2020-2021 SEASON
RIGHTFULLY HERS CONCERT PROGRAM Release Date: Sunday, October 18, 2020
VOCALESSENCE ON DEMAND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Where do I go to watch the Rightfully Hers performance? Visit the website listed below and login using the username and password that you created from the link in the Minnesota Orchestra email confirmation. https://www.vocalessence.org/ rightfully-hers/ What is my username and password? When you got your subscription to the VocalEssence On Demand Season, you should have received a confirmation email from the Minnesota Orchestra with a link to create a username and password to the VocalEssence On Demand website. How can I chat during the performance? There is a chat box to the right of the video screen that will be available during the premiere only. Tap your curser into the box that says “Type a message here...” and chat away. I missed the premiere. Can I still watch the performance? Yes. After the premiere, the performance will be available for you to watch anytime and anywhere until June 30, 2021. Visit the website listed below and login using the username and password that you created from the link in the Minnesota Orchestra email confirmation. https://www. vocalessence.org/rightfully-hers/ 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. Visit this website to learn more about connecting your computer to your television: https://www.cnet.com/howto/how-to-connect-your-laptop-to-your-tvwirelessly-or-with-hdmi/
CONTENTS CONCERT: Rightfully Hers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ABOUT VOCALESSENCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 THANK YOU, VOCALESSENCE SUPPORTERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Myers President David L. Mona Past President Traci V. Bransford Vice President Nancy F. Nelson Treasurer Daniel Fernelius Secretary Torrie Allen Mary Ann Aufderheide Philip Brunelle Cassidy McCrea Burns Barbara Burwell Margaret Chutich Martha Driessen Anders Eckman Ann Farrell Wayne Gisslen Carolina Gustafson R.J. Heckman Daniel Kantor Lisa Lewis Paul McDonough Richard Neuner Kristen Hoeschler O’Brien Jim Odland Joanne Reeck Don Shelby Rabindra Tambyraja
Did we answer your question? If not, please contact a VocalEssence staff member by emailing info@vocalessence.org.
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
HONORARY DIRECTORS Dominick Argento* William Bolcom Dave Brubeck* Aaron Copland* Håkan Hagegård Louise Heffelfinger* Eskil Hemberg* Betty Hulings* Sigrid Johnson James Earl Jones Garrison Keillor Donald Mitchell* Helmuth Rilling John Rutter Peter Schickele Dr. André J. Thomas Eric Whitacre *In remembrance
Rhiannon Fiskradatz Operations Manager for VocalEssence Singers Of This Age
ARTISTIC STAFF
Mary Ann Aufderheide Executive Director Jeff Bina Director of Finance and Operations
Robert Graham Program Manager for Learning and Engagement | Conductor, Vintage Voices Laura Holst Development and Marketing Associate Ethan Johnson Production Manager and Artistic Assistant Amanda Timmer Operations Manager for Learning and Engagement
Philip Brunelle Artistic Director
Katrina Wallmeyer Director of Development and Communications
G. Phillip Shoultz, III Associate Conductor | Director of Learning and Engagement
Elissa Weller Institutional Giving and Events Manager
Mary Jo Gothmann Accompanist
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.
