Melanie DeMore
VocalEssence Ensemble Singers
How to Hold On? That is the question we find ourselves asking on this record and as we go through our daily lives. The songs that follow were written to be medicine—nourishment—to help comfort us in an increasingly chaotic world.
All of these songs represent their own answers to that question. They are all about the difficulties and the beauty of being a human being, longing for connection to each other and to community. We hold on by not being afraid to let ourselves ache and cry and rejoice at being alive with one another.
I invite you to use this music to be a container: a place for you to take a deep breath and allow yourself to truly feel the grief, loss, wonder, and quiet that so many of us are going through every day. Use these songs as a balm to lean on and lean in to make you feel like yourself again.
Don’t Give Up Hope—Lead with Love
Melanie DeMore
How to listen:
How to Hold On is available for purchase digitally, in CD, and to stream. A special limited-release vinyl will be available holiday season 2025.
Digital purchase – $13:
Bandcamp
iTunes
To purchase on iTunes, click the three dots … on the upper right hand corner of your screen and select “Show in iTunes Store.”
Physical Albums – $15-40:
+S&H if applicable.
CDs will be available for purchase at VocalEssence events or to ship via the link below. CDs are available now for purchase!
Order a CD Here
And, don’t miss your chance to pre-order our limited-edition deluxe vinyl, with three bonus tracks recorded live with Melanie DeMore and the combined choirs of VocalEssence in March 2024 at Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis as part of our WITNESS: Lead with Love concert.
Pre-order your vinyl Here
Streaming:
How to Hold On: Songs of Comfort and Solace is available now on all major streaming platforms. Click on each platform’s name below to listen on your streaming service of choice:
Apple Music Spotify Tidal
YouTube Music
This project was made possible by the financial support of our generous donors. Please join them with a contribution today to support your own listening experience and help us share this music with all those who seek comfort and solace in these challenging times.
DONATE
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How to Hold On (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
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Standing Stone (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
2:24 |
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If I Were Bird (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
2:54 |
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As Much As Air (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
3:38 |
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Somebody's Baby/Rock-a-bye (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
5:39 |
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On Your Way (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
3:34 |
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In the Cool (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
2:21 |
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Bright Blue Sky (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
2:50 |
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Turning Into Gold (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
4:17 |
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Shine on Me (Traditional Spiritual, arr. Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
4:34 |
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Blessed Be (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
3:08 |
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Balm in Gilead (Traditional Spiritual, arr. Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
3:56 |
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A Place for You (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
4:03 |
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Sending You Light (Melanie DeMore) Melanie DeMore & VocalEssence Ensemble Singers |
4:03 |
Melanie DeMore is a 3-time Grammy-nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her music and commentary. DeMore facilitates vocal and stick-pounding workshops for professional choirs, and community groups as well as directing numerous choral organizations across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!–The Institute for Social and Cultural Change and a Master Teaching Artist for Music at UC Berkeley/Cal Performances. She is a charter member of Kate Munger’s Threshold Choirs and conducts song circles with an emphasis on the voice as a vessel for healing. In her own words: “A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you.”
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.