The Chorale's Bridges series, begun in 1994 to build musical and social bridges to diverse populations, has been acclaimed as a national model for community engagement programs. Bridges is a series of musical initiatives that harness the richness and diversity of the global choral repertoire to engage cultural communities and raise awareness of pressing social needs.
Each year, the Chorale identifies key program collaborators, whether a community, an organization, an artist, or some combination of these. It then identifies appropriate occasions and venues, locates or commissions suitable repertoire, and tailors a range of outreach, education, and performance activities to accomplish the goals of the program. The cumulative results of two decades of Bridges programs include a widening of the audience for choral music in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota, and a web of organizational and individual connections centered on music but reaching far beyond it. Interested in reading more about choral singing and community engagement? Click here to download Shekela Wanyama's thoughtful and provocative paper on the subject. |
![]() Our season opens October 23rd with the first of a series of concerts designed to reimagine the canon of choral music: guest conductors of color will lead singers from the Minnesota Chorale and Border CrosSing in works by composers whose music has historically been underrepresented on the concert stage. The initial concert, Black Voices Amplified, will be led by acclaimed music educator Adrian Davis, director of the choral program at Minneapolis Roosevelt High School and conductor of the University of Minnesota Gospel Ensemble.
Selections include works by Rosephanye Powell, William Dawson, Roderick Williams, Sydney Guillaume, and Arnold Sevier. BRIDGES: CHORAL COMMUNITY MINNEAPOLIS
Previous Bridges Programs:
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