LIFETIME DIRECTORS Ann Barkelew Ann Buran Art Kaemmer Nikki Lewis Mike McCarthy Dorene Wernke
VOCALESSENCE 1900 Nicollet Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403 612-547-1451 vocalessence.org VocalEssence is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
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2020-2021 Season
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2020-2021 SEASON
SPECIAL THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THIS CONCERT
RIGHTFULLY HERS Premiere: Sunday, October 18, 2020 VocalEssence Ensemble Singers Philip Brunelle, conductor Sally Wingert, narrator
SPECIAL THANKS
Mirella Cejo-Orozco Hennepin History Museum John Crippen Alyssa Thiede Patricia Kirkpatrick Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers Minnesota Historical Society Christine Herbaly Kent Whitworth Minnesota League of Women Voters Michelle Witte Minnesota Orchestral Association Michelle Miller Burns David Sailer-Haugland Beth Kellar-Long Nick Peter Minnesota State Bar Association Minnesota Women Lawyers Rosemarie Ndupuechi You Thao Sierra Trejo
2020-2021 SEASON SPONSORS
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
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THE PROGRAM
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Repertoire: An American Thanksgiving I. Come, We Who Love the Lord Breaths Salve, festa dies needle & thread Home A Universal Blessing Non nobis, Domine Chant, 1930 Bellow
arr. Carol Barnett (2003) Ysaÿe M. Barnwell (1980) Mabel Daniels (1939) Jocelyn Hagen (2018) Libby Larsen (2013) Alice Parker (2013) Rosephanye Powell (2002)
Ruth Crawford-Seeger (1930) Moira Smiley (2015)
TRIBUTE TO JEANNE PATTERSON When VocalEssence began in 1969, Philip Brunelle received a call asking if he could use a volunteer to help with the management of what was then the Plymouth Music Series. He agreed, of course, and for those first 20 years Jeanne Patterson was Managing Director. She was a pianist and loved the sound of singing voices, so this was a perfect fit for her. She was a “Jeanne of all trades” helping to launch the organization; any job that needed doing she was there to help, always with a cheerful voice and marvelous business acumen. Jeanne Patterson passed away on September 5 and will be remembered fondly by all who recall those exciting first two decades.
The 19th Amendment and the Civil Rights Amendment—events of such great importance—how can music and words offer a fitting celebration? When this program was being conceived I knew we would need the right voice and personality to share this amazing story with everyone– and there would be (and is) no one better than Sally Wingert, the Twin Cities’ beloved actor, aided by the poignant script written by Patricia Kirkpatrick. It makes wonderful sense to feature women composers from the past 100 years–with Alice Parker born in 1925 (and still actively composing at age 94), Mabel Daniels composing in the 1910-30s, and Ruth Crawford Seeger in the 20s-50s–as well as new works of today by Jocelyn Hagen, Moira Smiley, and Ysaÿe Barnwell. With so many talented women composers to choose from it was a challenge to select just nine…and with this concert originating in Minnesota, I wanted our state represented! And Minnesota IS represented with three shining lights: Carol Barnett, Jocelyn Hagen, and Libby Larsen–whose music has been featured on many VocalEssence concerts. Both Rosephanye Powell and Ysaÿe Barnwell have appeared in person on our WITNESS concerts. Moira Smiley is a new and unique voice hailing from Vermont and she lives not too far from Alice Parker in Massachusetts. What makes all these women important is not only their devotion to music, but their passion encouraging other women to consider music composition or whatever path they choose, to believe in their choice, and enjoy the challenge ahead! This concert, of course, celebrates the importance of voting this year and to put this in perspective, you will hear from four women sharing their thoughts why voting is important and so personal to them. Their words will inspire you and give you hope for our future! Now, sit back and listen to the beautiful voices of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, placed in octets for this social distancing concert, and coming together for a wonderful Alice Parker finale. –Philip Brunelle, Artistic Director and Founder
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TEXTS AN AMERICAN THANKSGIVING arr. Carol Barnett
SALVE, FESTA DIES (sung in Latin) Mabel Daniels
I. Come, We Who Love the Lord
Hail thee, day of gladness, honored throughout all the ages, When Christ over death victorious to heaven ascended. Lo, the budding springtime in beauty now is appearing. All things fair to God above Their grateful tribute.
Come, we who love the Lord, And let our joys be known: Join in a song with sweet accord And thus surround the throne. Let those refuse to sing Who never knew our God; But servants of the heav’nly King May speak their joys abroad.
For Christ over death victorious now rules the heavens. For the Lord triumphant has vanquished the powers of darkness. While all the verdant hillsides bloom with a freshness supernal. Casting off the shackles of evil, To the stars he has mounted.
