Hello, everyone,

I am so glad you have chosen to spend this afternoon with us for Global Rhythms, Joyful Voices! We present today’s concert to celebrate the breadth of cultural traditions that continue to shape the development of American musical idioms and to acknowledge the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the ideals upon which this country was founded.

The program showcases the incredible versatility of the human voice, featuring music from the Americas (North and South), Africa, Asia, and Europe. Each of the cultural identities represented are part of the rich tapestry of global traditions rooted here in the Twin Cities and throughout our state, and each of the stories shared enhances our appreciation of one another, inviting us to live together more harmoniously with curiosity and joy.

I am thrilled to welcome our illustrious cohort of guest collaborators who will each in their own way extend our choral singing into a holistic, full-bodied celebration complete with puppetry from the Phantom Chorus Theatre and dance from Africa, Asia, India, and Mexico from the Niibox and Family, Ghanaian Drumming and Dancing, Kaj Cis Siab Hmong Dance Team from HOPE Community Academy, RGK Dance Ensemble, and Los Alegres Bailadores. We will also experience the vocal stylings of Jhadiya Steele, a homegrown rising star, whose voice transports listeners into the presence of the creative, life-giving force.

I am so proud of our VocalEssence Chorus and Singers Of This Age for their commitment to preparing and sharing this varied and challenging program with passion, precision, and incredible artistry. It is also a joy to place a spotlight on the music of VocalEssence ¡Cantaré!—an initiative that builds musical bridges between Mexico and Minnesota (and beyond with our franchised partners!).

Thank you again for attending today’s performance. I hope you leave with a renewed awareness of the great diversity of experiences that comprise this wonderful land that we share. I trust that you will be encouraged and commit to do something to promote the common good and care for our siblings who live around us.

—G. Phillip Shoultz, III
Associate Artistic Director, VocalEssence

Ambe
Andrew Balfour (2017)
Anishinaabe | Ojibway

Shehecheyanu
Jonathan M. Miller (2000)
Jewish Tradition | USA

Jayjaykar!
Shruthi Rajasekar (2018)
Featuring RGK Dance Academy

Afka Hooyo
Timothy C. Takach (2017)
Somalia | USA

Take a Chance on Me
arr. Paul A. Tate and Deanna Light (1996)
As performed by ABBA
Sweden

El Canelo & El Colas
Presented by Los Alegres Bailadores
Veracruz, Mexico

Son de la Vida
José Galván Castañeda (2014)
Mexico

Father Thunder
Laura Jēkabsone (2023)
Latvia

Cloudburst
Eric Whitacre (1996)
Seth Bresky, baritone, Christine Boone, soprano, Adam Hecker, baritone
Mexico | USA

INTERMISSION

Bollywood Medley
Presented by RGK Dance Academy
India

Gahu Jama
Nii Adjetey Mensah
Featuring Niibox and Family
Ghana

Canto de Pilón
Cristian Grases (2025)
Venezuela

Sir Duke
Stevie Wonder, arr. Paul Langford (2019)
USA

Kaisa-Isa Niyan
Nilo Alcala (2017)
Philippines

Aia lā ‘o Pele i Hawai’i
Jace Kaholokula Saplan (2022)
Kat True, Ipu
Hawaii | USA

Lub neej Hmoob nkauj tawm tshiab lis foom Vaj nujsua SPX Presented by Kaj Cia Siab
Hmong diaspora originating in Southeast Asia

Khumbaya
Negro Spiritual, arr. Lucas Bok (2010)
As performed by the Soweto Gospel Choir
Gullah/Georgia Sea Islands | USA

I Know I Been Changed
Based on a traditional Negro Spiritual
As performed by LaShun Pace
Jhadiya Steele, soloist
USA

Las Alazanas
presented by Los Alegres Bailadores
Jalisco, Mexico

Joy
Julio Morales (2019)
Ana Madai Leyva, alto
Mexico | USA

Hands
Jocelyn Hagen (2017)
Kate Brinkhert, Dante Colmenares, Ryan Coopergaard, Emily Dyrdahl, Marjorie Hakala, Becca Hovsepian, Elinor Jones, Kat True, Thomas Sasdi
USA

