As a distinguished member of the VocalEssence family, you and a guest are cordially invited to a special event celebrating the launch of a new recording from VocalEssence and Melanie DeMore on Friday, September 26 at Minnesota Public Radio Headquarters.
Introducing
How to Hold On: Songs of Comfort and Solace
A new album from the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers
with artist & composer Melanie DeMore
Event Date: Friday, September 26, 2025
Event Timing:
• 4:30 pm – Doors Open
• 5:00 pm – Performance and Program
• 6:00 pm – Post-program Reception
Event Details: Join us for an evening of song and community as YourClassical MPR’s Julie Amacher speaks with Melanie DeMore about this new album from VocalEssence. Complimentary sips and nibbles will be provided at the conclusion of the program.
Event Address: Kling Public Media Center, Minnesota Public Radio Headquarters
480 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55101
Complimentary Event Parking at the World Trade Center Ramp
477 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55101
Located directly across from MPR with entrances on both Cedar and Wabasha
RSVP: Kindly RSVP by Tuesday, September 23 using the form below
or to Amy Wielunski: amy@vocalessence.org | 612.547.1454
PLEASE NOTE: All guests must be registered in advance and present a state ID upon check-in at the MPR front desk
Thank you for your interest in this event! The registration form is now closed. If you wish to be added to the guest list, please contact Amy Wielunski at 612.547.1454 or amy@vocalessence.org.
How to Hold On: Songs of Comfort and Solace, a new album from VocalEssence, is a reflection in song about the difficulties and beauty of being a human being. Through the music of Melanie DeMore, we are encouraged to keep our hearts open and not be afraid to let ourselves ache, cry, and rejoice at being alive.
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, a Master Teaching Artist for Music at UC Berkeley/CalPerformances. 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.
Minnesota Public Radio® is one of the nation’s premier public radio networks, with 45 stations that serve more than 1,000,000 listeners each week through three distinct broadcast services: MPR News, YourClassical MPR, and The Current®.