The God that rules on high, That all the earth surveys, That rides upon the stormy sky And calms the roaring sea. –Isaac Watts
Nature gives her praises, light heavens, meadows, ocean, For Christ over death victorious to heaven has risen. Now behold He is ruler of all things, While all things created worship their Maker’s greatness. –Venantius Fortunatus
BREATHS Ysaÿe M. Barnwell
NEEDLE & THREAD Jocelyn Hagen
Listen more often to things than to beings. ‘Tis the ancestors’ breath when the fire’s voice is heard. ‘Tis the ancestors’ breath in the voice of the waters. Those who have died have never left. The dead are not under the earth. They are in the rustling trees, they are in the groaning woods. They are in the crying grass. They are in the morning rocks. The dead are not under the earth. Those who have died have never left. The dead have a pact with the living. They are in the woman’s breast, they are in the wailing child. They are with us in the home. They are with us in the crowd. The dead have a pact with the living. –Adapted from a poem by Birago Diop
–Amanda Lovelace
HOME Libby Larsen If Blame be my side—forfeit Me— But doom me not to forfeit Thee— To forfeit Thee? The very name Is sentence from Belief—and Home— —Emily Dickinson, #775 A UNIVERSAL BLESSING Alice Parker May love so dwell in our hearts, May compassion so flow from our hands, May peace so encompass our lives that justice and mercy abound in this world. Sing love, sing compassion, sing peace. —Alice Parker
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NON NOBIS, DOMINE (sung in Latin) Rosephanye Powell Not unto us, O Lord, Not unto us, but to Thy name give the glory. —Psalm 115:1 CHANT, 1930 Ruth Crawford-Seeger (wordless) BELLOW Moira Smiley Sometime, anytime you wanna bellow at the sky Call on me, we’ll unzip the horizon with our voices You ask me why I sing softer now. And did the world beat me down? ‘Cause back then I sang hard, I sang proud, but where are the edges now?
This is the way we call the unknown and lift the veil to the other side. We’re singing to break the walls down, throwing the gate open wide. Every breath I take has been taken before, every note’s been sung. Who can I sing them all again for? Please don’t give up Please don’t lose that sound So many people fought to gain that ground. Please don’t give up Please don’t hide your voice So many people did not have that choice. She told me the power of song was in the unison She gathered her friends all around her and they pierced the sky with a call One melody from many voices And from then ‘til now I remember when the year is fat and full of shadows I’m singing to the dead so they’ll bless the crop, bless the young, bless the year —Moira Smiley
Ukrainian Summer, before the revolution. I sat at the knees of the grandmother, her daughter told me We could lift the veil between the worlds by singing. And we were sat outside in the dawn light of the midsummer feast, and the short night. Singing to the dead so they bless the crop, bless the young, bless the year
hello@uptopremote.com • 612-567-2221
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BIOGRAPHIES
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 school, Barnwell studied speech pathology and public health and went on to serve as professor at the College of Dentistry at Howard University, conduct community based projects in computer technology and the arts, administer health programs at Children’s Hospital National Medical Center and at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, work as an actress in a number of projects, and write two children’s books. For 34 years, Barnwell sang in the highly acclaimed vocal ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock. Many of her published compositions and arrangements were written for this ensemble, along with numerous other commissioned works for other choirs and film, video, dance and theatrical projects. Additionally, as a master teacher on the African-American choral tradition, Barnwell educates choral practitioners around the world in workshops.
Minneapolis composer Carol Barnett was born in Dubuque, Iowa, was raised in Minnesota and was a lover of music from childhood. She attended the University of Minnesota for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and studied piano with Bernhard Weiser, flute with Emil J. Niosi, and Page 8
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composition with Dominick Argento and Paul Fetler. She later served as the composerin-residence for the Dale Warland Singers and taught at Augsburg University. Barnett’s music is grounded in her Western classical canon, but also influenced by extensive research and immersion in different cultures and musical styles, including bluegrass, Russian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern folk styles, and liturgical Jewish music. Barnett masterfully uses harmony in order to evoke the mood of the texts that she sets in her uniquely heartfelt choral pieces.
Mabel Daniels began writing her own compositions at age 10 and graduated from Radcliffe College magna cum laude in 1900; while at Radcliffe she sang the lead in a number of operettas. In 1902 she became the first woman admitted to the Munich Conservatory’s score-reading class. Returning to the USA she directed the Radcliffe Glee Club and then was appointed head of the music program at Simmons College, Boston 1913-1918. For 24 summers she was a fellow at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire. She preferred writing for voices and choral pieces are among her best-known works, though she also composed operettas and orchestral works. She received honorary degrees from Boston University and Tufts University and continued composing until late in her life. Mabel Daniels did not call herself a feminist or ‘woman composer,’ yet she worked for women’s suffrage and acknowledged discrimination against women musicians.