AMBE, Andrew Balfour (2017)

Sung in Ojibwe
Come in two-legged beings
Come in all people
There is good life here
Come in!
—Cory Campbell

SHEHECHEYANU, Jonathan M. Miller (2000)

Sung in Hebrew
Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe,
For giving us life, for sustaining us,
And for enabling us to reach this season.
—Traditional Shehecheyanu prayer

JAYJAYKAR! Shruthi Rajasekar (2018)

Sung in Hindi
Victory to the Lord, Praise the Lord!
Praise be to You, Jesus Christ

He embodies absolute kindness
He wants only the best for everyone
He loves everyone

He lifts up those who have fallen
He removes all our burdens
Your greatness is boundless
—Pastor Anil Kant, tranlation by Nirmala Rajasekar

AFKA HOOYO, Timothy C. Takach (2017)

Sung in Somali
Through the fixing of its spelling
My language is delivered:
My difficulties done with,
I’m freed from every hindrance.
Settling the orthography’s
Our economy’s foundation;
It defends against all defects.
In the oneness of our nation
It underwrites and it defines.

Refrain: I must give to Somali,
Develop through Somali,
Create within Somali,
I must be rid of poverty,
And give myself for my own mother tongue.

Only a single night divides
Old yesterday’s despair
From today’s delighted laughter
You people gathered here
How close you’ve grown together:
You face in one direction.
Do you hear deliverance call?
Have you divined its meaning?
Does it taste good in the mouth? Refrain:

You who are still unaware, look!
You who are deliberately deaf: listen!
If the pot isn’t placed on the fire
The dish cannot be cooked
So how will it ever satisfy?
Consider this in light of our goal:
Where does deep hurt lie
But in our backbone–
Time to treat that injury! Refrain:
—“Settling the Somali Language” by Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadrawi), trans. Mohamed Hassan, Said Jama, and W. N. Herbert

TAKE A CHANCE ON ME, arr. Paul A. Tate and Deanna Light (1996)
As performed by ABBA,

Refrain: If you change your mind, I’m the first in line.
Honey I’m still free, take a chance on me.
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around.
If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down.

If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown,
Honey I’m still free, take a chance on me.
Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie.
If you put me to the test, if you let me try.
Take a chance on me (That’s all I ask of you honey).

We can go dancing, we can go walking, as long as we’re together.
Listen to some music, maybe just talking, get to know you better.

Cos you know I’ve got so much that I wanna do,
When I dream I’m alone with you it’s magic.
You want me to leave it there, afraid of a love affair,
But I think you know that I can’t let go. Refrain:

You can take your time baby, I’m in no hurry, know I’m gonna get you.
You don’t wanna hurt me, baby don’t worry, I ain’t gonna let you.

Let me tell you now. My love is strong enough
To last when things are rough, it’s magic.
You say that I waste my time but I can’t get you off my mind
No I can’t let go, ’cos I love you so. Refrain:
—Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad

SON DE LA VIDA, José Galván Castañeda (2018)

Sung in Spanish
Gentlemen, I suggest,
That life is to be enjoyed,
Gentlemen, this I suggest to you.

Don’t agonize about the future,
The past is only a joke now,
It’s better to enjoy the present,
The present is the only thing that exists.

That’s why it’s better for us to enjoy
Life’s groovy beat.

Sometimes I break down and cry
Because my heart aches,
But it doesn’t hurt as much
Whenever I sing this song.

When I have money
I enjoy it with all my heart
But when I don’t have a penny
I have fun anyway, dancing to the beat of this song.

This is the way we sing in México,
With love and with passion,
And with our throats wide open,
Giving our hearts away.
—Text by José Galván Castañeda

 

FATHER THUNDER, Laura Jēkabsone (2023)

Sung in English and Latvian
Father Thunder has nine sons:
Three strike, three rumble, three flash lightning.

