VOCALESSENCE ‘WELCOME CHRISTMAS’ CONCERT MOVES TO NORTHROP, FILLING A BIGGER VENUE WITH A GIANT BLAST OF HOLIDAY JOY
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VOCALESSENCE ‘WELCOME CHRISTMAS’ CONCERT MOVES TO NORTHROP,
FILLING A BIGGER VENUE WITH A GIANT BLAST OF HOLIDAY JOY
For the First Time, All VocalEssence Ensembles Join Together on One Stage–Dec. 10 & 11
MINNEAPOLIS—August 23, 2022—It’s a beloved annual holiday tradition for many, and this year, the VocalEssence Welcome Christmas concert series will feature all VocalEssence ensembles in a single performance on one stage—for the first time in history! And the annual event to ring in the holiday season has a new venue for 2022. Northrop at the University of Minnesota—one of the few places able to accommodate the nearly 200 singers and musicians on stage in the Twin Cities—will host two epic concerts: December 10 at 7:30 pm and December 11 at 4 pm.
“We want to truly dazzle our loyal Welcome Christmas audience, which has returned year after year for more than five decades of beloved carols, choral work premieres, and exuberant sing-alongs,” said Philip Brunelle. “This year, we’re making magic from muscle–four singing ensembles, a brass and percussion ensemble, and the 7,000 pipes of Northrop’s rare Aeolian-Skinner concert hall pipe organ, refurbished just four years ago. Composer John Rutter is revered by audiences around the world, but to VocalEssence, he’s like family. We’re thrilled to celebrate the season by performing his transcendent Gloria, and we know this concert will be one to remember forever.”
“I’m so looking forward to the rich tapestry we’ll weave—with singers of all ages joining their voices together on stage—that’s truly at the heart of what VocalEssence is all about,” said G. Phillip Shoultz. “Nobody else is doing anything close to this. With nearly 200 singers together on one stage in this concert, we’ll really Welcome Christmas in epic style.”
Welcome Christmas will feature the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers, diverse high school student choir VocalEssence Singers Of This Age, VocalEssence Vintage Voices, a brass and percussion ensemble, and pianist Mary Jo Gothmann, with Philip Brunelle and G. Phillip Shoultz, III, conducting. The program will include traditional carols, John Rutter’s Gloria (First Movement), and an audience-wide sing-along.
There will be two performances of the Welcome Christmas concert at Northrop, 84 Church St SE Minneapolis:
For season tickets, details about the season, and other information, please visit www.vocalessence.org. For single tickets prices vary, discounts are available. Visit https://www.northrop.umn.edu/discounts for more information.
VocalEssence will still have opportunities for people to access digital content that will be released throughout the season. All digital releases will be free and available to all on the VocalEssence website.
VocalEssence, the choral organization Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones says “sings magnificently,” provides opportunities that draw upon the power of singing together to nurture community, inspire creativity, affirm the value of all persons, and expand the impact of choral music. VocalEssence was founded in 1969 and through its performance series has debuted more than 300 commissions and world premieres. VocalEssence Learning & Engagement programs help people of all ages bridge, create, and learn across cultures by connecting them with renowned choral experts to provide exceptional role models, grow community self-esteem, self-expression, and engagement. For more information, visit www.vocalessence.org.
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