Sing in the Holiday Season with VocalEssence as Welcome Christmas Returns to Northrop
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Jennifer Weismann
612-716-0556
Jennifer@owl-marketing.com
SING IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH VOCALESSENCE AS WELCOME CHRISTMAS RETURNS TO NORTHROP
Two performances featuring 200 choral voices & audience sing-along–Dec. 7 & 8
MINNEAPOLIS—October 15, 2024—It’s time once again to fill the magnificent space of Northrop with the exuberance and joy of the VocalEssence Welcome Christmas concerts. These much-anticipated performances are celebrating their third year in their new home on December 7th and 8th at 4 PM.
Press images are available here.
“If you haven’t yet experienced the magical community of song at our Welcome Christmas concerts, 2024 is the year to join us,” said VocalEssence founder and artistic director Philip Brunelle. “We’re thrilled that our special mix of classical choral music and carols for audience sing-alongs has become vital to the seasonal traditions of so many. And the glorious performance hall at Northrop means a bigger table for our feast of holiday music. Between our 200 singers and the 7,000 pipes in Northrop’s famous Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ, we are planning a concert that leaves the audience exalted and brimming with joy.”
“The magic of living traditions like our Welcome Christmas concerts is that they maintain their vitality by change and growth,” said associate artistic director G. Phillip Shoultz, III. “The sense of celebration and community has exploded since we’ve been able to have our older adult singers in the Vintage Voices choir and our vivacious teenage choir, VocalEssence Singers Of This Age, add their spirit and soul into the program.”
Northrop director of artistic and community programs Kristen Brogdon said, “Northrop is excited to once again to ring in the season with the VocalEssence Welcome Christmas concerts. The volume of holiday joy produced by having the four VocalEssence choirs perform together is heart-swelling…and it gives us a whole new appreciation for our beloved Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ to hear it merge with so many voices. These shows are truly special.”
Welcome Christmas will be a festive event, organist Aaron David Miller will fill the hall with music 30 minutes prior to the concert start time and our teenage singers will carol in the lobby. The performances will feature the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers, diverse teenage choir VocalEssence Singers Of This Age, senior singers from VocalEssence Vintage Voices, pianist Casey Rafn, rich additional instrumentation including harp, brass, and percussion, with Philip Brunelle and G. Phillip Shoultz, III conducting. The immersive program will be performed with no intermission and will include an audience-wide sing-along of familiar carols.
There will be two performances of the VocalEssence Welcome Christmas concert at Northrop, University of Minnesota, 84 Church St SE Minneapolis:
For more information, visit https://www.vocalessence.org/welcome-christmas-2024/. Tickets are available in a Northrop Season Package. Single tickets are available now on Northrop’s website, or by phone at the Northrop Box Office at 612-624-2345, Mon-Fri, 10:00 am-5:00 pm. Tickets prices vary, discounts are available.
About VocalEssence
VocalEssence, the choral organization Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones says “sings magnificently,” provides opportunities that draw upon the power of singing together to nurture community, inspire creativity, affirm the value of all persons, and expand the impact of choral music. VocalEssence was founded in 1969 and through its performance series has debuted more than 300 commissions and world premieres. VocalEssence Learning & Engagement programs help people of all ages bridge, create, and learn across cultures by connecting them with renowned choral experts to provide exceptional role models, grow community self-esteem, self-expression, and engagement. For more information, visit www.vocalessence.org.
About Northrop
Situated at the heart of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus and a state historic landmark, Northrop has served as the University’s primary gathering place for the performing arts, world-renowned dance performances, concerts, academic ceremonies, and major civic events for nearly 100 years. From touring international and favorite local dance companies, musicians, and film screenings to the hottest comedy acts, renowned speakers, celebrated authors, and prestigious UMN lectures, Northrop offers opportunities for all ages to explore, learn, and engage.
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