Thunder had nine lightning bolts,
With them bolts he struck the oak,
Three bolt axes chopped the stump,
Six lightning flashes split the top.
The Sun cries for three years, gathering golden branches.
Father Thunder has nine sons.
—Latvian folksong

 

CLOUDBURST, Eric Whitacre (1996)

Sung in Spanish
The rain…
Eyes of shadow-water,
Eyes of well-water,
Eyes of dream-water.

Blue suns, green whirlwinds,
Birdbeaks of light pecking open
Pomegranate stars.

But tell me, burnt earth, is there no water?
Only blood, only dust,
Only naked footsteps on the thorns?

The rain awakens…

We must sleep with open eyes,
We must dream with our hands,
We must dream the dreams of a river seeking its course,
Of the sun dreaming its worlds,
We must dream aloud,
We must sing till the song puts forth roots,
Trunk, branches, birds, stars,
We must find the lost word,
And remember what the blood,
The tides, the earth, and the body say,
And return to the point of departure…
—Octavio Paz, 1914-1998. (Adapted by Eric Whitacre, Translation by Lysander Kemp)

GAHU JAMA, Nii Adjetey Mensah (2017)

Sung in Ghanaian
Friends, we’re coming.
We’re dancing forever.
We’re dancing Gahu!
Gahu is greeting all of you.
We are sending our greetings.
—Original arrangement by NiiBox

CANTO DE PILÓN, arr. Cristian Grases (2025)

Sung in Spanish
Grind and grind, María, grind the corn.
Today, today, today, today I ground all the corn.
Today, today, today, today, that mother ordered to grind.
I ground, María ground, and also Pilar ground.
—Words and music traditional from Venezuela

SIR DUKE, Stevie Wonder, arr. Paul Langford (2019)

Music is a world within itself
With a language we all understand,
With an equal opportunity for all to
Sing, dance and clap their hands.

Well, just because a record has a groove don’t make it in the groove.
But you can tell right away the letter A when the people start to move!

Refrain: They can feel it all over. They can feel it all over, people.

Music knows it is and always will be
One of the things that life just won’t quit.
But here are some of music’s pioneers
That time will not allow us to forget.

Well, there’s Basie, Miller, Satchamo,
And the king of all, Sir Duke.
And with a voice like Ella’s ringin’ out,
There’s no way the band could lose! Refrain:

 

KAISA-ISA NIYAN, Nilo Alcala (2017)

Sung in Maguindanaon dialect
Just one,
Two,
Or three of that.
Four are alternating.
Five: too noisy, it’s disturbing.
Six: a sound so loud!
Seven: a dragon…
Eight: pounds heavily on a puddle.
Nine: a box.
Ten: a drawer.
—Based on a children’s game chant from Maguindanao, Southern Philippines

AIA LĀ ‘O PELE I HAWAI’I, Jace Kaholokula Saplan (2022)

Sung in Hawaiian
Pele is in Hawai’i
She is dancing at Maukele
She rumbles and mutters
As she consumes Puna.
Flashing in the heavens, on and on
O Pele, Pele.
—Traditional Hawaiian Chant

KHUMBAYA, arranged for Soweto Gospel Choir by Lucas Bok (2010)

Somebody’s cryin’ Lord. Khumbaya.
Somebody’s prayin’ Lord. Khumbaya.

Oh Lord! Hear my prayer!
As I lift my voice and say,
I need your love today.
I need you right away.

Somebody’s in despair!
Somebody feels like no one cares!
I know you’ll make a way,
Yes, God will make a way.

Oh! Khumbaya.
Oh, Lord, Khumbaya
—Traditional Spiritual

I KNOW I’VE BEEN CHANGED, As performed by LaShun Pace (1991)

Refrain: I know I’ve been changed
I know I’ve been changed.
Angels in Heaven done signed my name.

