Testimonials

The Minnesota Chorale’s symphonic chorus is comprised of some 240 of the finest singers in the region. One of them is Celia McCoy, who is in her sixth season with the Chorale this year:

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“Growing up, music was abundant in my household; I was immersed in music and singing on a daily basis. As I moved into adulthood, the opportunities to make music became few and far between. I felt the loss of music in my life, and decided it was time to return. I am thrilled to be a new member of the Chorale this season, and to make music again! Singing, and being in community with like-minded musicians, has been wonderful. Even better, however, is that my daughter was accepted into the Chorale’s Minneapolis Youth Chorus, and she is beginning her own life in music. Thanks to the Chorale, and MYC, my household is filled with singing again!” 

​The Voices of Experience choir for seniors is operated jointly by the Minnesota Chorale and MacPhail Center for Music. Husband and wife Phil and Marlene Kachelmyer met while singing in a choir, and married soon afterwards. Together, they joined VoX in its first year: 

"We’re grateful to be part of the Minnesota Chorale’s family of choirs and so grateful to be supported by both the Chorale and MacPhail. This unique intergenerational experience has given us the opportunity to be role models for youth as we aspire to ever higher levels of quality in our own music-making. 
 
"Since its founding, Voices of Experience has grown by offering many classes to supplement and enhance our rehearsal experience. As our skills have been sharpened, we've seen remarkable progress in performing more challenging music.
 
"We cherish the friendships we've developed through VoX’s ministry of interconnecting and blessing each other."

The Minnesota Chorale partners with 29:11, a music group from South Africa led by Brendon Adams:

​“Besides their awesome sound and music-making, one of the biggest things I have admired about the Minnesota Chorale is their love for other people. The Chorale members have a special gift of reaching out to people to make them feel at home. The members of 29:11 will be forever grateful to the Minnesota Chorale. They gave us unconditional love through a time we needed it most. They embraced a small group of singers and musicians from South Africa and we salute them. We love the Minnesota Chorale!”

Herbert Winslow (Associate Principal Horn, Retired, Minnesota Orchestra) shares:

"As a horn player in both the Minnesota Orchestra and the SPCO, I have had the great fortune to sit directly in front of the Minnesota Chorale during their performances with both of these fine ensembles. The musicians of the Minnesota Chorale perform at the absolutely highest level of their art and are some of the friendliest folks you would ever want to meet. On our recent trip to South Africa, their performances with us in Soweto and Johannesburg stand out for all of us as highlights of the tour. My wife sat next to and visited with a family in Soweto who had never attended an orchestra concert before. She explained to them what would be taking place during the concert. At the intermission, one of the members of the family remarked how much she had enjoyed the orchestra, but she asked, “When will the singing begin?" When the singing did begin on the second half, the audience became electrified, moved by the finale of the Beethoven 9th Symphony, and the singing and dancing with South African songs. To see the connection between our two cultures take place in such a demonstrative fashion brought tears to the eyes of many of us. And the singing continued after the concert was over and the Chorale members were leaving the hall. It seemed as though their joy of singing could not be stopped by a formal conclusion of a concert. Those were special performances that will live in my heart forever! The Minnesota Chorale is a true gem in the Twin Cities arts community and represents the best of Minnesota to the rest of the world!"

On January 7, 2019, the Minnesota Youth Choir performed at the inauguration of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Secretary of State Steve Simon, and Auditor Julie Blaha. 
 

Following that performance, MYC received this note from a local resident in the audience:

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"​To the Student Singers, Conductor and Pianist that performed “O, Colored Earth” at the 2019 Inauguration:
 
Your rendition was the first time I had ever been exposed to that beautiful and profound piece of music and I along with many others (I’m sure) were moved.  The words of that song carry a strong and meaningful message of peace, truth and love, especially when sung by young people.
 
As representatives of your generation, you displayed passion as you were singing those words on the stage at the Fitzgerald; and it gave me hope in these troubled time.
 
To paraphrase the last verse: your lives, and your voices, are indeed sacred and a gift our community.
 
Know that you are making a difference.  And know that your efforts are not in vain.
 
Thank You.
 
Sincerely,
Douglas M. Wenzel
Richfield

The Minnesota Chorale’s symphonic chorus is comprised of some 240 of the finest singers in the region. One of them is Deb Carbaugh, singer and former singer representative to the Chorale’s board of directors:

“During my twenty five years of singing in the Chorale, I have attended hundreds of rehearsals, sung in at least two hundred concerts, and have had the opportunity to sing under dozens of conductors. From concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra, to Bridges programs, collaborative concerts with our Minneapolis Youth Chorus and Voices of Experience choir, collaborative concerts with other choral ensembles here and around the world, citizenship ceremonies and so much more, we get to share our voices and bring the joy of music to a huge variety of audiences. To me, the Chorale is a family of dedicated and talented singers who join together to share in the universal language of music. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to support the Chorale in any way that I can; through singing, volunteering, and through financial support. I'm proud to call myself a member of the Minnesota Chorale!”

The young singers of the Minneapolis Youth Chorus and the Prelude Children’s Chorus live in neighborhoods throughout Minneapolis. Former Chorale board member Christine Zuchora-Walske is the mother of two of our former youth singers:

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“It would be hard to overstate the impact MYC and Prelude have had on our family. Our children, Tony and Maria, have gained a wealth of musical knowledge and skills. They’ve learned what it takes to work hard, together with many other people, to create a complex and beautiful piece of art. They’ve traveled to fascinating places. They’ve made friends and had experiences that will stay with them—and us—forever.”

The Minnesota Chorale’s symphonic chorus is comprised of some 240 of the finest singers in the region. One of them is Scott Chamberlain,
former Chorale board president:

“The Chorale’s recent tour to South Africa with the Minnesota Orchestra encapsulated everything I love about the Chorale.  The tour vividly showed our dedication, work ethic, and commitment to excellence as we threw ourselves into this project from top to bottom. We put in hours of extra time to capture the nuances of such unfamiliar languages as Xhosa and Zulu, including their various tongue clicks. The project also gave us a chance to show that we don’t just make music for music’s sake, but to engage communities, to connect with people, and to deal with real-life issues.  Our residency with South Africa’s Gauteng Choristers and the Cape Town ensemble 29:11 built friendships that continue to resonate, and professional partnerships that will shape our music-making for years to come. But we’re not just reminiscing or daydreaming about this experience—we’re thinking in practical terms how we can build on it and bring these lessons back to the community. This is who we are: world-class musicians who seek to use music to build community. I know of no group that does it better, and that’s why I’m proud to be part of the Minnesota Chorale.”