VocalEssence On Demand 2020-2021 Season Brochure

2020-2021 SEASON VocalEssence is delighted to announce our 2020-2021 season, broadcast in high-definition video to our new website—VocalEssence On Demand.

VocalEssence On Demand allows you to watch as much as you want, whenever you want—all for one low price of $49.

SUBSCRIBE NOW TO THE 2020-2021 VOCALESSENCE ON DEMAND SEASON

YOURS TO ENJOY – ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

Stunning Originals VocalEssence will premiere eight new performances from October 2020 to June 2021. Featuring stunningly clear audio and crisp, high-quality video, these performances will provide intimate and engaging concert experiences that are the next best thing to attending events in person.

RIGHTFULLY HERS

Convenient & Flexible VocalEssence On Demand gives you the flexibility to watch high-definition performances when they premiere OR, once released, when it’s most convenient for you. Play, pause, rewind, and fast-forward your favorite performances on your schedule.

Premiere: Sunday, December 6, 2020

VIP Concert Experience Receive printed concert programs at your door and live chat during the premiere. In addition, when we are able to meet in person again, you will get the first chance to purchase in-person tickets—at a discount!

Exclusive Extras Enjoy Master Classes with Artistic Director Philip Brunelle, behind the scenes interviews with guest artists, and past concert releases from the VocalEssence Vault.

Premiere: Sunday, October 18, 2020

IMAGINE

Premiere: Saturday, November 28, 2020

WELCOME CHRISTMAS BELIEVE

Premiere: Saturday, January 16, 2021

CREATE

Premiere: Saturday, March 6, 2021

WITNESS

Premiere: Sunday, March 14, 2021

CELEBRATE

Premiere: Saturday, May 1, 2021

SINGING THE WORLD AWAKE Premiere: Thursday, June 17, 2021

Family Fun Sign on for enjoyment for the whole family, starring Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III and members of the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age. For littles, Phillip Shoultz has also created Story & Song—a video series with local authors designed to spark curiosity and inspire empathy in preschoolers and beyond.

SUBSCRIBE NOW https://www.vocalessence.org/subscribenow 612-371-5642

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? WE HAVE ANSWERS. How do I get a VocalEssence On Demand Subscription?

VocalEssence On Demand is available by visiting https://www.vocalessence.org/subscribenow. You’ll be streaming VocalEssence by the time your popcorn is ready.

What devices work with VocalEssence On Demand?

VocalEssence videos can be accessed through the VocalEssence On Demand website and are streamed through a private Vimeo link. Anywhere you can play online videos—computer, tablet, smartphone, or smart TV—you can watch VocalEssence performances.

Can I watch performances on my television?

Yes, there are many options to connect a computer to your television.

Check out this blog to learn more about connecting your computer to your television. https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-connect-your-laptop-to-your-tv-wirelessly-or-with-hdmi/ I can’t afford a subscription. What should I do?

VocalEssence wants to keep our community singing during this time. Are you an essential worker? Have you been adversely affected by COVID-19? As a small show of our heartfelt gratitude for your bravery in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are offering you a FREE VocalEssence On Demand subscription for the 2020-2021 Season. Visit here to learn more and receive your code: https://www.vocalessence.org/covid-19-discount/ How many subscriptions do I need to purchase?

Each $49 subscription is good for your entire household. Feel free to share the login information with those who live with you.

My video and audio are not in sync. What should I do?

It is probably an issue with the speed of your internet. Try opening and closing the video again to see if it fixes the problem.

2020-2021 SEASON

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COVID-19 DISCOUNT

HOW TO PLACE YOUR ORDER

Are you an essential worker? Have you been adversely affected by COVID-19? As a small show of our heartfelt gratitude for your bravery in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are offering you a FREE VocalEssence On Demand subscription for the 2020-2021 Season.

The Minnesota Orchestra Box Office is pleased to provide ticketing services for VocalEssence.

This discount is available to: • Essential workers • Unemployed workers • People diagnosed with COVID-19 • Caregivers for people who have COVID-19

BY PHONE English: 612-371-5642 Español: 612-371-7192 Tuesday – Thursday, 10 AM – 2 PM

Fill out the form found at this link, and we will send you the discount code. https://www.tfaforms.com/4849028

We will get through this together.

Together we heal.

Together we save.

Together we sing.