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, North Dakota on piano as a second grade student. She studied music education and composition at St. Olaf College and composition at the University of Minnesota, and her influential teachers included Judith Lang Zaimont from the University of Minnesota, Peter Hamlin and Timothy Mahr from St. Olaf College, and Philip Lasser from the Juilliard School. Hagen has served as a composerin-residence for numerous organizations and has been commissioned frequently by ensembles throughout the United States. In her work, Hagen masterfully combines different art forms, most notably in her recent multimedia symphony The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. The majority of Hagen’s compositions are for voice, including solo voice, chamber ensembles, and choirs. Characteristic elements of Hagen’s compositions include the sensation of forward momentum, experimentation with rhythm and texture, and raw emotional impact.
Minneapolis composer Libby Larsen is one of the most frequently performed living composers, with over five hundred works in nearly every genre. Larsen was born in
Delaware and studied composition at the University of Minnesota with Dominick Argento. Larsen is an advocate for new music and composers throughout the United States as she co-founded what is now the American Composer’s Forum, an organization that supports the work of over two thousand composers. She has held residencies with the Library of Congress, the Minnesota Orchestra, the California Institute of the Arts, and the Colorado Symphony, among others. Her work has led to several prestigious awards, including the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Peabody award. She writes choral music appropriate for many different types of ensembles that is praised for its beautiful melodies and natural singability.
Alice Parker’s impressive body of over five hundred compositions and arrangements includes operas, cantatas, choral pieces, and song cycles. After attending Smith College, Parker completed her master’s program in choral conducting at The Juilliard School under Robert Shaw. Shaw’s mentorship of Parker continued for nearly twenty years as Parker served as an arranger for the Robert Shaw Chorale. The arrangements produced in the partnership between Shaw and Parker are some of Parker’s best known works, very accessible for many advanced high school and community choirs. Both Parker’s independent compositions and the Parker/ Shaw arrangements are characterized by their clear communication of text, tendency towards modality over tonality, and emphasis on the creation and integrity of beautiful melodies. In addition to her work as a composer, Parker sustains her passion for teaching as a leader of workshops, community sings, and an educator of conducting and composition.
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), Westminster Choir College (M.M), and Florida State University (D.M.). Powell served as a faculty member at Philander Smith College and Georgia Southern University. Currently, Powell serves as a Professor of Voice at Auburn University, where she has taught since 2001. Powell is frequently commissioned to write pieces for a wide variety of choral ensembles, including professional, collegiate, high school, and children’s choirs resulting in a large body of compositions, both sacred and secular. Her pieces are grounded in her understanding of text and deep knowledge of the voice.
Ruth Crawford-Seeger was an avant-garde composer, a specialist in American folk music, and a prominent member of a group of American composers known as the ‘ultramoderns’. She began piano study at age 6 and as a teenager had aspirations to become an ‘authoress or poetess’. From 1921-1929 she studied composition at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, and in 1930 became the first female composer to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship which took her to Berlin and
Paris. Her Chant, 1930 is one of Three Chants for Women’s Chorus composed during that time as her music explored atonality. She married Charles Seeger in 1932 and together they had four children. In 1933 her Three Songs represented the United States at the International Society for Contemporary Music Festival in Amsterdam. They moved to Washington, DC in 1936 where she worked at the Archive of American Folk Song, transcribing hundreds of field recordings and writing her important treatise, The Music of American Folk Song with her ideas about how American traditional music should be notated, transcribed, and performed.
As a composer, Moira Smiley is known worldwide for choral arrangements like Bring Me Little Water, Silvy and originals, Stand in That River and How Can I Cry. She’s in demand as a commissioned composer, writing multi-movement pieces for the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Voces Novae, Ad Astra Festival and The Myrna Loy Theater. The European premiere of Time In Our Voices was performed by the voices and mobile phones of Ars Nova Copenhagen under the direction of Paul Hillier. In 2018-2019 Moira released the album and choral songbook, Unzip The Horizon as companion to her The Voice Is A Traveler solo show. Her work can be heard on feature film soundtracks, BBC & PBS television programs, NPR, and on more than 70 commercial albums. Upcoming premieres and current projects include Greta Sails for youth choir, Utopias for voices and strings, and a re-telling of Ovid’s tale of Narcissus for mobile phones and voices.
