Last year’s concert, Philip’s Favorites, provided an opportunity to present some of the marvelous music that has been performed by VocalEssence over the past 56 years. And, with 90 minutes being the time frame, many pieces had to be postponed—until Philip’s Favorites II.

VocalEssence has always been at the forefront commissioning and premiering works by established composers, near and far. Minnesota is fortunate to have a great number of composers living right here, and this year’s concerts are unique: two of the pieces you will hear today are by VocalEssence Board members, Dan Kantor and Timothy Takach! Minnesota will also be represented by Justin Merritt, Jake Runestad, and Dominick Argento (the first composer VocalEssence commissioned in 1974).

I wanted to include composers heard in earlier years as well: Gustav Holst, Charles Hubert H. Parry, Ina Boyle, and Benjamin Britten—and from Scandinavia: Jaakko Mäntyjärvi and John Høybye. There will music from Jesús López Moreno, one of our ¡Cantaré! composers from Mexico. In addition, we are thrilled to present a newly revised piece by Eric Whitacre that uses a text by Robert Frost. It is wonderful to celebrate the fact that VocalEssence has premiered more than 350 works, many of the composers appearing in person, to the delight of our singers and audiences alike.

Thank you everyone—composers, singers, commissioners, listeners, and staff—you have made this experience exciting, memorable, and unforgettable. Thanks to our guest violinist, Michael Sutton, a marvelous musician and friend for many years. A special thank you to my wife, Carolyn, and our children; your support and encouragement putting up with a musician like me has been invaluable. Now on to the concert and looking forward to season 57!

—Philip Brunelle, Artistic Director and Founder, VocalEssence

THIS HAVE I DONE FOR MY TRUE LOVE
Gustav Holst (1916)
Mari Scott, soprano

MY SOUL, THERE IS A COUNTRY from SONGS OF FAREWELL
Charles Hubert H. Parry (1917)

ROSA MYSTICA (MYSTICAL ROSE) from AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM (FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD)
Benjamin Britten (1939)

EASTER DAY
Dominick Argento (1989)

STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING
Eric Whitacre (2000/2025)

A SILENCE HAUNTS ME
Jake Runestad (2018)

JESU, THOU SON OF MARY from GAELIC HYMNS
Ina Boyle (1924)

EN PAZ (AT PEACE)
Jesús López Moreno (2010)
David Gindra, bass

PSALM 151
I. WHAT A GREAT BLAST
II. WAVE UPON WAVE
III. PSALM UPON PSALM
John Høybye (2018)
Michael Sutton, violin
Erik Krogh, bass; Patty Kramer, alto; Jared Campbell, tenor
JoAnna Johnson, soprano; Kathryn Rupp, soprano

I AM GROWING FLOWERS*
Timothy Takach (2025)

RIVER HOLY
Daniel Kantor (2009)
Dakota Anderson, bass

CANTICUM CALAMITATIS MARITIMAE (MARITIME CALAMITY SONG)
Jaakko Mäntyjärvi (1997)
Jennifer Bevington, soprano; David Gindra, bass

MILES AND MILES
Justin Merritt (2014)
Michael Sutton, violin; Anna Meek, alto

*World Premiere funded by donors in honor of Philip Brunelle’s 80th birthday

THIS HAVE I DONE FOR MY TRUE LOVE
Gustav Holst (1916)

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day,
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my play,
To call my true love to my dance:

Refrain: Sing oh my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love.

Then was I born of a Virgin pure,
Of her I took fleshly substance:
Then was I knit to man’s nature,
To call my true love to my dance: Refrain

In a manger laid and wrapped I was,
So very poor this was my chance,
Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass,
To call my true love to my dance: Refrain

Then afterwards baptized I was,
The Holy Ghost on me did glance,
My Father’s voice heard from above,
To call my true love to my dance: Refrain

Into the desert I was led,
Where I fasted without substance:
The Devil bade me make stones my bread,
To have me break my true love’s dance: Refrain

The Jews on me they made great suit,
And with me made great variance
Because some loved darkness better than light
To call my true love to the dance: Refrain

For thirty pence Judas me sold,
His covetousness for to advance;
Mark whom I kiss, the same do hold.
The same is he shall lead the dance: Refrain

Before Pilate the Jews me brought,
When Barabbas had deliverance;
They scourged me and set me at nought,
Judged me to die to lead the dance: Refrain

