New releases

Order from Gothic Records

In 2011, the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers criss-crossed Minnesota via historic Highway 23 to share with the state’s citizens the music of its choral composers, its singer-songwriters and the songs being sung by the people who have made Minnesota their home over the past 150 years. Enjoy the voices of VocalEssence as they explore the state’s unique legacy of traditional, choral and popular song...all the way from "The Songs of Our Grandparents" to "The North Star Hit Parade"!

Track Listing:

1. El Hambo (Jaakko Mäntyjärvi)
2. The Day is Done (Stephen Paulus)
3. There Was a Naughty Boy (Dominick Argento)
4. Songs of Our Grandparents (Medley, arr. Paul Gerike)
5. My Beloved Is Mine (Chris deBlasio)
6. Zuni Sunrise Song (Brent Michael Davids)
7. Beautiful Star (Libby Larsen)
8. God’s Bottles (Randall Thompson)
9. Le Pont Mirabeau (Lionel Daunais)
10. Sino (Carlos Guastavino)
11. We Shall Walk Through the Valley (arr. Undine Smith Moore)
12. Witness (arr. Jack Halloran)
13. Dixie (arr. Norman Luboff)
14. My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord (arr. Moses Hogan)
15. Danny Boy (arr. Joseph Flummerfeldt)
16. The North Star Hit Parade (Medley, arr. Paul Gerike)

Program Note: From our Grandparents' Songs to the North Star Hit Parade

CD Review: VocalEssence CD has Minnesota-made music - from Libby Larsen to Dylan to Owl City
By Rob Hubbard
Special to the Pioneer Press, 11/04/2011

Looking for the ideal gift for the fiercely proud Minnesotan? Perhaps a smorgasbord of the state's many musical treasures would be the ticket. Well, VocalEssence is here to help. The state's foremost choral ambassadors have just released a CD that lends their lush, full-voiced sound to an expansive variety of Minnesota-made music. It's called "From the Land of Sky Blue Waters," and features works by many of the state's most prominent composers - like Dominick Argento, Libby Larsen and Stephen Paulus - but also medleys that offer nods to such Gopher State products as Judy Garland, Bob Dylan, Prince, Owl City and Semisonic.

And in case the title makes you wonder: Yes, it does have that Hamm's Beer jingle of the 1960s.

Storyteller Garrison Keillor and conductor Philip Brunelle lead a harmonious celebration of all things Thanksgiving with the melodious voices of the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers and their special guests, singer Jearlyn Steele and pianist Richard Dworsky. Along the way we learn that Thanksgiving really isn’t all about the turkey — it’s actually all about the pie.

1. America (Samuel F. Smith)     3:33
2. Comfort Ye (arr. Philip Brunelle/Paul Gerike)     10:03
3. Let All Things Now Living (arr. Garrison Keillor)     6:42
4. Egyptian Thanksgiving Song (Giuseppe Verdi)     6:02
           Featuring Krista Palmquist & Garrison Keillor
5. Sonnet: Supper (Garrison Keillor)     1:31
6. All About Pie (Garrison Keillor)     2:47
7. I’ll Be Home (Randy Newman)     4:08
           Featuring Jearlyn Steele & Garrison Keillor
8. More About Pie (Garrison Keillor)     5:21
9. Table Grace (Matthew Brown) World premiere recording    4:22
10. The Final Word About Pie (Garrison Keillor)     8:23
11. Alleluia (Randall Thompson)     5:18
12. Psalm (Keillor/Brunelle)     6:07
13. His Eye Is on the Sparrow (Martin/Gabriel)     5:56
           Featuring Jearlyn Steele & Garrison Keillor
14. this Little Light of Mine (Traditional Spiritual)     3:56
           Featuring Jearlyn Steele 
Total Time: 74:16

VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Chorus
Philip Brunelle, conductor

in 1998, VocalEssence and the American Composers Forum joined forces to offer an annual contest encouraging the composition of new carols. Over the years hundreds of worthy carols have been submitted. “Behold This Heavenly Night” presents the world premiere of some of these contest-winning carols alongside outstanding arrangements of more familiar melodies. Also included is the U.S. premiere of John Rutter’s new “Carol of the Magi” and a unique arrangement of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” translated into Latin by Philip Brunelle and his son Christopher.

A warm, lyrical, uncomplicated seasonal anthology from a very good choir in the Twin Cities.  Many of the songs are unfamiliar, but most are lovely and worth getting to know…

I am especially taken with Paul Lohman’s gentle, sweet ‘What Child’, Matthew Brown’s aptly titled ‘Sweet was the Song’, and Daniel Kantor’s ‘Night of Silence’, which superimposes an attractive new melody atop Franz Gruber’s perennial favorite. As far as I am concerned, Alan Higbee’s hushed and innocent ‘Bleak Midwinter’ dwarfs the better known tune, which has never been one of my favorites.  Malcolm Williamson’s arrangement of ‘Ding Dong! Merrily on High’ and J. David Moore’s feisty take on ‘Jingle Bells’ supply the fun. The rest of the way (save for a silly ‘Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ delivered in Latin), we get a hushed, deeply felt exposition of the heart and soul of Christmas. — American Record Guide

Track List

1. Ding Dong! Merrily on High (arr by Malcolm Williamson)

2. What Child (Paul W Lohman)

3. The Piping Carol (James Sclater) *

4. Un Nacimento (A Nativity Scene) (Diego Luzuriaga) *

5. A Mother’s Carol (Scott Ethier) *

6. I Wonder as I Wander (John Jacob Niles, arr Martin Neary)

7. Sweet Was the Song (Matthew Brown) *

8. Night of Silence (Daniel Kantor, arr John Ferguson)

9. See Amid the Winter Snow (Robert Sieving) *

10. In the Bleak Midwinter (Alan J Higbee) *

11. The Shepherd and the King (Brian Holmes) *

12. Carol of the Magi (John Rutter)

13. Calm on the Listening Ear (John Christian Rommereim) *

14. The Darkest Midnight in December (Stephen Main) *

15. Jingle Bells (James Lord Pierpont, arr J David Moore)

16. Welcome the King (Michael Glasgow) *

17. The Virgin’s Cradle Hymn (Richard E Voorhaar) *

18. Behold the Dark and Bitter Night (Thomas Fielding) *

19. It Fell Upon the High Midnight (Paul Gibson) *

20. Rudolphus Rubrinasus (Johnny Marks, arr Philip Brunelle) *

* World premiere recording