VocalEssence – Philip Brunelle, artistic director

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 of year. But their annual 'Welcome Christmas!' concerts also offer ample opportunity to hear the choirs wrap some favorite carols in their smooth, sweet harmonies. And a balanced blend of the traditional and contemporary made Sunday's concert the most satisfying holiday offering VocalEssence has presented in a number of years.

It helps that Brunelle and company set out with a clear theme: Carols that would have been sung by 19th-century immigrants arriving in Minnesota. With the aid of some exceptional arrangements, the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers evoked the holiday soundtracks within the households of families from Poland, France, Norway, Germany, Ukraine, England and Sweden. Interspersed between them were three world premieres: a wonderfully engaging 'Love-Song Serenade' from San Francisco-based composer Conrad Susa and the two winners of VocalEssence's annual carol contest.

The Susa was a standout. Perhaps inspired by the popularity of the composer's 'Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest' - which has been performed on more than one past 'Welcome Christmas!' program - Brunelle returned to the well with a commission for a new piece.

Of the new carols, Stephen Main's 'The Darkest Midnight in December' was the more completely realized. Both employed celeste, but Main played to the choir's harmonic strengths and chose a lovely text by 18th-century author William Devereux.

Among the many European traditions explored, the works from Poland and Sweden that bookended the journey were particularly well sung. And some of that comforting familiarity could be found in songs from Ukraine ('Carol of the Bells') and England ('I Saw Three Ships'). One could grouse about the paucity of Celtic representation among these carols of the immigrants, but a concert-ending singalong on the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's 'Messiah' perhaps counted for something. It was premiered in Dublin, anyway.

Rob Hubbard is an associate producer for American Public Media's "Performance Today." He can be reached at rhubbard@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5247.

Who: The VocalEssence Chorus, Ensemble Singers and Chamber Orchestra with conductor Philip Brunelle

What: "Welcome Christmas!"

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Normandale Lutheran Church, 6100 Normandale Road, Edina; 4 p.m. Sunday, Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Ave., Mpls.

Tickets: $35-$20

Call: 612-624-2345 or visit www.vocalessence.org.

Capsule: Keeping a holiday tradition fresh.