When on the cross hanged I was;
Where a spear to my heart did glance,
There issued forth both water and blood,
To call my true love to my dance: Refrain

Then down to Hell I took my way,
For my true love’s deliverance,
And rose again on the third day,
Up to my true love and the dance: Refrain

Then up to Heaven I did ascend,
Where now I dwell in sure substance,
On the right hand of God, that all
May come unto the general dance. Refrain
—Old Cornish Poem

MY SOUL, THERE IS A COUNTRY
FROM SONGS OF FAREWELL
Charles Hubert H. Parry (1917)

My soul, there is a country
far beyond the stars,
where stands a winged sentry,
all skillful in the wars:

there above noise and danger,
sweet Peace sits crowned with smiles,
and One, born in a manger
commands the beauteous files.

He is thy gracious friend,
and O my soul awake!
did in pure love descend
to die here for thy sake.

If thou canst get but thither,
there grows the flower of peace,
the rose that cannot whither,
thy fortress, and thy ease.

Leave then thy foolish rangers,
for none can thee secure
but one who never changes
thy God, thy life, thy cure.
—Henry Vaughan

ROSA MYSTICA (MYSTICAL ROSE) FROM AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM
(FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD)
Benjamin Britten (1939)

In the Gardens of God, in the daylight divine,
Find me a place by thee, Mother of mine,
The Rose in a Mystery, where is it found?
Is it anything true? Does it grow upon ground?
It was made of earth’s mould, but it went from men’s eyes,
And its place is a secret, and shut in the skies.

In the Gardens of God, I shall look on thy loveliness,
Mother of mine, but where was it formerly?
Which is the spot that was blest in it once,
Though now it is not?
It is Galilee’s growth: It grew at God’s will
And broke into bloom upon Nazareth Hill.

I shall keep time with thee, Mother of mine,
Tell me the name now, tell me its name:
The heart guesses easily, is it the same?
Mary, the Virgin, well, the heart knows,
She is the Mystery, she is that Rose.

I shall come home to thee, Mother of mine.
Is Mary that Rose, then? Mary, the tree?
But the Blossom, the Blossom there, who can it be?
Who can her Rose be? Who? It could be but One:
Christ Jesus, our Lord, her God and her Son.

In the Gardens of God, daylight divine
Show me thy Son, Mother, Mother of mine,
Does it smell sweet, too, in that holy place?
Sweet unto God, and the sweetness is grace.

The breath of it bathes the great heaven above,
In grace that is charity, grace that is love.
To thy breast, to thy glory divine,
Draw me by charity, Mother of mine.
—Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)

EASTER DAY
Dominick Argento (1989)

Rise Heire of fresh Eternity,
From thy Virgin Tombe:
Rise mighty man of wonders! and thy world with thee.
Thy Tombe, the universall East,
Natures new wombe,
Thy Tombe, faire Immortalities perfumed Nest.

Of all the Gloryes Make No one gay
This is the Morne.
This rocke buds forth the fountaine of the streames of Day.
In joyes white Annals live this houre,
When life was borne,
No cloud scoule on his radiant lids, no tempest lowre.

Life, by this light’s Nativity
All creatures have.
Death onely by this Dayes just Doome is forc’t to Dye;
Nor is Death forc’t; for may hee ly
Thron’d in thy Grave.
Death will on this condition be content to Dy.
—Richard Crashaw (1613?-1649)

STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING
Eric Whitacre (2000/2025)

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
—Robert Frost (1874-1963)

A SILENCE HAUNTS ME
Jake Runestad (2018)

Hear me, brothers—

I’ve a confession painful to make.
Six years I have endured a curse
that deepens every day. They say
that soon I’ll cease to hear the very
music of my soul. What should be
the sense most perfect in me
fails me, shames me, taunts me.
A silence haunts me.

They ask me—
Do you hear the shepherd singing
far-off soft?—Do you hear a distant
fluting dancing joyously aloft?
—No.—I think so?—No.—I
think so?—No.

God, am I Prometheus?—exiled
in chains for gifting humankind
my fire? Take my feeling—
take my sight—take my wings
midflight but let me hear the
searing roar of air before I score
the ground!