Well, if you don’t believe that I’ve been redeemed,
The angels in Heaven done signed my name.
Oh, follow me down to that old Jordan stream.

I stepped in the water and the water was cold.
Oh, it chilled my body but not my soul. Refrain:

Somebody said, how can a brown cow eat green grass
And give you white milk? Well, if you think that’s something
God’s chemical laboratory of redemption took my black soul
And dipped it in red blood. And I came out white as snow. Refrain:
—Based on a traditional Negro Spiritual

JOY, Julio Morales (2019)

Close your eyes, listen to the hum of the spirit.
Your trial is done and your day is new.
There’s no time for being blue.
Joy way down, you can feel it too.
Feel it chase away the blues.

Refrain: Joy, joy, joy when feels impossible.
Joy, joy joy, when the choice is optional,
Something you can’t destroy, joy
Is what I feel.
Oh, it’s so real.

Hold your light as you travel through the valley.
When you feel it in your soul, you’ll never tire.
When you smile, you conquer the fire.
After storms roll, glee will fall and joy will ignite.
Growing til your spirit glows. Refrain:

I go to prepare a place for you,
With my joy in my pocket and my love for you.
Close your eyes, feel it in your soul.
Let your joy live inside of you and go on. Refrain:
—Text by Anthony Wright

NIIBOX AND FAMILY, Nii Adjetey Mensah

With over 30 years of experience in music performance, arts education, and public speaking, Nii Adjetey Mensah bridges the worlds of art and business. Son of Master Drummer Sowah Mensah and director, choreographer, and dancer Rev. Naa-Abashie Ankrah, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1985 and began performing traditional African music and dance in 1987. As NiiBox, he is a composer, instrumentalist, beatboxer, emcee, and dancer who has collaborated with artists such as World Voices, Marty Haugen, and Mos Def. Through groups like Sankofa and Manifesters, he has led hundreds of workshops and residencies, educating diverse audiences on African and urban art forms. A Distinguished Toastmaster, Nii has delivered programs for major organizations including Wells Fargo, Chevron, and Yahoo. He is also Executive Director of Face Forward, promoting social change through the arts, and a Corporate Treasury Consultant at Wells Fargo with over a decade of financial expertise.

For 57 years, VocalEssence has provided opportunities for singers from the Twin Cities area to create incredible music together and build connections as part of the vibrant arts community in Minnesota.

VocalEssence is known for introducing audiences to music and artists who are not yet known, often welcoming guest artists, composers, and conductors who are emerging, have unknown works, or represent a variety of cultures. Welcoming all members of the greater community, VocalEssence embodies the motto: Together We Sing.

VOCALESSENCE MISSION
VocalEssence draws upon the power of singing together to nurture community, inspire creativity, affirm the value of all persons, and expand the influence of choral music.

PHILIP BRUNELLE
Artistic Director and Founder
Philip Brunelle, Philip Brunelle, artistic director and founder of VocalEssence 57 years ago, is an internationally-renowned conductor, choral scholar, and visionary. Philip has conducted symphonies, choral festivals, and operas on six continents. He holds five honorary degrees, served 9 years as Vice President of IFCM (International Federation for Choral Music), and has been recognized for his commitment to choral music by the governments of Norway, Hungary, Sweden, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. In 2019, he was awarded the American Prize in Choral Conducting and, in 2020, was given the Honorary Member Award by the Society for American Music. In fall 2024, Philip was appointed a National Arts Associate of the Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity. Philip is also Organist-Choirmaster at Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis. During the pandemic Philip recorded 300 “Musical Moments” which can be accessed at https://www.vocalessence.org/what-we-do/virtual-projects/musicalmoments-with-philip-brunelle/ and his thoughts on music are at RenaissanceManpodcast.com. Philip and his wife Carolyn, a studio artist, have 3 children (Tim, Christopher, and Elise) and 7
grandchildren.

