season ENSEMBLE SINGERS ON TOUR 46 2014 - 2015 PRESENTS RIVER SONGS AND TALES WITH MARK TWAIN Every kid deserves a brush with inspiration. Mark Twain: by Mike by Krivit Twain: Mark ©2012 Target Brands, Inc. Target and the Bullseye Design are Target Inc. Brands, Target ©2012 722966 Inc. Brands, Target registered trademarks of That’s why Target is on track to give Learn about the difference this support is making for $1 BILLION FOR EDUCATION kids nationwide. by the end of 2015. Target.com/Education G M T | NOVEMBER 13 16, 2014 G R M T | MAY 2, 2015 RIVER SONGS AND TALES WITH MARK TWAIN: GREATER MINNESOTA TOUR IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY 2014-2015 OUR 46TH SEASON RIVER SONGS AND TALES This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks WITH MARK TWAIN to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. GREATER MINNESOTA TOUR PRESENTERS Sean Dowse Sheldon Theatre Don Shelby, actor Red Wing VocalEssence Ensemble Singers Luanne Fondell Dawson-Boyd Arts Association Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, conductor Dawson Jon Cranney, production director Dick Kettering Shattuck-St. Mary’s School Molly Sue McDonald, fiddle Faribault Charles Kemper, piano Jennie Knoebel Paramount Theatre Austin Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 7:30 pm Newhall Auditorium MUSIC EDUCATORS AND Shattuck-St. Mary’s School COMMUNITY OUTREACH PARTNERS Faribault, Minnesota Melanie Benson Dawson-Boyd High School and Community Choir Friday, November 14, 2014 at 7 pm Dawson Austin High School Knowlton Auditorium Austin, Minnesota Mikkel Gardner Red Wing High School Red Wing Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 7 pm Brian Johnson Sheldon Theatre Austin High School Austin Red Wing, Minnesota Christina Viehauser St. Mark’s Senior Living/Ecumen Sunday, November 16, 2014 at 7 pm Austin Dawson-Boyd Memorial Auditorium Amy Williams Ecumen Dawson, Minnesota Alicia Vigness Faribault High School Faribault James Yao GATHER AT THE RIVER Shattuck-St. Mary’s School Faribault WITH MARK TWAIN FUNDRAISER SPECIAL THANKS Land O’Lakes Foundation Lydia Botham Saturday, May 2, 2015 at 3:30 pm and 7 pm AJ Graves Cindy Gehrig, Jerome Foundation The Minnesota Centennial Showboat David L. Mona Harriet Island Road, St. Paul, Minnesota 2014-2015 Board of Directors Artistic Staff Paul Pribbenow, Ph.D., President Philip Brunelle, Artistic Director SEASON SPONSORS Kathryn Roberts, Vice President Sigrid Johnson, Associate Conductor Jacob Wolkowitz, Treasurer Charles Kemper, Accompanist Susan J. Crockett, Ph.D., Secretary Kristine Aasheim Administrative Staff Mary Ann Aufderheide Mary Ann Aufderheide, Executive Director Ann Barkelew Robert Graham, Education Manager and Philip Brunelle Music Librarian Deane E. Bruner Bill Haugen, Interim Grants and Roma Calatayud-Stocks Special Events Manager Karen Charles Sharon Hodge, Communications Specialist Judith Drobeck Laura Holst, Development and Debbie Estes Marketing Associate Jamie Flaws Kimberly Meisten, Director of Art Kaemmer, M.D. Community Engagement Joseph Kalkman Patricia Starks-Faggétt, Fred Moore Accounting Manager David Myers Shelley Strohm, Interim Director Kristen H. O’Brien of Communications James M. Odland Joel Swearingen, Operations Manager and Cay Shea Hellervik Executive Assistant Don Shelby Katrina Wallmeyer, Director of Development Timothy Takach and Communications Jenny L. Wade Elissa Weller, Grants and Special Dorene Wernke Events Manager Honorary Directors Dominick Argento William Bolcom Please Note This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Dave Brubeck* Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a Aaron Copland* • This concert may be recorded for legislative appropriation from the arts and broadcast — please help us keep cultural heritage fund, and a grant from the Håkan Hagegård Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota. Louise Heffelfinger the performance space quiet. Take Eskil Hemberg* a moment now to check that all cell Betty Hulings* phones, paging devices, wristwatch James Earl Jones alarms and the like are turned off Garrison Keillor before the concert begins. Thank you Donald Mitchell for your cooperation. Helmuth Rilling John Rutter • Recording devices and cameras are Peter Schickele prohibited. No photography, video, Dr. André J. Thomas or audio recording is allowed in the Eric Whitacre concert hall. Please abstain from texting, tweeting or checking your *In remembrance email during the concert. • Latecomers will be seated at appropriate pauses in the concert according to the conductor’s wishes. Please plan plenty of time for locating VOCALESSENCE the concert venue and parking. 