VocalEssence is celebrating Black Excellence. As part of its daily pandemic show, Take 5 with GPS, VocalEssence will showcase Black achievement in the arts and beyond each day of Black History Month, and will celebrate notable Black Women for each day of Women’s History Month.
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 →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Joseph Canteloube. This episode features Soprano Maria Jette. Joseph Canteloube 1879-1957 The French composer, pianist, and folk-song collector, Joseph Canteloube, is best known for his compositions that evoke the landscape of his native region, the… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Samuel Sebastian Wesley. Samuel Sebastian Wesley 1810-1876 The English composer and organist Samuel Sebastian Wesley was one of the most distinguished English church musicians of his time. Born in London, Wesley was named both after… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Franz Liszt. Franz Liszt 1811-1886 Franz Liszt, Hungarian composer, pianist, and teacher, was a leader of the Romantic movement with music known for his imaginative and technical approach to composition. Born in Raiding, his father… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Robert Wetzler. Robert Wetzler b. 1932 Robert Wetzler is an American composer, organist, and choirmaster based in Minneapolis, MN, well-known for his sacred choral works. Wetzler earned his Bachelor of Arts from Thiel College and… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Lena McLin. Lena McLin b. 1928 Lena McLin, known as the woman who launched a thousand careers, is an African American musician, music teacher, author, pastor, and composer. McLin earned a Bachelor’s degree in music,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Duke Ellington. Duke Ellington 1899-1974 Considered one of the greatest jazz composers of all time, Duke Ellington had an enormous impact on the popular music of the late 20th century. Born in Washington D.C. in… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Rodion Shchedrin. Rodion Shchedrin b. 1932 Rodion Shchedrin, Russian composer and virtuosic pianist, was born in Moscow into a musical family: his father was a composer and a teacher of music theory. After completing his… Read More →
By Pamela Espeland | MINNPOST PUBLISHED: January 20, 2021 ‘Some Kind of Heaven’ is one kind of retirement; ‘Bolerobolero, the Film’ to premiere ALSO: VocalEssence’s “Believe” streaming now; Dominic Taylor’s “Cell Surface”; and more. A scene from “Some Kind of Heaven.” Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures Many people first heard of The Villages, the largest retirement community in… Read More →
“The two of us watched your musical moments together each day and they truly were the highlight of his day.” —Tracy Rode, Jack Cole’s daughter Jack and Ann Cole were treasured by so many, including VocalEssence. We are humbled to know that Philip Brunelle’s Musical Moments were such a comfort to Jack in his last… Read More →
“I am so excited to watch this. Thank you to your entire team for bringing this to our world. As a choir director (middle school and high school), I am facing constant challenges of how to keep my 150 students engaged, motivated, and inspired. Thank you!” —Melanie Brink, music teacher in the Middle East region of Muscat, Oman We are so excited… Read More →
By Pamela Espeland | MINNPOST PUBLISHED: December 4, 2020 Christmas concerts coming up; Louise Erdrich at One Book, One Minnesota Dr. Anton Armstrong conducting the Massed Choirs and St. Olaf Orchestra during the 2019 Christmas Festival. Courtesy of St. Olaf College And suddenly it’s December. Hard to believe almost nine months have passed since the first… Read More →
By Pamela Espeland | columnist MinnPost Published: OCTOBER 16, 2020 https://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2020/10/g-phillip-shoultz-iii-of-vocalessence-stopping-has-never-been-an-option-for-me/ Shoultz leads the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers (32 professional singers), the VocalEssence Chorus (115-120 volunteer singers) and the youth choir VocalEssence Singers of This Age, aka VESOTA. Photo by Kyndell Harkness G. Phillip Shoultz III at the start of the pandemic: “So the first step was triage. Let’s… Read More →
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