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Patricia Kirkpatrick, script writer for Rightfully Hers, published Blood Moon (Milkweed) in 2020 and its title poem was set to music by composer Libby Larsen as part of the song cycle “The Birth Project”. Her book Odessa received the 2013 Minnesota Book Award in Poetry. Her awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, McKnight Foundation, Loft Literary Center, and the Minnesota State Arts Board. An editor and teacher, she most recently taught writing in the University of Minnesota MFA program. She also has curated poetry for Cantus concert programs.
After working successfully in a corporate job for many years, Rosemarie Ndupuechi decided to venture out on her own to create memorable experiences for others, which led her to start her company, 3E Productions. Rosemarie has collaborated with the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age for several foundation events.
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Mirella Cejo-Orozco is a fierce and dedicated advocate of immigrants’ rights. Connecting with VocalEssence thanks to her friendship with one of our Board Members, Carolina Gustafson, Mirella is a partner in the Ojala-Barbour Law Firm and has dedicated her entire legal career to helping people navigate the complex world of immigration law.
Sierra Trejo is a charter member of the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age. A descendant of Mexican immigrants to the United States, Sierra is a 2020 graduate of Central High School, St. Paul and will be voting in her first Presidential election.
Sally Wingert has been acting since 1981, moving from Duluth to the Twin Cities at age 14 and remaining right here. She is You Thao immigrated to the United States beloved by theater goers for the hundreds of from Thailand as a young child. She is the roles she has performed in many theaters mother of five children, including her oldest including the Guthrie Theater, Theater son Austin, who is a member of the Latté Da, the Jungle, Mixed Blood, Ten VocalEssence Singers Of This Age. Thousand Things, and the Minnesota Jewish Theater, among others. She has worked across the country at American Repertory Theater, Yale Rep, Arizona Theater Company as well as Broadway and London’s West End. The script for “Rightfully Hers” was written especially for Sally by her friend, Patricia Kirkpatrick, who knew the expressive sound of Sally’s voice and how to capture it in words and inflections. This is Sally Wingert’s first appearance with VocalEssence and we know it won’t be her last!
ABOUT VOCALESSENCE VocalEssence, called “one of the irreplaceable music ensembles of our time” by Dana Gioia, past chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts—and the choir that Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones says “sings magnificently”— impacts thousands of students, singers, and composers each year through its initiative programs, contests, and support for innovative art. VocalEssence was founded in 1969 and has debuted more than 300 commissions and world premieres. For more information, visit http://www.vocalessence.org. PHILIP BRUNELLE Artistic Director and Founder Philip Brunelle, artistic director and founder of VocalEssence 52 years ago, is an internationally-renowned conductor, choral scholar and visionary. Philip has conducted symphonies, choral festivals and operas on six continents. He holds five honorary degrees, served 9 years as Vice President of IFCM (International Federation for Choral Music), and has been recognized for his commitment to choral music by the governments of Norway, Hungary, Sweden, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. In 2019 he was awarded the American Prize in Choral Conducting and in 2020 was given the Honorary Member Award by the Society for American Music. In March 2020, he began a website series of “Musical Moments” highlighting the music of composers who have been featured in VocalEssence concerts over these past 52 years. By the end of October, the list of composers has reached more than 140. His thoughts on music are at RenaissanceManpodcast.com. http://vocalessence.org/philipbrunelle
G. PHILLIP SHOULTZ, III Associate Conductor | Director of Learning and Engagement G. Phillip Shoultz, III, Associate Conductor | Director of Learning and Engagement, is known for fostering community and inspiring action among people of all ages and abilities. Phillip has conducted choirs and workshops across the United States and in Canada, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Mexico, Germany, and Russia. He has taught at the University of St. Thomas, the University of Minnesota, and Georgia State University and his work in the public schools garnered multiple Teacher of the Year honors. The winner of the 2015 ACDA Graduate Conducting Competition and an International Conductors’ Exchange Program Participant, Phillip believes in the transformative power of shared singing experiences. https://www.vocalessence.org/who-we-are/ staff/g-phillip-shoultz-iii/
MARY JO GOTHMANN Accompanist Mary Jo Gothmann joined VocalEssence as staff accompanist in 2015. She enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician, soloist, opera coach, and organist. Mary Jo performs frequently with the Minnesota Orchestra and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and is a graduate of Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program, University of Minnesota, New England Conservatory, and St. Olaf College. Mary Jo is the founder and Artistic Director of the Joya Chamber Music Series at Zion Lutheran Church in Anoka.
