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Searched for: why choral music

Tina Davidson | Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle

In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Tina Davidson. Tina Davidson b. 1952 Tina Davidson is a highly regarded American composer whose music stands out for its emotional depth and lyrical dignity. She received her BA in piano and composition from Bennington…  Read More

Rollo Dilworth | Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle

In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Rollo Dilworth. Rollo Dilworth b.1970  Rollo Dilworth is an American choral composer, arranger, conductor, and music educator best-known for his contemporary choral arrangements of African American spirituals. As a young boy growing up in St.…  Read More

Choral, Community and Creativity in Times of Crisis: Interview with Philip Shoultz of VocalEssence

By Alissa Musto | Medium Published: September 22, 2020 https://medium.com/music-with-a-purpose/choral-community-and-creativity-in-times-of-crisis-interview-with-philip-shoultz-of-vocalessence-28566863a57b   #MusicWithAPurpose is a series dedicated to continuing the conversation surrounding music education and expression, both pre and post COVID. Today’s interview features Philip Shoultz, Associate Conductor and Director of Learning and Engagement for VocalEssence — a 52 year old performing arts organization based in…  Read More

Buxtehude

Dietrich Buxtehude | Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle

Composer Dietrich Buxtehude is Philip’s subject today, discussing and playing the Danish-German’s music from the piano in Guild Hall and the organ in the Sanctuary of Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis. Dietrich Buxtehude b. circa 1637, d. 1707 The composer and organist Dietrich Buxtehude was one of the most significant composers before J.S. Bach. He…  Read More

Jean Berger

Jean Berger | Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle

In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Jean Berger. Jean Berger 1909-2002 The composer, conductor, and musicologist Jean Berger was born in Germany and began taking piano and organ lessons at a young age. He studied at the universities of Vienna and…  Read More

Cause for Celebration: Why Choruses See Major Anniversaries as Major Opportunities

Don Lee |  Chorus America January 10, 2019 https://www.chorusamerica.org/node/9195 North American choruses are anticipating a wave of major anniversaries in the coming years, and their leaders are hard at work preparing to mark the occasions. The most thoughtful celebrations honor a chorus’s past achievements, while laying the groundwork for an even stronger future. Brace yourself. In…  Read More

A measured breath, but no rest for Golden Valley music mogul

byAlaina Rooke | December 5, 2018: https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_post/community/a-measured-breath-but-no-rest-for-golden-valley-music/article_74816f46-f75e-11e8-9af1-b771ceaf37f4.html Top Minnesota choir director and longtime resident Philip Brunelle looks to 50th year   “One of my mottos is you don’t know if you don’t ask,” explained Philip Brunelle of attracting top guest talent to VocalEssence, a premier choral organization he founded in 1969. “You have a 50-percent chance of…  Read More

Choral legend lands in Minnesota with music composed especially for VocalEssence

By Terry Blain Special to the Star Tribune APRIL 19, 2018 — 11:49AM http://www.startribune.com/choral-legend-lands-in-minnesota-with-music-composed-especially-for-vocalessence/480270893/ Englishman John Rutter is a phenomenon in the world of choral music, celebrated worldwide for the easy melodiousness of his music — and the joy it brings to those who sing it. His Minnesota connections date back more than three decades, to…  Read More

VocalEssence serves up fresh Christmas music by Minnesota composers

By Terry Blain Special to the Star Tribune DECEMBER 5, 2017 — 11:12 AM http://www.startribune.com/vocalessence-serves-up-fresh-christmas-music-by-minnesota-composers/462093203/   Musically speaking, Christmas can be an excuse for endless stuck-in-a-loop recycling. Concerts are packed with carols we’ve heard hundreds of times before, served up as comfort listening for a frantic holiday season. I love those old songs, too. And yet…  Read More

Thank you for joining us on Arts Advocacy Day; voice your support for music education

On Arts Advocacy Day, February 19, VocalEssence staff members gathered with like-minded art lovers and shared with legislators the importance of the arts to our lives, communities and economy. Senator Bill Weber from southwestern Minnesota was one of many legislators visited by arts advocates including Katrina Wallmeyer, director of development and communications at VocalEssence, pictured…  Read More

Why Sing?

Sing with us! On any given day, in towns both large and small, choirs across the country present hundreds of beautiful concerts. While audiences and choir singers alike have long understood the intrinsic value of singing together, the 2019 Chorus Impact Study commissioned by Chorus America also shows us that participation in choirs cultivates positive…  Read More

Melanie DeMore, holding a pounding stick, stands in front of VocalEssence singers also holding pounding sticks. Photo Credit: Kyndell Harkness

WITNESS: Leading with Love Digital Concert Program

FEATURING: Melanie DeMore, guest artist VocalEssence Chorus VocalEssence Ensemble Singers VocalEssence Singers Of This Age VocalEssence Vintage Voices Casey Rafn, piano Philip Brunelle, conductor G . Phillip Shoultz, III, conductor