By Rob Hubbard Special to the Pioneer Press, 03/04/2011 Andre Thomas is an inspiring man. He’s devoted his career to teaching young Americans not only how to sing traditional African-American spirituals, but about the history and evolution of the songs, as well, which involves confronting a lot of troubling truths. He’s the kind of admirable figure…  Read More →

From the Appleton (WI) Post-Cresent: …Thence to Minneapolis, where Philip Brunelle’s VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Chorus recorded “Behold This Heavenly Light.”  Fully fourteen of the twenty tracks are world premiere recordings, making this a dream recording for a choral director in search of new things to sing.  But it is a listener’s dream as well,…  Read More →

VocalEssence and The Singers each present multiple concerts featuring old and new holiday songs. By WILLIAM RANDALL BEARD, Special to the Star Tribune This time of year brings an abundance of choral activity, organizations vying to take advantage of all the holiday spirit. This weekend, two go head-to-head: the veteran VocalEssence, presenting “Welcome Christmas,” and…  Read More →

International Alliance for Women in Music Journal, Volume 15, No. 1, 2009 by Joan Devee Dixon, Chair of Music Department, Frostburg State University, Maryland 05/09 In the realm of twentieth and twenty-first century classical music, rarely is a new work declared a “masterwork” soon after its premiere. Such is the case, however, with Carol Barnett’s…  Read More →

When two choirs converge, you never know what you’ll get. Will it be a fine fit or a clash of sounds and styles? And then there’s the conductor question: Who leads the combined forces of the two groups? On Sunday afternoon at Apple Valley’s Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, one such meeting of the…  Read More →

By David Hawley, Special to the Pioneer Press 10/25/2009       VocalEssence promoted the appearance of choral-conducting star Simon Halsey as a “British Invasion,” and the performance Saturday at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis was that — of a sort. It was Halsey shaping the voices of local singers in a program of…  Read More →

By Rob Hubbard Special to the Pioneer Press, 9/25/2009 Composer Dominick Argento has gained his greatest acclaim by adapting the words of literary giants to music. Virginia Woolf’s diary led him to a Pulitzer Prize, Elizabeth Barrett Browning brought him a Grammy. But when he chose to write a work to memorialize his wife, soprano…  Read More →

By William Randall Beard Special to the Star Tribune Ironically, the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers were almost inconspicuous during the finale of their 40th-anniversary concert season, "Everybody Sing!" heard Sunday afternoon at Orchestra Hall. Instead, VocalEssence artistic director Philip Brunelle chose to shine a spotlight on six other Twin Cities choruses. Much of the…  Read More →

By Rob Hubbard Special to the Pioneer Press Minnesota is choral country. The state is overflowing with so many talented choirs that it would take years for the average music lover to hear them all at least once. But there was an opportunity to catch up with eight of them at once Sunday afternoon. In…  Read More →

By Rob Hubbard Special to the Pioneer Press Posted: 03/23/2009 12:01:00 AM CDT Teenagers are shouting from the balconies. The sellout crowd is on its feet, roaring its approval. The handsome young star stands center stage, pumping his fist, caught up in the excitement. You’re at … a choral concert at Minneapolis’ Orchestra Hall. If…  Read More →

By Rob Hubbard Special to the Pioneer Press Updated: 12/08/2008 The latest thing: That’s what you’ll find on many a wish list when it comes to Christmas presents. But when it comes to holiday arts offerings, folks more often tend to curl up in musical and theatrical snug sacks, returning to the same traditions year…  Read More →

By David Hawley Special to the Pioneer Press Article Last Updated: 11/16/2008 08:13:35 PM CST Of all the expectations for a musical work about the Holocaust, triumphant joy may not be one of them. That’s especially true when the title is "Kaddish," which refers to the Jewish rituals of mourning. But joy of a kind…  Read More →

By David Hawley Special to the Pioneer Press – Link to the full article at twincities.com Article Last Updated: 09/14/2008 11:12:26 PM CDT VocalEssence kicked off its 40th season Sunday with a bash at Orchestra Hall that only the most soulless curmudgeon could find dissatisfying. As much a birthday party as a concert, it had…  Read More →

Lesser-known works give a more complete view of the famed composer’s wide-ranging talent. By WILLIAM RANDALL BEARD, Special to the Star Tribune For 18 years, VocalEssence’s annual Witness concerts have celebrated the work of African-American composers. This year’s edition, seen Sunday afternoon at the Ordway, was titled "The Duke Ellington Effect" and turned out to…  Read More →

By Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press Fresh or familiar? How do you like your holiday arts offerings? Do you prefer to wrap yourself in a warm, comfortable collection of memories or discover new insights in old themes? Conductor Philip Brunelle and his VocalEssence choirs lean toward the latter, an admirable artistic choice at this tradition-bound time…  Read More →