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 ‘VOCALESSENCE WITNESS: EYES STILL ON THE PRIZE’ AT NORTHROP SUN. FEB. 23
Annual celebration of Black contributions to American arts will culminate in concert celebrating the Civil Rights Movement with performances in song, dance and story

MINNEAPOLIS, JANUARY 14, 2025—Each year, nonprofit choral arts and community building organization VocalEssence elevates Black contributions to the arts with educational programming and music through its VocalEssence WITNESS initiative. This year WITNESS will feature songs of the Civil Rights Era, chronicling the journeys of six living women whose stories epitomize what it means to never give up, at the VocalEssence WITNESS: Eyes Still on the Prize concert at Northrop on Sunday, February 23.

VocalEssence WITNESS: Eyes Still on the Prize will feature the VocalEssence Chorus, elder singers from the VocalEssence Vintage Voices, diverse teenage choir VocalEssence Singers of This Age, and dance collective One Accord organized by Suzette Gilreath, with G. Phillip Shoultz, III, conducting.

“Civil Rights work isn’t limited to the monumental Civil Rights movement of the 1960s that we first think of—it’s important work still continuing today,” says G. Phillip Shoultz, III, associate artistic director, VocalEssence. “And we don’t often center women’s voices in the story and the work they do and their legacies are still being shaped. Six women at the heart of past and present Civil Rights work are invited guests for our VocalEssence WITNESS concert, and will be celebrated in story and song: national figures Ruby Bridges, Claudette Colvin, Mari Copeny, and our local heroes Reatha Clark King, Josie Johnson and Rose McGee.”

“They say if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. It’s by working together that the visionaries of the Civil Rights Movement created the energy we still tap into as we persist in the fight for racial equity,” adds Shoultz. “Songs are tools of social change, and the music of the Civil Rights era is imbued with powerful emotions that move us in our ongoing fight for racial equity, civil rights and social justice. It’s an honor to share stories and sing songs in honor of the strong women here in Minnesota and nationally who continue to pave the way.”

“For 35 years, it has been the privilege of our VocalEssence WITNESS program to elevate the contributions of Black Americans in American fine arts,” says Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence founder. “Our singers share the music of Black composers at the WITNESS concert, of course, but WITNESS includes much more–our work with teaching artists gives school children a yearly curriculum of discovery showing them the connections among the Black experience, history, and American culture. Poems, dances, and songs are created in emotional response to real events in the lives of real people, and WITNESS gives us a richer appreciation by putting these incredible and sometimes familiar pieces in their extraordinary context.”

Press images are available here.

VocalEssence WITNESS: Eyes Still on the Prize will be performed at 4 p.m. at Northrop, University of Minnesota, 84 Church St SE, Minneapolis. Single tickets are available at the Northrop online box office.

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.

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