Classical Event Details

Concert: Welcome Christmas, Dec. 11, 2026

Plymouth Congregational Church in Twin Cities metro | Friday, December 11, 2026 at 7:30 PM CST

When

Friday, December 11, 2026 at 7:30 PM CST

Where

Plymouth Congregational Church
Minneapolis, Twin Cities metro

Address

1919 LaSalle Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Sing in the Season of Joy with VocalEssence! Welcome Christmas is an interactive celebration of holiday favorites from around the world—performed by all four VocalEssence choirs with harp, marimba, trumpet, guitar, organ, and you—the audience! Commissions are at the heart of this cherished tradition, and this year brings two: Conrad Susa’s beloved Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest (commissioned in 1992), alongside the world premiere of a new commission by Minnesota’s own Shruthi Rajasekar, set to the poetry of Christina Rossetti. Experience glorious sounds that will get you ready to celebrate the season. TICKETS PERFORMERS VocalEssence Chorus VocalEssence Ensemble Singers VocalEssence Singers Of This Age VocalEssence Vintage Voices Casey Rafn , piano Samuel Holmberg, organ Philip Brunelle , conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III , conductor PROGRAM Coming Soon THINGS TO KNOW Be prepared to sing along—and use your outdoor voice— Welcome Christmas is known for audience participation! Commissioning is at the heart of VocalEssence. Since our founding in 1969, VocalEssence has commissioned more than 370 new works. During our 2017-2018 season, composer Shruthi Rajasekar participated in VocalEssence ReMix, a program that offered one-on-one composer mentorships to emerging Minnesota composers as they each wrote choral works to be premiered by VocalEssence. Since then, Rajasekar’s music has been commissioned and performed by choirs across the United States and England. Philip Brunelle requested that Conrad Susa write a piece similar to Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, written for treble voices and harp, but with mixed voices (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) and harp. Susa’s Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest was written in 1992 for mixed voices accompanied by harp, guitar, and marimba, and has been a favorite commission ever since.