Together We Sing — VocalEssence WITNESS: Symphony of Spirituals

VocalEssence, a world-premier choral organization based in the Twin Cities, gathers singers of all ages to form “a singing community where all find belonging.” Their global influence coupled with local focus reaches more than 20,000 people each year through innovative, enticing choral music programming (including 152 midwest premieres, 99 United States premieres and 384 world premieres, of which 372 were newly commissioned), in addition to reaching more than 120,000 students through the WITNESS School Program since its inception. VocalEssence has received more Chorus America awards than any other ensemble nationwide, including the once-in-an-organizational-lifetime Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence.

Their community-oriented vision and exceptional artistry declares:

“Together we sing …
To share the stories of Minnesotans.
To celebrate the musical traditions of the world.
To lift up voices not heard.
To advocate for structural social change.
To fight injustice.
To lead with love.”

WITNESS: Symphony of Spirituals — a celebration of the Black contributions to American arts that is in its 36th consecutive year — will feature the VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers; elder singers from the VocalEssence Vintage Voices; diverse teenage choir VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (SOTA); a symphony orchestra; soprano Chloe Johnson; and Philip Brunelle and G. Phillip Shoultz, III conducting.

The program includes “The Justice Symphony” by acclaimed composer Damien Geter — echoing anthems from the Civil Rights Movement and accompanied by a live symphony orchestra — and the world-premiere performance of three newly commissioned works by the multi-talented B.E. Boykin, resounding with the poignant, beautiful sounds of the Negro spiritual.

On Feb. 20 at Northrop, VocalEssence’s school program will return again this year for a free Student Matinee: WITNESS: Eyes Still on the Prize II performance by SOTA alongside WITNESS Teaching Artists, guest artists and members of the VocalEssence Chorus — introducing students to three influential Minnesota women.

Damien Geter’s rapidly growing body of chamber, vocal, orchestral and full operatic works are widely hailed as “invigoratingly fresh” (Opera Today). Geter’s music embodies the Black diaspora, heavily influenced by jazz, gospel and rhythm and blues, while also incorporating Beethovenian influences. 

His three-movement composition “The Justice Symphony” encapsulates the resonant freedom cries of the Civil Rights era. He created the work as an immersive, participatory experience by including moments of call and response, common to Negro spirituals, encouraging audience members to lift their voices in solidarity. Geter also uses distinctive sounds to reinforce the symphony’s message, including percussion that mimics typewriter keys, tambourines that evoke the sound of chains and layered rhythms that create a feeling of imbalance and tension (People’s World).

B.E. Boykin (Brittney Boykin) is a profound force in the world of contemporary music, interweaving her passion for composition and choral direction through a diverse array of styles and genres that honor the rich versatility of her culture. Boykin’s illustrious work mirrors her life’s journey, capturing what she describes as “the fire of perseverance through every storm.” Her recent creative output has garnered significant acclaim, notably through her contributions to the 2026 Grammy-nominated albums “Black Pierrot" and “In This Short Life.” 

Whether she is leading the Atlanta Music Project Senior Youth Choir to victory at the World Choir Games, premiering "We Sing as One" for Spelman College or composing “My Name is Florence,” her latest commission that recently premiered with the Minnesota Opera, Boykin continues to shape the modern choral landscape with music that is as culturally significant as it is technically brilliant. Northrop is excited to stage the world-premiere performance of her three newly commissioned works.

Negro spirituals are folk songs created in the late 18th century by Africans in resistance to their enslavement by European and American colonizers. These powerful songs, preserved orally through generations, reflect history and suffering while testifying to the humanity, creativity and resilience of the Black community through centuries of oppression. 

Prominent music educator Sharon Samuels Reed says in this Minnesota Historical Society video, “The Negro spiritual is known to have saved our people by giving them survival skills … The spiritual saw the enslaved people through that awful, darkest part of America’s history to now. And I think that’s what the music of the Negro spiritual does. And I think that’s why people all over the world are falling in love all over again with the Negro spiritual.” Using the term “Negro spirituals” acknowledges the historical context in which these songs were created while ensuring their stories of faith, hope and perseverance continue to empower and liberate today.