1900 Nicollet Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403 612-547-1451 www.vocalessence.org VocalEssence is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. facebook.com/vocalessence twitter.com/vocalessencemn Page 2 2014-2015 Season 2014-2015 Season Page 3 THE PROGRAM WELCOME RIVER SONGS AND TALES WITH MARK TWAIN A Mark Twain Appreciation Don Shelby as Mark Twain Shall We Gather at the River Hymn Tune, adapted by Aaron Copland Wade in the Water Spiritual, arr. Norman Luboff Minnesotans are proud to be the state that claims the headwaters of the Muddy Water (from Big River) Roger Miller, arr. Paul Gerike Mississippi, unarguably the most iconic Ensemble Singers men body of water in our country! Stories and songs have flowed from the river for generations, inspiring some of our River in the Rain (from Big River) Roger Miller, arr. Paul Gerike greatest writers and composers, most notably Mark Twain. VocalEssence is Shenandoah American Folksong, arr. James Erb proud to celebrate that inspiration with this program of “River Songs and Tales.” My River Runs to Thee * Michael Schachter Conceived by Jon Cranney, Don Shelby Poem by Emily Dickinson and Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, the program celebrates the Mississippi and many other Sicut Cervus G. P. da Palestrina rivers that are so important to the lives of Minnesotans. VocalEssence is grateful to the Minnesota State Arts Board, Land Roll, Jordan, Roll Traditional, arr. Brian Tate O’Lakes Foundation, and all the citizens of our state for the funding that makes Down to the River to Pray Traditional, arr. Cheryl Lynn Helm this tour possible. In addition to public Ensemble Singers women performances, we are committed to engaging students, singers, and community Mark Twain The Kingston Trio, arr. Paul Gerike members in every town we visit celebrating the uplifting spirit of the choral art form. Let the River Run Carly Simon, arr. Craig Hella Johnson —Philip Brunelle, Artistic Director —Mary Ann Aufderheide, Executive Director No tobacco products are used in this performance. * Commission funded by the Jerome Foundation through the VocalEssence Essentially Choral Program ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Samuel Langhorne Clemens Hal Holbrook Page 2 2014-2015 Season 2014-2015 Season Page 3 BIOGRAPHIES Don Shelby is Tesfa Molly Sue McDonald considered the most Wondemagegnehu is familiar to audiences decorated local Conductor through her work at the journalist in the Guthrie, Chanhassen, country, having won all Conductor of the Cricket, Nautilus, five of the top national APM Radio Choir 10,000 Things, Frank, journalism awards and and Manager of the Park Square, Mixed several multiple times: Choral Works Initiative Blood, Old Log, History National Emmies, for American Public and Illusion Theaters. the Society of Professional Journalists Media, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu previously Other regional credits include the Arizona Distinguished Service Award, and twice served as Assistant Artistic Director of Theater Co., and Chicago’s Goodman and the recipient of the George Foster Peabody VocalEssence. As a high school teacher, he Marriott Lincolnshire Theaters. She has Award, the broadcast equivalent of the was named Orange County Public School’s sung with the Plymouth Music Series, Pulitzer Prize. Teacher of the Year (2013) and received the Ex Machina Baroque Theater, Dorian Macy’s National Magic of Teaching Award Opera and the Symphony Orchestras He has been a broadcaster for more than 45 (2013). Tesfa is widely in demand as a guest of Minnesota, Columbus, Kansas City, years and has reported from 22 countries conductor and lecturer. He has presented Duluth, South Dakota, South Bend, and and three war zones as a combat journalist. workshops and conducted honor choirs in others. Across the U.S., Canada, France Don has been named the Rev. Doctor Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa and Belgium, she has worked with such Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian and Costa Rica. As a tenor soloist, he has luminaries as Bobby McFerrin, Garrison of the Year, the Winner of the American performed both in the United States and Keillor and Maureen McGovern, and has Spirit Honor Medal, the Great American internationally in Germany, Austria, and enjoyed 10 seasons of Sopranorama! at the Traditions Award, is in the broadcast Hungary, and Costa Rica. Southern Theater. Her lullaby collection, Hall of Fame, the National Academy of Child of Mine, received the ALA Notable Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle, Children’s Recording Award. Molly most and as an athlete was inducted into his recently appeared in the Guthrie Theater’s home county’s sport Hall of Fame. He was My Fair Lady. also honored by Minnesota’s High School Basketball Coaches Association with Jon Cranney has membership in that Hall of Fame. He is been a member of the the author of a book on basketball and the Twin Cities theatre lessons of life titled The Season Never Ends. community for over four decades. He was