G. PHILLIP SHOULTZ, III
Associate Artistic Director
G. Phillip Shoultz, III, associate artistic director, uses the power of the spoken word and song to foster community and inspire action among people of all ages and abilities. Phillip conducts festival choirs and leads workshops across the United States and beyond. He serves on the faculty of the University of St. Thomas and guides the ministries of worship, music, and the arts at Westwood Lutheran Church. An accomplished curator of multi-disciplinary community collaborations, Phillip is the Artistic Director of the University of Minnesota Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert. The Minnesota Orchestra regularly engages Phillip to host their Young People’s Concerts and his online presence continues to grow as his pandemic livestream, Take 5 with GPS, recently reached the 500-episode milestone. The winner of numerous honors, including the ACDA Graduate Conducting Competition and multiple Teacher of the Year awards, Phillip founded “Table for More” in the summer of 2020 to help organizations address issues related to innovation, equity, racial justice, and belonging in the arts. Phillip lives in St. Louis Park with his wife, Michelle, and their two children (Malachi and Lydia Grace).

ROBERT GRAHAM
Learning and Engagement Manager
Conductor, Vintage Voices
Robert Graham is the Learning and Engagement Manager at VocalEssence where he serves as the conductor for the VocalEssence Vintage Voices choirs, and oversees the renowned VocalEssence WITNESS School Program. Robert has a Master of Music degree in both vocal performance and choral conducting from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and a B.A. in vocal performance from Xavier University of Louisiana. Robert currently serves as a section leader of the adult choir at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, sings second tenor in the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, and also performs around the Twin Cities as a solo and chamber musician.

CASEY RAFN
Accompanist
Pianist Casey Rafn enjoys a varied career as a collaborative pianist both in the United States and abroad, in Europe and Latin America. He is a member of ‘Trés’, whose saxophone-piano trio was just nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Instrumental Album for their new album “Romance al Campesino Porteño.” Casey often collaborates in concert or recordings with members of the Minnesota Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and University of Minnesota School of Music faculty. As a piano soloist he took top prizes at the International Liszt-Garrison Competition in Baltimore, has appeared with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, and has taught at both the University of Minnesota School of Music and the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts.

JOHN JENSEN
Accompanist, VocalEssence Vintage Voices
John Jensen received his music degrees in Southern California, where he attended Occidental College and University of Southern California. While there he free-lanced as a studio musician, playing on the Andy Williams show and touring the country with prominent singers through Columbia Artists Management. He moved to Iowa and taught for 15 years at Grinnell College as an artist-in-residence. In 1990, John moved to St. Paul and has played with VocalEssence, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In November 2022, John appeared with the Yale Symphony Orchestra at Yale University to play and record a piano concerto by the late Paul Reale, for Naxos records (released in 2023).

VOCALESSENCE CHORUS

The VocalEssence Chorus is a group of talented and enthusiastic singers from many different walks of life, united by their love of singing and community. Performing a wide variety of musical styles, premiering new works, and sharing the stage with a diverse array of guest artists, the Chorus is a welcome home for singers who wish to continue making music throughout their adult lives.

VOCALESSENCE ENSEMBLE SINGERS

The VocalEssence Ensemble Singers have established an international reputation because of their extensive catalog of recordings and broad range of unique repertoire. This chamber choir, whose members hail from a wide variety of professions, is bound together by their skilled artistry to create what The Times of London has described as a “flawless” sound.

SOPRANO
Jennifer Bevington
Katie Boardman
Elsa Buck
Chloe Johnson
JoAnna Johnson
Kathryn Rupp
Mari Scott
Carey Shunskis

ALTO
Robin Joy Helgen
Patty Kramer
Audrey Lane-Getaz
Anna Meek
Judith Melander
Carolyn Nuelle
Kristina Rodel Sorum
Cat Terres

TENOR
Will Berendsen
Ben Brunnette
Jared Campbell
Dan Dressen
Robert Graham
Jonah Herzog
Andy McCullough
Phil Reilly

BASS
Dakota Andersen
Joseph Ellickson
David Gindra
Joe Kastner
Erik Krohg
Dr. Michael P. Schmidt
Benjamin Shermock
Ian Witry

VOCALESSENCE SINGERS OF THIS AGE

The VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (SOTA) is a community of Twin Cities teenagers engaged in expanding what it means to be a choir and, encouraging a wider circle of participation in the artform. Presenting music ranging from classical to hip-hop, they use creativity and collaboration to build an accepting community, equipped with the skills to lead social change in our society.

