In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Carlo Gesualdo. Carlo Gesualdo 1566-1613 Italian composer Carlo Gesualdo was Prince of Venosa and known for writing madrigals and pieces of sacred music that use a chromatic language not heard again until the late 19th… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Alexandre Gretchaninov. Alexandre Gretchaninov 1864-1956 Alexandre Gretchaninov was a prolific composer from Russia’s Romantic age who explored the art of musical writing within an extensive number of genres and forms. Gretchaninov began his studies with… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Tina Davidson. Tina Davidson b. 1952 Tina Davidson is a highly regarded American composer whose music stands out for its emotional depth and lyrical dignity. She received her BA in piano and composition from Bennington… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Richard Dirksen. Richard Dirksen 1921-2003 American composer, Richard Dirksen, was well known for his liturgical pieces and his service as organist and choirmaster at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Awarded a scholarship, he studied… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Larry Farrow. Larry Farrow b. Larry Farrow is an American composer, arranger, producer, conductor and keyboardist, clinician, and teacher known for his compositions rooted in the southern gospel tradition. He began taking lessons on the… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Henry Walford Davies. Henry Walford Davies 1869-1941 Henry Walford Davies was an English composer and organist well known for his broadcast talks and gramophone records. He was a prolific composer and many of his… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Harold Friedell. Harold Friedell 1905-1958 Harold Friedell was an American organist, educator, and composer of a large number of choral anthems and solo organ pieces. Born in Jamaica, New York he became the organist of… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Frode Fjellheim. Frode Fjellheim b. 1959 Norwegian composer Frode Fjellheim is best known for his band Transjoik and for being the composer of the opening theme of the Disney movie “Frozen.” Fjellheim was educated as… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Edward Barnes. Edward Barnes b. 1958 Edward Barnes is a renowned composer, Broadway producer, and public speaker. Barnes studied music composition at the Juilliard School with composers Vincent Persichetti and David Diamond, and at Dartington… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Arthur Foote. Arthur Foote 1853-1937 Arthur Foote, was an American church musician, influential music teacher, and a leading member of a group of composers known as the “Boston Six.” Foote was especially known for chamber… Read More →
VocalEssence has several opportunities to listen and watch over the holidays. Here are the ways you can enjoy VocalEssence programming: 2021 VocalEssence Digital Concerts These concerts can be accessed anytime, anywhere! Bach’s Christmas Oratorio Welcome Christmas Broadcasts YourClassical MPR is airing each of the four Bach Cantatas on the following dates and times. Tune in… Read More →
VocalEssence is in search of volunteers to help with the logistics for our holiday concerts. When we’re at churches around the community, our volunteers are the heart and soul of making the event go smoothly when our audience arrives. With the pandemic, we’re in need of many hands to help make the work easier and… Read More →
This fall, VocalEssence welcomed seven new members to our board of directors. We are thrilled to introduce you to our new directors! Cassie Garnett, Senior Director of Human Resources at Ecolab. Garnett drives strategic talent initiatives for the global function of more than 1,200 employees in areas of development, diversity, organizational design and employee relations.… Read More →
Watch as Philip Brunelle and and G. Phillip Shoultz, III, share their artistic vision for the VocalEssence 2021-2022 season opener, Hope Lives Here. Get your tickets to Hope Lives Here today! LEARN MORE AND BUY TICKETS
Watch as Philip Brunelle and Lise Houlton, Artistic Director of Minnesota Dance Theatre, discuss the partnership between Minnesota Dance Theatre and VocalEssence. Philip asks what it is like to dance to live singing, to which Lise responds, “Sublime.” Lise and Philip talk about how the dancers create a physical representation of Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,”… Read More →