VOCALESSENCE SINGERS OF THIS AGE (VESOTA)
VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (VESOTA) is a dynamic group of young people from over twenty Twin Cities area high schools who sing, move, create their own music, rap, and reflect the diversity of our community in its membership. Under the visionary leadership of founding director, G. Phillip Shoultz, III, the students present a wide range of music—from classical to hip-hop, with a focus on selections that represent the backgrounds and shared values of its membership. They perform in world-class venues, awaken their creativity through immersive arts experiences with teaching artists representing a variety of artistic disciplines, and belong to an accepting community of peers from all walks of life. VESOTA is in residence at Augsburg University. The program is completely FREE to participants upon successful completion of an interview process and harnesses the power of group singing to enhance community and encourage a wider circle of participation in our art form. https://www.vocalessence.org/who-we-are/ performing-ensembles/vocalessence-sota/ G. Phillip Shoultz, III, Founding Director and Conductor Corey Cellurale, Choral Assistant Robert Graham and Patricia Kramer, Section Coaches Rhiannon Fiskradatz, Operations Manager Acacia Johnstone Ally Swanson Angelica Marko Anna Olivarez Austin Vang Claire Olson Drew Fischer Ella Wright Emilia Sisson
Isa Benegas Isaiah Bates Jade Shionoya Jerilyn Moya-Hypolite Joshua Hoffman Joshua Ramirez Josh Sabin Kayla Gibson Kim Parkinson
Krista Hines Liana Whitlock Lotus Deuel Ricquelle Miles Skylar Bandelin Soliyana Woldu Stephon Marcus Tatiana Dickerson Yee Choua Thao
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VOCALESSENCE CHORUS
VOCALESSENCE ENSEMBLE SINGERS
The VocalEssence Chorus is an exceptional group of talented, committed singers from many walks of life. Equally at ease sharing the stage with famous guest artists such as Dessa and Sweet Honey In The Rock and budding young singers from across the metro, the VocalEssence Chorus embodies the tagline Together We Sing. https://www.vocalessence.org/who-we-are/performing-ensembles/vocalessence-chorus/
Minnesota is home to an international choral music gem—the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers. Declared by the Oxford Times (UK) as having “a blend that could— and should—be the envy of every choir in the business,” this 32-voice professional chorus is enjoyed by millions from Duluth, Minnesota to Shanghai, China. The Ensemble Singers are equally at ease premiering music by Pulitzer Prize winning composers as well as teen moms in our Lullaby Project. https://www.vocalessence.org/who-we-are/ performing-ensembles/vocalessence-ensemble-singers/
SOPRANO Amanda Allen AnnaLisa Anderson Jessica Belt Ali Biatek Corey Cellurale Lorinda Chagnon Cassidy Coats Jennica Date Judith Drobeck Kristina Guiffre Becca Hovsepian Sally Jaffray Lisa Kapsner-Swift Jeanne Kenney Joy MacArthur Lisa Moncur Ashley Nicksic Chistina Pederson Sigrid Redpath Alexa Rosenbaum Cheryl Saunders Emma Schlabach Susan Scofield Leah Sovick LeAnn Stein Abbie Sulik Dana Terres Melanie Tlusty Amanda Troolin Jennifer Vickerman Lauren Walker Laura Walklet Laura Williams Dannika Wright
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ALTO Akosua Addo Johanna Beaupre Jo Beld Katelyn Belden Karissa Crouse Maddie Forrest Yvonne Grover Autumn Gurgel Marjorie Hakala Johanna Hamilton Meghan Hannah Shannon Hart George Dee Hein Kristin Howlett Jessican Laven Jeenee Lee Brianna Merriman Rebecca Modert Kristi Mueller Elizabeth Neuenfeldt Ana Lucía Piedrahita Fernandez Amae Pierson Miriam Sahouani Erin Sandsmark Katie Sandsmark Sydney Schoeberle Forrest Schrader Debbie Stenoien Sandra Swami Laura Tanner Julia Welle Ayres Allie Wigley TENOR Steve Aggergaard Jason Bendezu Larry Brandts
