Returning from a VERY successful series of 4 concerts in Mexico City with the Ensemble Singers, Philip Brunelle immediately plunged into rehearsals for his 51st VocalEssence season as well as planning a number of special events for the fall and winter (with lots of meetings!). Following the opening Retreat rehearsal the Ensemble Singers presented a… Read More →
There are a lot of exciting opportunities in store for the VocalEssence Vintage Voices singers during the 2019-2020 season! Rehearsals have kicked off for the Park Singers at Parkshore Senior Community in Saint Louis Park, where 40 participating singers are working together to prepare a concert of folk songs, spirituals, doo wop, Broadway hits, and… Read More →
SUNDAY 9/1/2019 and MONDAY 9/2/2019 The End and the Beginning We are home, and after the whirlwind of Saturday and Sunday, the dust has settled. I’m late in writing about our last days of our trip because I’m dazed, and it all seems like a dream. But then I open my Facebook page, and… Read More →
SATURDAY 8/31/2019 JOY AND WORK Our day free, some of us went to the Zocalo, the city center, to see the Indigenous Festival; others went to a nearby shopping center to eat at the churro stand recommended by the president of the Orquesta de Mineria. Some of us went to Six Flags to ride… Read More →
FRIDAY 8/30/2019 A THOUSAND SMALL MOMENTS All week, I’ve been thinking about how to capture the connections we’ve made together, the new, raw friendships that make us buzzy, exhausted, and grateful. I believe firmly in the broad brushstrokes of VocalEssence’s motto “Together We Sing.” Yes, world peace is possible when we raise our voices collectively in song. Yes, in music, our… Read More →
THURSDAY 8/29/2019 COLORES It is such a pleasure to sing with the Coro and Orquesta de Mineria. For starters, they are kind and warm and hilarious. But also, the colors in their voices. Tonight, I asked my seatmate Roxanne if she heard a difference in the vocal colors of the American and Mexican singers.… Read More →
WEDNESDAY 8/28/2019 WHAT LASTS “¿Listos?” Maestro Prieto said. He spoke in both English and Spanish, often switching mid-sentence. “¡Coro! No anxiety, sin ansiedad, about an early ‘s’, por un ‘s’ temprano, on the word ‘agnus.’” His speech was quick, and his gestures animated. Giving direction to the basses, he said, “You sing like…” He… Read More →
TUESDAY 8/27/2019 Hands We each went our own ways this morning and early afternoon. Some visited Frieda Kahlo’s house Casa Azul, some the Museo Nacional de Antropología, and some Castillo de Chapultepec. There is no end to the beauty and wonders of Mexico City. At 3:30 we put on our concert clothes and piled… Read More →
MONDAY 8/27/2019 On Singing Softly Six hours of painstaking rehearsal notes with our Mexican Coro de Mineria friends on the Verdi Requiem: we are exhausted, but happy. As all 80+ singers crammed together, we sat literally shoulder to shoulder. “I hope you enjoy being close,” Philip said after we greeted one another warmly. “Because… Read More →
SUNDAY 8/25/2019 Estamos Aqui! An early morning saw most of us clutching our coffee cups at Terminal 1, but the TSA check wasn’t quite as ugly as we’d feared. Our direct flight was a godsend, and four hours later, we came through the clouds and were greeted by the misty blue mountains that watch… Read More →
The end of July found artistic director Philip Brunelle in Hong Kong, where the Hong Kong Children’s Choir celebrated its 50th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of VocalEssence. He also found time to stop in London and Gloucester for the Three Choirs Festival, where he enjoyed a Bob Chilcott premiere, and met with composer James… Read More →
The VocalEssence Ensemble Singers under the direction of Philip Brunelle will present a Homecoming Concert featuring music from their Mexico tour on Saturday, September 7, at 7 PM at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Prior Lake. The concert is free of charge, but a free-will offering will be taken at the event. VocalEssence… Read More →
Tag along with the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers as they head to Mexico, August 25-September 2, by checking in with the VocalEssence Facebook page where our “Postcards from Mexico” correspondents will be sharing updates and running a fun trivia challenge. Every day, alto (and writer) Anna George Meek and production manager Ethan Johnson will provide an… Read More →
April brought a huge thrill as Chorus America recognized VocalEssence with its 2019 Education and Community Engagement Award for our youth choral program, VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (VESOTA). Chorus America is a prominent advocacy organization for our nation’s choral groups, and its Education and Community Engagement Award recognizes the best emerging program (less than… Read More →
One of the most promising aspects of our 2018-2020 Strategic Plan is our push to expand the “we” in “Together We Sing!” We’re doing this by advancing inclusion, access, and equity in our organization. We’re lucky enough to live in a diverse community where people of all ages and backgrounds are passionate about music. By… Read More →