Why?—Silence is God’s reply
—and so I beg me take my life—
when lo—I hear a grace and feel
a ringing in me after all—

so now as leaves of autumn fall, I
make my mark and sign my name
and turn again to touch my flame
of music to the world, a broken
man, as best I can,

As ever,
Yours faithfully,
(—A bell? —A bell?)
Hear me,
and be well.
—after Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament, byTodd Boss

JESU, THOU SON OF MARY
Ina Boyle (1924)

Jesu, Thou Son of Mary, Have mercy upon us. Amen.
Jesu, Thou Son of Mary, Make peace with us. Amen.

O, with us and for us
Where we shall longest be,
Be about the morning of our course,
Be about the closing of our life
Be at the dawning of our life
And at the darkening of our day.

Be for us and with us,
Merciful God of all
Consecreate us, condition and lot,
Thou King of kings, Thou God of all.
Consecrate us heart and body,
Thou King of kings, Thou God of all.

Each heart and body
Each day to Thyself,
Each night accordingly
Thou King of kings, Thou God of all.
Amen.

EN PAZ (AT PEACE)
Jesús López Moreno (2010)

Sung in Spanish

Architect of life, architect of himself

So near to my end, I bless you, Life,
because you never gave me false hope,
unjust work or undeserved sorrow;
for I see at the end of my rough road
that I was the architect of my own destiny;
and if I extracted honey or gall from things,
it was because I myself gave them gall or delicious honey:
when I planted rosebushes I always gathered roses.

True, my youthful vigor shall be followed by winter:
but you never said May would be eternal!

I discovered without a doubt the long nights of my sorrows;
for you never promised me only good nights;
and yet I had some that were serenely sacred…

I loved, I was loved, the sun caressed my face.
Life, you owe me nothing! Life, we are at peace!
—Amado Nervo, Translation by Katie Villaseñor

PSALM 151
John Høybye (2018)

What a great blast from the start,
blowing divine love apart,
watching bits fly to their stations,
spirited by gravitations!

Wave upon wave of Big Bang
into the universe sang;
God knew how it would begin,
picked up his old violin.

Tuned it to supreme effect,
lifted his bow to connect,
swiftly the Godhead unfurled
dance and love into the world.

Psalm upon psalm to his praise
David and others would raise,
touched by the strings from above,
bowing back solos of love.
—Edward Broadbridge

I AM GROWING FLOWERS
Timothy Takach (2025)

I am growing flowers
in the darkest part of my heart
for if light ever enters
it would know where to start
—Noor Unnahar

RIVER HOLY
Daniel Kantor (2009)

Alone we wander, through darkness roam
River holy, guide us home,
At water’s crossing, the sacred seam
Dawn of freedom we dream.

As lightning shadows what we betray
Rights the journey to the day
When all in shackles go unenslaved,
Hope of longing still saves.

So we must follow the river’s light
Heed its calling through the night,
Whose promise pierces our bleakest strife,
Beckons us to new life.

Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus
Steal away, steal away home, I ain’t got long to be here.
—Original text by Joseph Gryskiewicz and Daniel Kantor,
Steal Away text, traditional

CANTICUM CALAMITATIS MARITIMAE
(MARITIME CALAMITY SONG)
Jaakko Mäntyjärvi (1997)

May the eternal light shine upon them, O Lord;
may perpetual light shine upon them.

Over eight hundred people perished in a shipwreck in the
northern Baltic Sea.
The car ferry Estonia, en route from Tallinn to Stockholm, was
overturned in a severe storm and sank.

Have mercy, O Lord.

There were about 1000 passengers on board. 910 people lost
their lives in the wreck of the Estonia; 139 were saved.

They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in
great waters;
These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.

For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which
lifteth up the waves thereof.
They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the
depths; their soul is melted because of trouble.
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are
at their wit’s end.

Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth
them out of their distresses.
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are
still.
Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth
them unto their desired haven.
—Psalm 107: 23-30, King James version

(The news text is from Nuntii Latini, the weekly news broadcasts in Latin by the Finnish Broadcasting Company. These extracts are from the reports broadcast on September 30, 1994 and October 7, 1994, translated into Latin by Reijo Pikäranta.)

