Minnesota Sings

Of all the events of the Minnesota Sesquicentennial, one of the most exciting is the American Composers Forum’s statewide commissioning project, Minnesota Voices, which connects five composers with six community choruses around the state. The result of this project, produced in collaboration with Minnesota Chorale, is a first-of-its-kind musical tour of the state, which premieres on August 23 at the Minnesota State Fair.

“The American Composers Forum is continually trying to find new ways to connect composers to audiences,” says ACF president John Nuechterlein. “What better way to honor our state’s long musical traditions than by bringing together composers, conductors, choirs, and communities from across the state.”

Choirs from all over Minnesota auditioned for the project, and six choirs were chosen, representing a great diversity of size and geography. The choirs get to chose the composers with whom they would like to work.

Composers Edie Hill, Janika Vandervelde, Paul Brandvik, J. David Moore, and Brian Schmidt are working with the Minneapolis Youth Chorus, Arrowhead Chorale of Duluth, Bemidji Chorale, Choral Arts Ensemble of Rochester, Minnesota Valley Chorale of Mankato, and Prairie Arts Chorale of southwest Minnesota. The pieces celebrate, among other things, the history and life cycle of the Mississippi River, Duluth’s harbor, and the annual cycle of seasons that freeze and thaw the northern lakes and honed the landscape and southwest Minnesota’s bountiful prairie.

In addition to their individual performances, the six choirs will join the Minnesota Chorale in a 300-voice performance of another commissioned piece, “Minnesota, That’s Me,” by Carol Barnett. The text, by poet and playwright Marisha Chamberlain, is a witty celebration of Minnesota diversity.

Minnesota Chorale is the only professional choir involved in the project, and chorale artistic director Kathy Saltzman Romeys says she is “traveling about the state, working with the choruses and mentoring the conductors,” particularly on Barnett’s piece.

“It’s a giant piece for all of them,” says Nuechterlein.

Even though the choirs involved are not technically “professional,” the music is certainly being written as if they were.

“I’m getting word back that the choirs are finding it very challenging,” Barnett says, stressing that this will be a program of serious new works. Indeed, ACF is proud that the project will not only increase the visibility of the participating choirs, but also boost their professionalism as they move into the next 150 years. Aug. 23. Minnesota State Fair Bandshell on Cosgrove St., Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul