In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Ysaÿe M. Barnwell. Ysaÿe M. Barnwell b. 1946 The composer and singer Ysaÿe M. Barnwell writes meaningful music that choirs love to sing. After studying violin for fifteen years and majoring in music in high… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Ina Boyle. Ina Boyle 1889-1967 The Irish composer Ina Boyle was the foremost female composer in Ireland before 1950. She lived her entire life in her family home in Enniskerry, a village in County Wicklow,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Eleanor Daley. Eleanor Daley b. 1955 The award-winning Canadian composer Eleanor Daley was born and raised in Parry Sound, Ontario. She studied organ and piano at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, the Royal Conservatory of… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Elizabeth Poston. Elizabeth Poston 1905-1987 English composer and skilled pianist Elizabeth Poston was known for her choral and vocal compositions and her compilations of songs, hymns, and carols. She was born at Highfield, Walkern, near… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Judith Weir. Judith Weir b. 1954 The talented British composer Judith Weir was born in Cambridge to a Scottish family and raised near London. Before attending Cambridge University, Weir played oboe in the National Youth… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Lili Boulanger. He is joined by mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski. Lili Boulanger 1893-1918 Although her life was short and fraught with illness, the gifted French composer Lili Boulanger contributed numerous stunning pieces for choir. She was… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Evelyn Simpson Curenton. This episode features a performance by singer Jearlyn Steele. Evelyn Simpson Curenton b. 1953 The versatile musician and composer Evelyn Simpson Curenton is one of today’s leading arrangers of gospel music… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Amy Cheney Beach. Amy Cheney Beach 1867-1944 The pioneering composer Amy Cheney Beach was the first American woman to compose large-scale concert music and find widespread success. Born in Henniker, New Hampshire, Beach demonstrated outstanding… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Florence Price. Florence Price 1887-1953 The trailblazing composer and teacher Florence Price was the first Black American woman to gain widespread acclaim for her work as a symphonic composer. Price was born in Little Rock,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel. This episode features two guest performers: soprano Maria Jette and VocalEssence’s pianist Mary Jo Gothmann. Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel 1805-1847 During her lifetime, German composer Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel was not nearly as well-known as her brother,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Rosephanye Powell. Rosephanye Powell b. 1962 The African-American composer, singer, and voice professor Rosephanye Powell is a leader among choral composers today. Powell has degrees in voice and music education from Alabama State University (B.M.E),… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Judith Bingham. Judith Bingham b. 1952 British composer and singer Judith Bingham is best known for her choral works. She was born in Nottingham, raised in Mansfield and Sheffield, and began composing at a… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Jocelyn Hagen. Jocelyn Hagen b. 1980 Jocelyn Hagen is a distinguished and innovative composer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hagen’s musical talents were apparent from an early age, as she accompanied a choir in Valley City,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Dame Ethel Smyth. Dame Ethel Smyth 1858-1944 Dame Ethel Smyth was a British composer, writer, and feminist born into a military, upper middle-class family in London, England. She studied harmony and counterpoint in Leipzig, Germany… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Undine Smith Moore. Undine Smith Moore 1904-1989 American composer Undine Smith Moore composed in a variety of different forms and genres, but is best known for her arrangements of spirituals and other choral compositions and… Read More →
