Edina Art Fair — Saturday, June 2

Rehearsals:

Tuesday, May 15     7 – 9 pm

Tuesday, May 22    7 – 9 pm

Tuesday, May 29    7 – 9 pm

Thursday, May 31     7 – 9 pm

Saturday, June 2 — 10 am, then we carpool to the Fair to perform at noon and 1 pm.

All Tuesday evening rehearsals are at Central Presbyterian Church in downtown St. Paul.  The Saturday morning rehearsal is TBD (hopefully somewhere close to the Edina Art Fair.)

***YOU MUST RSVP as soon as possible if you are a current VP singer:  [email protected].

Or, if you haven’t sung with us in the past, you must audition.

Try to attend as many of the rehearsals as possible;  we realize that you may not make each one, but you do need to be prepared for the concert.

ANNOUNCEMENT!  VocalPoint is beginning the process to select a non-profit beneficiary organization for next year’s concert.  If you have an idea about a specific non-profit (or a general theme) we should consider we’d love to hear it!  You may post your idea on our facebook page or send us a tweet @vpchorus or an email at [email protected]  with the subject “Beneficiary Suggestion.”

Thanks to the generosity of a planning team member and his employer, we are now over $22,800 raised for Open Arms!

We’re also beginning the process of selecting our next year’s beneficiary organization. If you have suggestions for organizations that we should consider, please send your ideas (along with web links, resources, etc.) to [email protected]  with “Beneficiary Suggestion” in the subject line.  Please know that we have a high set of standards and criteria that we use to determine the beneficiary organization.  Any ideas and suggestions must be submitted by April 19th.

We also are in need of some great people to help shape and implement our next year’s season.  If you are someone who enjoys being a part of a well-run organization, please let us know your interest.

We are so grateful for your support of our debut concert.  About 800 people came, and we appreciate each and every one of you!  The music was incredible, the stories tremendously moving and meaningful, and the generosity life-changing.  A special thank you to our host, Central Presbyterian Church for a beautiful space to sing and great hospitality.  (And, hope to see you at the Drum Workshop this Sunday! Make sure to sign up soon!)

–Jennifer

Join us for a riveting and emotional program that will move you in support of Open Arms of Minnesota.

Saturday, Feb. 11th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Sunday, Feb. 12th, 2012 at 3:00 pm  (free ramp and meter parking on Sunday)

Tickets:  $15 in advance;  $20 at the door  ($10 for children 17 and under)

Please note that we will also be collecting a free-will offering during the concerts, of which 100% will go to Open Arms of Minnesota. 

Purchase tickets online at:

All concerts held at Central Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, MN.
A portion of the ticket sales will also benefit Open Arms of Minnesota.

The incomparable Maria Jette will be the featured soloist for VocalPoint’s debut concerts.  Jette’s voice has been described as “angelic, fresh, unforced, stunning, and resonant….” She has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra: the Symphonies of Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Kansas City, Charlotte, Santa Rosa and Buffalo; Vocalessence, the Handel Choir of Baltimore, Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, and Los Angeles Master Chorale; and with original instrument ensembles Portland Baroque Orchestra and The Lyra Concert. She has been a regular guest at the Oregon Bach, Victoria Bach and San Luis Obispo Mozart Festivals, the Oregon Festival of American Music, and on Public Radio International’s A Prairie Home Companion.

Don’t miss your chance to sing with this captivating musician.  Auditions are Thursday, December 15th, beginning at 6:30 pm at Central Presbyterian Church in downtown St. Paul.

VocalPoint has entered the realm of social media and wants to connect with YOU online!

Check out our Facebook page.

You can connect with VocalPoint singers and composers and view photos of recent events.

Composer Abbie Betinis recently wrote (very graciously) about VocalPoint on Facebook:

Anyone looking to change the world through singing? (who isn’t!) Consider auditioning for Jennifer Anderson’s new St. Paul-based VocalPoint Chorus. Jennifer is a joy to work with, endlessly creative, organized and insightful. All concerts will benefit global relief efforts near and far — and they will perform my music with soprano Maria Jette in February!

Also check out our tweets!

Jennifer has been posting previews of the songs we will be singing in February. Here’s a recent example tweet:

Another sneak peak at a piece we’re doing in February by the incredibly talented @olagjeilo http://www.waltonmusic.com/Sound10/UbiCaritas/ Auditions this Thurs!

The task was this:  To choose an organization for our first year that was absolutely perfect — both a local and a global mission, thriving yet not too huge and corporate, doing work that is understandable and necessary, and headquartered right here in our Twin Cities.  Open Arms is the perfect choice, and we are thrilled to have this organization as our debut beneficiary.

Open Arms works with a variety of people, but it was started when one person said that watching his friends suffer with AIDS while no one offered to help was too much — and so he stepped in to fill a need.  The need was simple:  Offer hot, nutritious meals that fed both the body and the soul.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS.  We have an interesting dilemma:  a new generation of young people who don’t understand the gravity of this disease, and so are becoming infected at a scary rate.   And yet, to be honest, we in the United States are understandably blasé:  the medications available make the disease “treatable” unlike the death sentence it was just a few years ago.

But for millions across the globe, the reality is much different.  Medications are scarce, misinformation is rampant, and social stigmas are  paralyzing.

We are impressed with Open Arms’ ability to work with both our neighbors here in the metropolitan area, but also with our global neighbors in several African countries.  In the coming months, we will all learn more about great work of Open Arms, raise money to help them do more good work, and sing some great music along the way.

Welcome to VocalPoint!  It’s going to be a great year!

–Jennifer

ALL ARE WELCOME to join us for this special kick-off event!  Come and sing!  Come and learn about this year’s beneficiary!

Saturday, Oct. 22 at Central Presbyterian Church

9:30 am — Registration, coffee and refreshments
10—Noon — Rehearsal and Announcement of 2012 Theme, including rehearsal of Betinis Commission
Noon– 1 pm Catered Lunch
12:30— Auditions for VocalPoint chorus for those who want to participate in the February Concerts  (Must arrive by 1 if you just are auditioning)

RSVP to Jennifer  [email protected]     6 SPOTS REMAIN!  Contact Jennifer today if you want to join us!

$10 Registration fee, includes lunch

Parking/Directions here  (additional parking/direction info will be sent to those who register)

Sunday, Oct. 23 at Central Presbyterian Church

9:30 am — Warm-up rehearsal
10:30 am — Service, with special guest speaker (announced on Saturday)
                      Betinis world-premiere!
11:30 am — Program, speakers, choral performance, refreshments

Participants on Sunday receive free VocalPoint t-shirt.  Free parking in the World Trade Center Ramp on Sundays!

VocalPoint is an auditioned chorus. Skills we are looking for in our singers:

• The ability to blend
• The ability to follow directions
• The ability to match pitch
• An attitude of collaboration, productivity, and helpfulness.

Auditions will be friendly and supportive, and will be held in small groups. You will not need to prepare anything.You do not need a solo voice.

Auditions:

Saturday, Dec 3rd at 10 am, 10:15 and 10:30

Thursday, Dec. 15th at 6:30 pm, 6:45, 7:00, 7:15, and 7:30 pm

All auditions are held at Central Presbyterian Church.