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Justin Clark Ryan Coopergard Ben Demaree Jason Kaiser Reagan Lee Andrew Swartchick Rabindra Tambyraja† Barry Tikalsky Justin Vanni BASS Robert Atendido Haskel Black Seth Colbert-Pollack David Erickson Matthew Ferguson Ward Jacobson Thomas Keller Evan Kelly Jacob Koshiol Ben Kucera Mike LaFleur Noah Lucas Kenneth McGurran Keon Miller Nick Mroczek Declan O’Higgins Milo Oien-Rochat David Olson Brian Ruhl Joshua Saunders Anthony Sims Trent Stenoien Matthew Terhaar David Toht Will Wiedenhoeft †Board liaison
SOPRANO Jennifer Bevington Chloe Johnson JoAnna Johnson Myrtle Lemon-Todd Natalia Romero Margaret Sabin Mari Scott Katherine Ward ALTO Robin Helgen Patricia Kramer Marita Link Judith McClain Melander Anna Meek Sadie Nelson Erin Peters Kristina Rodel Sorum
TENOR David Beccue Ben Brunnette Anders Eckman† Robert Graham Lucas Jiménez Nicholas Mattsson William Pederson Kjell Redpath BASS Joshua Conroy Jimmy Deignan Joseph Ellickson David Gindra Erik Krohg Nathan Petersen-Kindem Michael Schmidt Timothy Takach †Board liaison
THANK YOU, VOCALESSENCE SUPPORTERS VocalEssence has a large group of committed supporters that are too many to list in this concert program. Please visit our website at http://www.vocalessence.org/supporters to see a full list.
SPECIAL TRIBUTES VocalEssence is honored by the many gifts received in memory, appreciation, and celebration of friends and family. The following tributes were made between July 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020. If you wish to make a gift in tribute, please call 612-547-1473. In appreciation of what VocalEssence and WITNESS have done for the community for 30 years Reatha Clark King In memory of Allan Lotsberg Jackie Lotsberg In honor of Audrey Rieck and in memory of Mary Drinkwine Jana Rieck and Pam Drinkwine
In memory of Dr. N. Judge King, Jr. Reatha Clark King
In memory of Kelsey Botchelder Ann Buran
In honor of Eugene Stewart Martha Arradondo
In memory of Lauretta Graetz Jerald Graetz
In honor of G. Phillip Shoultz, III Leslie Koepke Mary Lach Jennier Olivarez
In honor of Laurie Meyers Dagny Waldeland
In memory of Glen D. Nelson Tony and Julia Rau In honor of Ham-Hi Lee Jeenee Lee In honor of Ieva William and Lynette Hamlin In memory of Irene Perry Thomas Perry
In honor of Ben Demaree Rachael Demaree Joe and Victoria Shively
In memory of Jeanne Patterson Philip and Carolyn Brunelle Ann Buran Jeffrey Hoag John and Rose Hoag Richard Patterson
In memory of Bill Johnson Brian and Deb Johnson
In memory of Jennie Golzman Steve and Judy Drobeck
In memory of Bill TenBroek Ann Buran John and Joan Colwell
In memory of Jerald Stenoien Amy Stenoien
In memory of Bob (BJ) Johnson Anton Armstrong Philip and Carolyn Brunelle Ann Buran
In memory of Jerry Fischer Cathie Fischer In honor of Jo Beld Jon Fraatz and Ella Vincent
In memory of Bob Reed Ann Buran
In memory of Joyce Byers Reed William and Barbara Read
In memory of Charles Denny Malcolm McDonald
In memory of June Scofield Jeff Rabkin and Susan Scofield
In memory of Connie Schroeder Ralph and Debbie Estes
In honor of Justin Vanni and Helen Vanni Trish Sullivan Vanni
In honor of Dave and Linda Mona Ertugrul and Karen Tuzcu
In memory of Katherine and Philip Nason Bob and Polly McCrea
