MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (April 16, 2008) – Drawing from the rich and varied American choral music tradition, VocalEssence will present a community concert titled A Slice of Americana in May, featuring beloved American traditional folksong arrangements alongside choral masterpieces by a wide range of American composers. The performance concert takes place at Trinity Lutheran Church (115 North Fourth Street, Stillwater, MN) on Saturday, May 10 at 8 pm. For advance tickets, call 612-624-2345 or visit www.vocalessence.org. Music lovers of all ages are welcome!

Under the direction of Philip Brunelle, the Ensemble Singers, a 32-voice professional mixed chorus, have toured throughout the upper Midwest during the 2007-2008 season as part of the National Endowment for the Arts program American Masterpieces: Choral Music — Three Centuries of Genius. VocalEssence is the only chorus in America to be supported through both years of this prestigious program, and this is the culminating performance of their tour.

The concert will begin with a selection of works by William Billings, Stephen Paulus, William Bolcom, Libby Larsen, Brent Michael Davids, Eric Whitacre and Aaron Jay Kernis — all composers recognized for their contributions to the American choral heritage by the National Endowment for the Arts. The Ensemble Singers released these pieces on the new Clarion CD, The World Beloved (CLR931).

The second set of songs on A Slice of Americana will include favorites like “Skip to My Lou” and “Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?” as arranged by Norman Luboff and Edwin Fissinger. These and many other charming folksong arrangements are included in the new VocalEssence and Clarion Records release The Songs We Sang — Favorite American Folksongs (Clarion CLR932CD). Songs from the Spiritual tradition will also be featured, as the concert concludes with a rousing “My Lord, What A Morning.”

For this community concert, seating is general admission. The concert will be about 80 minutes with no intermission. For press information and photographs related to A Slice of Americana, contact Jennifer Bauer (612-547-1459, jbauer@vocalessence.org).