VOCALESSENCE VINTAGE VOICES

VocalEssence Vintage Voices is an exciting choral program that integrates the arts into the everyday lives of older adults. Guided by a desire to create a welcoming atmosphere and remove barriers for participation, these choirs sing to build community, combat loneliness and isolation, and improve physical and emotional wellbeing.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Daniel Fernelius
President

Carolina Maranon-Cobos
Past-President

Valton Henderson
Vice President, Board Affairs Committee Chair

Dan Dressen
Secretary

Kristen Hoeschler O’Brien
Treasurer

 

Philip Brunelle
Ben Brunnette
Ryan French
Cassandra Garnett
Brianna Hill
Novelli Jurado
Daniel Kantor
Lori Ledoux
Lisa Merklin Lewis
Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed
Dr. Kristin Morris
Kristine Oberg
Anna Ostroushko
G. Phillip Shoultz, III
Eve Schulte
Jeff Smith
Timothy C. Takach
Bob Thacker
Mary Tjosvold
Elizabeth Truesdell Smith
Amy Jaine Wielunski

LIFETIME DIRECTORS
Ann Barkelew
Ann Buran
Art Kaemmer*
Nikki Lewis
Mike McCarthy*
Dave Mona
Alfred Moore
Don Shelby
Dorene Wernke

HONORARY DIRECTORS
Dominick Argento*
William Bolcom
Dave Brubeck*
Stewart Copeland
Aaron Copland*
Håkan Hagegård
Louise Heffelfinger*
Eskil Hemberg*
Betty Hulings*
Sigrid Johnson*
James Earl Jones*
Garrison Keillor
Sir James MacMillan
Donald Mitchell*
Helmuth Rilling*
Sir John Rutter
Peter Schickele*
Dr. André J. Thomas
Eric Whitacre
Roderick Williams OBE
*In remembrance

VOCALESSENCE STAFF

ARTISTIC STAFF
Philip Brunelle
Artistic Director and Founder

G. Phillip Shoultz, III
Associate Artistic Director

Robert Graham
Learning and Engagement Manager | Conductor, Vintage Voices

Casey Rafn
Accompanist

John Jensen
Accompanist, Vintage Voices

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Azure Anderson
Events and Operations Manager

Jeff Bina
Director of Finance and Operations

Rhiannon Fiskradatz
Learning and Engagement Manager

Laura Holst
Development and Marketing Associate

Emma Jirele Sandhurst
Engagement and Communications Manager

Ethan Johnson
Director of Artistic Operations

Amanda Timmer
Director of Marketing and Communications

Amy Jaine Wielunski
Executive Director

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VocalEssence has a large group of committed supporters and is honored by the many gifts received in memory, appreciation, and celebration of friends and family that are too many to list in this concert program.

Please click the button below to see a full list of supporters and special tributes.

VocalEssence Supporters

Susan Boren
Steve and Karen Burger
Anne Carayon and Daniel Pennie
Glenace E. Edwall and Joseph Peschek
Cathie Fischer, in memory of Jerry Fischer
Gayle Fuguitt and Thomas Veitch
Penny Hunt
James Johnson and Kita McVay
Douglas and Mary Jones
Nikki Lewis
Marilyn Carlson Nelson
Ben and Lynn Oehler
Gale Sharpe, Henry and Betty Albrecht Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
Cherie Stofer
D. Jean Thomson
Steve and Kathy Wellington
Dobson and Jane West

Dan Dressen
Global Minnesota
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
JoAnna Johnson
Ray Johnston
Christina Selander Bouzouina
Jean Thomson