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ONLINE English: https://www.vocalessence.org/subscribenow

VocalEssence strives to make its performances accessible to all patrons. Please make your accessibility needs known during the ordering process. For more information about the services that we offer, please visit vocalessence.org/accessibility

PHOTO CREDITS: Laura Alpizar Craig Bares Adja Gildersleve Kyndell Harkness

2020-2021 SEASON

VOCALESSENCE CHORUS & ENSEMBLE SINGERS SERIES Stunning original performances Join Artistic Director Philip Brunelle, Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III, members of the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers, and special guests as they premiere four stunning performances that celebrate women composers, the wonder of the Christmas season, the music of social change, and the rich tapestry of cultures that call Minnesota home.

Each 60-minute performance has a specific release date during the season, and, once premiered, will be available to stream anytime, anywhere from the VocalEssence website. All performances are available with closed captioning in English and Spanish.

RIGHTFULLY HERS

WELCOME CHRISTMAS

Release Date: Sunday, October 18, 2020 Length: 60 minutes

Release Date: Sunday, December 6, 2020 Length: 60 minutes

Join us for a special online musical event to commemorate the passing of the 19th Amendment—a critical milestone in the centuries-long struggle to let the voices of women be heard. VocalEssence lifts up those voices through music composed by women from the past 100 years—including Mabel Daniels, Alice Parker, Rosephanye Powell, and Jocelyn Hagen—who took the risk and shared their dreams. Guiding us on the journey will be acclaimed actor Sally Wingert and the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers.

Behold the wonder of the season from the comfort of your home. For more than five decades, VocalEssence has welcomed Christmas. This December curl up by the fire and let Artistic Director Philip Brunelle and Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III warm your heart with the sounds of Christmases past and present in new performances by the VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers. Dust off your singing voice and join us in beloved carols that will surely get you in the Christmas spirit.

Commemorating 100 years of women’s voices through song

2020-2021 SEASON

Behold the wonder of Christmas with familiar favorites

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WITNESS

SINGING THE WORLD AWAKE

Release Date: Sunday, March 14, 2021 Length: 75 minutes

Date: Thursday, June 17, 2021 Length: 60 minutes

Art has the power to move mountains and change the world.

It has been central to social movements from abolitionism to Black Lives Matter—mobilizing people and changing hearts and minds. Join the VocalEssence Chorus, Ensemble Singers & Singers Of This Age, and VocalEssence Teaching Artists as they travel through time to explore music birthed from activism and resistance that continue to shape the United States into an equitable nation for all.

Home to more than 100 languages, the Twin Cities are a sanctuary for thousands of displaced people from around the world. Join us and awaken to the beauty of our diversity, weaving in collaborative voices and multidisciplinary artists that illustrate the rich tapestry of cultures in the Twin Cities.

The program features a world premiere that will move you to create change to ensure that all people can live out their dreams.

Power of art to change the world

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Showcasing the rich tapestry of music in Minnesota

2020-2021 SEASON

VOCALESSENCE SINGERS OF THIS AGE SERIES Fun for the whole family to enjoy together The VocalEssence Singers Of This Age want you and your family to imagine, believe, create, and celebrate a world where all people have what they need to live out their hopes and dreams. Join our high school singers and Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III as they premiere four performances that will inspire you to be the change you want to see in the world.

Each 30-minute family-friendly performance has a specific release date during the season, and, once premiered, will be available to stream anytime, anywhere from the VocalEssence website.

IM·AG·INE

/iˈmajən/

verb 1. form a mental image or concept of.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world.”

—Harriet Tubman, American abolitionist

Discover beauty in diversity, and imagine a world where the spirit of kindness, generosity, and love for our neighbors lives in us all year. Join the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age as they usher in the season of hope and love through songs, spoken word, and poetry from winter celebrations around the world, including Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, Hmong New Year, Kwanzaa, and Las Posadas.

Release Date: Saturday, November 28, 2020 Length: 30 minutes

2020-2021 SEASON

BE·LIEVE /bəˈlēv/

verb To accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of.

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it — then I can achieve it.”

—Rev. Jesse Jackson, American Civil Rights Activist

Let freedom ring as members of VocalEssence Singers Of This Age dare you to believe in a world where people are “not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Through solo and group performances, these young musicians will use the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. to help us see how our actions can create a more inclusive world.

Release Date: Saturday, January 16, 2021 Length: 30 minutes

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CRE·ATE

CEL·E·BRATE

verb To bring (something) into existence.

verb To acknowledge (a significant or happy day or event) with a social gathering or enjoyable activity.

