St. Paul, Minn. (December 2011) — The best way to welcome Christmas is Welcome Christmas!, the VocalEssence holiday concert. Long a favorite from their appearances on A Prairie Home Companion, VocalEssence rings in the season with an all-new Welcome Christmas! It’s an hour of joyful holiday music featuring the Minneapolis-based chorus, VocalEssence, and hosted for… Read More →
(Minneapolis—November 17, 2011) Concerts from the 2010-2011 VocalEssence Season are slated for broadcast on Classical MPR and nationally via APM during this holiday season. Welcome Christmas, hosted by John Birge, features selections from the 2010 Welcome Christmas concerts at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis. Twin Cities Bronze rang handbells to help the VocalEssence Chorus &… Read More →
Sing with Vocalessence— no audition required! Advance registration for this event is now closed. On-site registration will open at 1:30pm on Sunday, November 13th. We look forward to seeing you there! This fall, VocalEssence is offering two “Community Sings” where the public is invited to sing in a casual setting with conductors Sigrid Johnson and Philip… Read More →
Purchase the CD at Gothic Records “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.”—Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (October 28, 2011) – In conjunction with the current North Star Tour of Minnesota, VocalEssence is releasing a new CD, From… Read More →
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (August 29, 2011) — Artistic Director Philip Brunelle and the Board of VocalEssence are pleased to announce that Mary Ann Pulk, who has served as Managing Director of VocalEssence since 2003, has been promoted to the role of Executive Director. “A major part of what makes VocalEssence so successful is the blend of… Read More →
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (July 11, 2011) — Every year since 1998, VocalEssence and the American Composers Forum have challenged composers to write brand new Christmas carols. And each year the challenge has varied – composers have written carols for chorus with a variety of instruments, including cello, French horn, harp, guitar and handbells. This year’s challenge… Read More →
MINNEAPOLIS (May 16, 2011) Today Ana Luisa Fajer, the Consul of Mexico in St. Paul, presented VocalEssence Artistic Director Philip Brunelle with the Ohtli Recognition Award at the quarterly VocalEssence board meeting in downtown Minneapolis. Once a year, the government of Mexico presents this award to a civilian living outside the country for contributions made to the empowerment of Mexican… Read More →
VocalEssence’s thrilling reading was paired with filmmaker Bastian Cleve’s life’s work, a mixed blessing. Article by WILLIAM RANDALL BEARD, Special to the Star Tribune Updated: April 10, 2011 – 6:00 PM In our increasingly media-dominated world, classical musicians are increasingly trying to find new ways to engage this audience. The new Gehry Concert Hall in… Read More →
Friday, April 8, 2011 (8 pm) Saturday, April 9, 2011 (8pm) St. Olaf Catholic Church Minneapolis, MN Tickets: $13.50-$43.50 (Service charges apply. Student and group discounts are available.) To order, call 612-371-5656 or purchase online at www.vocalessence.org MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (January 27, 2011) – VocalEssence and Conductor Philip Brunelle with the Lyra Baroque Orchestra and… Read More →
By ROHAN PRESTON, Star TribuneLast update: March 4, 2011 After leading a group of singers in a workshop at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis, renowned Florida choral director André Thomas lingered to sign scores of his own compositions and arrangements. The fans last Sunday included former students, devotees of choral music and a fair-haired… Read More →
DOWNLOAD NOW FROM INSTANT ENCORE VocalEssence, The St. Olaf Choir and three Minnesota High School Choirs — Central High School (Saint Paul); Hastings High School and Washburn High School (Minneapolis) — are featured in a new live concert recording available exclusively by download from Instant Encore. “WITNESS – André Thomas” was recorded in concert at… Read More →
Interview by John Birge, Minnesota Public Radio March 2, 2011 St. Paul, Minn. — How ironic. The man who wrote the book on spirituals hated spirituals a his first encounter! Back when Dr. Andre Thomas was the only black boy in an all-white Kansas school, he “shrank with embarrassment” when his high school choir sang… Read More →
VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers Twin Cities Bronze (handbell ensemble), organ and violin Philip Brunelle, conductor Saturday, December 4 at 7:30 pm—Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Apple Valley Sunday, December 5 at 4 pm—Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis Friday, December 10 at 7:30 pm—Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina Saturday, December 11 at 7:30 pm—Trinity Lutheran Church,… Read More →
By Rob Hubbard Special to the Pioneer Press Getting into the Christmas spirit was easy Saturday night. Outside the windows of the Colonial Church of Edina, big fluffy flakes wafted toward the ground, blanketing the spire of the very New England-esque structure and the rolling hills of the park across the street. And, inside the… Read More →
