VocalEssence takes the music of Bob Dylan on a Minnesota Tour
Grand Rapids Herald Review | March 18, 2022
From Jimi Hendrix to the Kronos Quartet, Bob Dylan’s music has been covered by just about everyone. Members of the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers will present their own take on Minnesota’s native son.
“The Times They Are A-Changin’: The Words and Music of Bob Dylan,” originally commissioned in honor of Dylan’s 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature and arranged by Steve Hackman, and first performed in 2019 by VocalEssence, will be conducted by Philip Brunelle with performances in Detroit Lakes, Grand Rapids, and Red Wing, Minn. throughout April 2022. High school choirs from each city will be featured at each respective tour stop.
The show is a reimagination of classic Bob Dylan songs for chorus, allowing an opportunity for audiences to appreciate the lyrics and melodies in a new choral way. Songs include “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Tangled Up in Blue,” “All Along the Watchtower,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and “Make You Feel My Love.”
“Bob Dylan is quintessential Minnesota,” says Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence artistic director and founder. “His music is timeless—these songs are as relevant today as they were when they were written, incredibly some more than a half-century ago. And what a fitting tribute to an iconic Minnesotan; performing the program throughout the state and opening with a local choir at each show.”
Local tour dates are:
Saturday, April 2 at 7 PM
Reif Performing Arts Center
720 NW Conifer Dr, Grand Rapids
“To me, this program shows the incredible range and versatility of VocalEssence,” adds G. Phillip Shoultz, III, associate artistic director. “This entire season has highlighted our ability to cover so many kinds of music from all over the world—including some that originates right in our back yard. This concert tour will not only hit close to home, it will meet audiences where they live.”
For tickets and more information, visit https://www.vocalessence.org/bob-dylan-revisited-tour/.
VocalEssence, the choral ensemble Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones says “sings magnificently,” reaches thousands of students, singers, and composers each year through its learning and engagement programs, contests, and support for innovative art. VocalEssence was founded in 1969 and has debuted more than 300 commissions and world premieres. For more information, visit www.vocalessence.org.