/krēˈāt/

“The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create.”

—President Barack Obama

Will you be a witness? Join the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age and the VocalEssence Teaching Artists as they journey through American history to trace the power of creative expression to heal, connect people, and make change.

Through solo and group performances, be inspired to find your voice and create your own art to shape a world where all dreams can become realities.

Release Date: Saturday, March 6, 2021 Length: 30 minutes

/ˈseləˌbrāt/

“The power of the native dance, the power of these influences that have come into our days, this is what makes the folklore so rich. Not just steps, it all has a meaning.”

— Amalia Hernández Navarro, famous Mexican choreographer & founder of the world-renowned Ballet Folklórico de México

Move your body and raise your voice to celebrate the beauty of Mexico. Join VocalEssence Singers Of This Age, as well as local school partners, as they perform new music written by Mexican composer Julio Morales. Dancers from Los Alegres Bailadores will lead you in Mexican folk dances, and join Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III in singing Mexican songs to celebrate the day.

Release Date: Saturday, May 1, 2021 Length: 30 minutes

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2020-2021 SEASON

EXCLUSIVE EXTRAS Enjoy Master Classes with Artistic Director Philip Brunelle, behind the scenes interviews with guest artists, and past concert releases from the VocalEssence Vault.

MASTER CLASSES WITH PHILIP BRUNELLE Learn about some of history’s most fascinating composers, as the renowned Philip Brunelle takes you on a virtual tour of music through the ages.

Handel’s Messiah How was it possible for Handel to compose his masterpiece in less than one month? Philip takes you through the music and shares his insights about this beloved oratorio.

The Mendelssohns: Felix and Fanny Brother and sister Mendelssohn were both musical geniuses, yet Fanny is hardly known. University professor Peter Mercer-Taylor joins Philip to discuss and illuminate their music.

Benjamin Britten and the British Era of Song The 20th century was a rich one for solo voice and according to Philip, “England gave us so much to enjoy, culminating in the music of Sir Britten.”

(Also featuring a surprise guest!)

Aaron Copland The “Dean of American Composers” and a man Philip knew as a friend, is the subject of this session in which Copland’s role in celebrating the rich heritage of the “American sound” is explored.

2020-2021 SEASON

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GPS & FRIENDS Go behind the scenes with VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III as he interviews internationally renowned artists. Hear what inspires them and watch them perform from the comfort of their own homes.

Laura Caviani & Melanie DeMore Hear jazz pianist Laura Caviani and vocal activist Melanie DeMore reveal how they find inspiration to compose and perform and watch a special performance from their living rooms.

Jocelyn Hagen & Tim Takach Go behind the scenes with two Minnesota composers and friends of VocalEssence, Jocelyn Hagen & Timothy C. Takach of Nation. Hear conversations about their compositional process, their thoughts on music & composing, and what gives them hope.

Julio Morales & Jake Runestad Continue to learn more about how music is created with Mexican composer Julio Morales and Minnesota composer Jake Runestad. Julio Morales was most recently the 2019-2020 VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! composer and Jake Runestad’s piece “A Silence Haunts Me” was featured in our season opening concert Divine Light in the fall of 2019.

Nirmala & Shruthi Rajasekar Hear the inspiring story of mother-daughter pair Nirmala & Shruthi Rajasekar about their musical upbringings and the role that their Indian heritage has had on their musical and personal lives. With performances ranging from the South Indian Carnatic tradition to contemporary art songs, they bring us on a journey through their own lives and and the musical traditions that have nourished them.

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2020-2021 SEASON

STORY & SONG

When the weather gets cold, spend time inside with us. Story & Song is a FREE video series designed especially for preschool kids and older to create a positive sense of self, spark curiosity, and inspire empathy while celebrating the multitude of cultures in our community.

Created by Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III, each 20-minute episode features a book and a song, as well as a visit from an author.

Episodes will be released four times from November to March and will be available to stream anytime, anywhere from the VocalEssence YouTube Channel. All episodes are available with closed captioning in English and Spanish.

Release Dates: • Saturday, November 14, 2020 • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Saturday, February 6, 2021 • Saturday, March 20, 2021

VOCALESSENCE VAULT Enjoy past concert releases for a limited time. Performances will come and go throughout the season.

2020-2021 SEASON

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