Spring holds so many incredible musical moments for the VocalEssence team, with new and old voices joining in! Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III and his family are delighted to announce they welcomed a new member—Lydia Grace. Born on Wednesday, March 21 at 7:13 am, Lydia joins brother Malachi (4). Check out the VocalEssence Facebook page for some sweet pictures. 

Both Artistic Director & Founder Philip Brunelle and Associate Conductor Phillip Shoultz are diving deep into British choral music to prepare for the visit later this month of choral great John Rutter. They will be rehearsing the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers for the April 21 Rutter Returns concert at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, as well as preparing for the other exciting events surrounding Rutter’s visit: an OLLI class on April 20 and the Rutter Community Sing on the 22nd.

After that, it will be time for spring auditions! Philip and Phillip will spend 40 hours evaluating candidates for the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers, including some off-site auditions in South St. Paul and North Minneapolis. They are also busy planning the upcoming 50th season, which will be announced on Tuesday, May 15, 2018.

Philip recently interviewed Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Dominick Argento for his podcast’s 12th episode—check it out at www.renaissancemanpodcast.com.