MILES AND MILES
Justin Merritt (2014)

The dead of winter on the road
Miles and miles from home
The desert dust stings my eyes
Miles and miles to go
Miles and miles and miles and miles
Miles before I sleep
Miles and miles and miles and miles
On this Christmas eve

Now nine long months have come and gone
Miles and miles from home
Can’t wait to see my first born son
Miles and miles to go

My baby will be born tonight
Miles and miles from home
Who will give me shelter here?
Miles and miles to go

We have to flee to save our child
Miles and miles from home
God only knows when we’ll return
Miles and miles to go

Still they cry in Bethlehem
Miles and miles from home
Mothers comfort little ones
Miles and miles to go
—Justin Merritt

MICHAEL SUTTON

A native of Minneapolis, Michael Sutton joined the Minnesota Orchestra in 1997. He has appeared on Sommerfest programs playing chamber music with pianist William Wolfram and violinist Pekka Kuusisto. In addition to performing in Minnesota Orchestra programs, he is concertmaster of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, a post he accepted in fall 2014. He also is a faculty member at the MacPhail Center for Music.

Sutton earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Raphael Bronstein and Ariana Bronne. There he received the Kortschak Award for Chamber Music and the Bauer Award for Outstanding Accomplishment.

For four years Sutton was a concertmaster of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach; he was also a leader at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and the Pacific Music Festival in Japan.

For 56 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, artistic director and founder of VocalEssence 56 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. Last fall 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 vocalessence.org/category/musical-moments 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, inspires action and fosters community among people of all ages and abilities through song and spoken word. He is Artistic Director of Sing Democracy 250, a national initiative of the Together In Hope Project, and the University of Minnesota Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert. Phillip is Cantor for Worship, Music, and the Arts at Westwood Lutheran Church and serves on the faculty of the University of St. Thomas, where he leads the Graduate Choral Conducting program. Phillip gives voice to the Songs of Freedom series on Minnesota Public Radio and hosts concerts for the Minnesota Orchestra. He creates content for SonoVoice (the Fitbit for voice) and is founder of “Table for More”, a platform addressing issues of innovation, equity, racial justice, and belonging in the arts. Phillip is engaged across the U.S. and beyond as a conductor, clinician, and worship curator/leader. He is published with Galaxy Music and is the winner of numerous honors, including the ACDA Graduate Conducting Competition and multiple Teacher of the Year awards. 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 St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He plays jazz and classical piano around the area, including performances with the Bloomingtones, a traveling senior choir based in Bloomington, MN. In 2023, John recorded a piano concerto by the late Paul Reale with the Yale Symphony Orchestra at Yale University which was released by Naxos records.

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
Judith McClain Melander
Anna George Meek
Carolyn Nuelle
Kristina Rodel Sorum
Catherine Terres

TENOR
Will Berendsen
Ben Brunnette
Jared Campbell
Elijah Gatlin-Baumgartner
Robert J. Graham
Jonah Herzog
Andy McCullough
Phil Reilly

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

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 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
Carolina Maranon-Cobos
President

Daniel Fernelius
President-Elect

Valton Henderson
Vice President

Dan Dressen
Secretary

Kristen Hoeschler O’Brien
Treasurer

Torrie Allen
Anna Boyle
Tanya M. Bransford
Philip Brunelle
Ben Brunnette
Martha Driessen
Cassandra Garnett
Brianna Hill
Daniel Kantor
Lisa Merklin Lewis
Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed
Richard Neuner
Kristine Oberg
Jim Odland
Anna Ostroushko
Doug Parish
Joanne Reeck
G. Phillip Shoultz, III
Jeff Smith
Amanda Storm Schuster
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
Fred 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
Donald Mitchell*
Helmuth Rilling
John Rutter
Peter Schickele
Dr. André J. Thomas
Eric Whitacre
*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
Executive Assistant

Jeff Bina
Director of Finance and Operations

Rhiannon Fiskradatz
Learning and Engagement Manager

Laura Holst
Development and Marketing Associate

Emma Jirele Sandhurst
Learning and Engagement Manager | Graphic Designer

Ethan Johnson
Director of Artistic Operations

Amanda Timmer
Director of Marketing and Communications

Elissa Weller
Director of Development

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

Philip Brunelle’s 80th Birthday Campaign Donors
Ruth and Bill Davini

Ben Brunnette
Melanie DeMore
Chloe Johnson
Novelli Jurado
Joe Kastner
Anna Meek
Kristina Rodel Sorum
Timothy Takach
Eric Whitacre