In honor of Debbie Estes’s Birthday Sheila Green
In memory of Kathie Goodale Ann Buran
In honor of Dr. Art Kaemmer Kathleen Fluegel Rick and Bev Heydinger Jeffrey Masco
In honor of Katie Sandsmark and Erin Sandsmark James Sandsmark
In honor of LeAnn Stein Jack Stamp In honor of Linda Berger Joanna Cortright In memory of Linda Schaefer Carol Stahlhut Carter In memory of Louis and Christine Commodore Rita Commodore In honor of Marie F. Sammond Peter and Kay Sammond In honor of Matt Ferguson Sandy Ferguson In memory of Miriam L. Parsons Janet Colliton In honor of Musical Moments with Philip Brunelle Anonymous In honor of Nathan Petersen-Kindem Carol Ann Petersen In honor of Nikki Lewis Madeline Betsch Ken and Katie Searl In honor of Paul McDonough Elizabeth Kinder In honor of Philip and Carolyn Brunelle Nancy and Fouad Azzam In honor of Philip Brunelle Marilyn and Janet Egge Stephen and Roxane Gudeman Bill Schrickel Robert Wetzler In honor of Philip Brunelle and G. Phillip Shoultz, III Anne E. Seltz In honor of Philip Brunelle, celebrating 30 years of WITNESS Jennifer Vickerman
2020-2021 Season
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In honor of Philip Brunelle’s Birthday Chris Brunelle and Serena Zabin John and Joan Colwell Dan Dressen and Beth Comeaux In memory of Ramona and Eugene Schmidt Michael Schmidt In honor of Reatha Clark King Carol A. Barnett Carolyn Brunelle Dr. Susan and Dick Crockett Delta Dental Ecolab Foundation Glenace Edwall and Joe Peschek Phyllis Goff Cay Shea Hellervik Andrew and Ellen Luger Judy and Peter Mitchelson Kim and Stafford Nelson Marilyn Carlson Nelson Ronald and Kimberly Price Tamera Robinson Mark and Becky Roloff Robert and Sharon Ryan Don and Barbara Shelby Lynn and Carol Truesdell In memory of Richard “Dick” Wilson Gary and Mary Anderson In memory of Robert and Jean Wigley Michael and Barbara Wigley In memory of Robert O. and Rosella E. Burmaster Richard Burmaster In honor of Robin Helgen and Take 5 with GPS Kathy Lafayette
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2020-2021 Season
In memory of Ronald Lewis Jacqueline Andrews Bernie and Patricia Beaver John and Judith Benton Madeline Betsch Phillip and Linda Boelter Carole Bolles Philip and Carolyn Brunelle Ann Buran Mike and Susan Burnett Peter and Joan Calott Terryl Carlson Edward and Elizabeth Colburn Jim and Tomie Conaway Ed and Betsy Cussler Tucker and Carolyn Dahl Anita Duckor Hope Esparolini David and Margene Fox Ian and Nancy Frykman John and Joanne Gordon William and Jeanne Grandy Jeanne Haro Elaine Jackson Ward and Ann Johnson Anne Kaufmann Mary Lach Charles Vogel and Jane Ladky Peter and Jane Lefferts Nikki Lewis Judy Lund Marion Mahoney Ann Manning Ray and Elsie Martin Velia Melrose William and Suzanne Payne Dan and Nancy Peterson Ronald and Kathy Peterson Richard and Margaret Pfohl Ken and Katie Searl Stephen and Cynthia Snyder
Sharon Spear Bill and Sara Stout Richard and Glenda Struthers Marilyn Sundberg Kaye and Craig Thoeny Jean Thomson Deborah and Geert Touw David and Ruth Waterbury Richard and Nancy Wyatt
On behalf of Ryan Deignan Anonymous In memory of Sam and Sally Miriam Gerberg In memory of Shirley Gores Jean Thomson In honor of Take 5 with GPS Lu Horner In memory of Thurston Davini Bill and Ruth Davini In memory of Tom Heller Mark and Susan Larson In honor of VocalEssence Judith Morgan In honor of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers Anonymous In honor of the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age Craig and Mariana Shulstad Leah Wright In honor of the VocalEssence Staff Nick Peter