CONTACT:
Jennifer Weismann
612-716-0556
Jennifer@owl-marketing.com

A WINTER WELCOME ‘JUL’ LOVE!
VocalEssence celebrates the holidays with Nordic traditions,
plus new cantata and carols

MINNEAPOLIS — November 12, 2014 — ’Tis the season for lutefisk, glögg, rødgrød med fløde and Welcome Christmas 2014 — the beloved annual concert series presented by Minneapolisbased choral ensemble VocalEssence. Get into the holiday spirit with the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers — accompanied by fiddler Sara Pajunen and narrator Katherine Ferrand — as they showcase carols and musical holiday traditions from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. The program will also feature the premiere of British composer Alan Bullard’s Christmas cantata A Light in the Stable as well as the new carol winners of our 17th annual Welcome Christmas Carol Contest.

“Welcome Christmas is one of our favorites because it’s like traveling — we’re constantly immersing ourselves in a new culture. This year, we’re excited to be exploring diverse Nordic traditions and premiering Alan Bullard’s new cantata filled with favorite carols for the audience to sing,” said Philip Brunelle, founder and artistic director, VocalEssence. “There’s also nothing like the special thrill each season when VocalEssence has the honor of debuting the new carols from our Welcome Christmas Carol Contest.”

Welcome Christmas begins on Fri., Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley. Additional concert dates include:

• Sat., Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater
• Sun., Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis
• Sat., Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Colonial Church of Edina
• Sun., Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. again at Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis

Tickets for the Welcome Christmas 2014 concerts are available for $10 and up; youth ages 6-18 and students with a valid college ID are eligible for half-price tickets. For more information about this concert and to purchase tickets, please call 612-371-5656 or visit www.vocalessence.org.

VocalEssence, called “one of the irreplaceable music ensembles of our time” by Dana Gioia, past chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, impacts thousands of students, singers, and composers each year through its initiative programs, contests, and support for innovative art. VocalEssence was founded in 1969 and has debuted more than 150 commissions and world premieres. For more information, visit www.vocalessence.org.

###