlighting Black excellence. Today we honor the work of Lloyd Augustus Hall, a pioneer in the food preservation industry. The perfect musical pairing on this Valentine’s weekend–how about a little Four Tops and “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch (I can’t help myself)“? Join us! Lloyd Augustus Hall… Read More →
Happy Friday! Today marks the twelfth day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of Mark E. Dean, computer scientist and engineer, who helped develop a number of landmark technologies for IBM, including the color PC monitor and the first gigahertz chip. He… Read More →
