Chorale’s 2009 Bridges Concert, “Sing with Me,” Celebrates Mentoring

10/8/2009 2:14:19 PM

MINNEAPOLIS, October 5, 2009 –Kids and adults, side by side, singing from the heart—that’s the core of the Minnesota Chorale’s 2009 Bridges concert, “Sing with Me,” which celebrates the mentoring relationships that have blossomed between the Minneapolis Youth Chorus (MYC) and adult singers in the Chorale. This upbeat, family-friendly event will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, at St. Olaf Catholic Church, 215 South 8th Street, in downtown Minneapolis.

Led by Chorale Artistic Director Kathy Saltzman Romey and MYC Founding Director Pat Arasim, “Sing with Me” features music for singers from eight to 80, including the world premiere of “Wake Up in the Morning!” by Stephen Paulus (written especially for this occasion), a song (“The Music Moves Like We Do”), created by five MYC members during an August composition workshop led by former Chorale composer-in-residence Janika Vandervelde, and John Corigliano’s joyful, lyrical setting of “Fern Hill,” a hymn to youth by the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. The program is mounted in collaboration with the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota (MPM).

“Choral singing incubates relationships,” said the Chorale’s Kathy Romey, “and mentoring provides a vital link between generations, particularly in a time of rapid cultural change. It’s natural to bring them together.”

“MYC was conceived as more than just a choir, “ Romey continued. It’s a multi-dimensional after-school program that addresses not merely the voice but the whole individual. It is designed to foster social and emotional growth, to develop intellectual skills, and to function as a positive source of group identity and pride.  MYC’s mentoring program, intended as a permanent component of its activity, will further all these objectives while also enriching the experience of the adult Chorale. 

 “The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota is delighted to be working with the Minnesota Chorale on this exciting project,” said April Riordan, MPM’s Director of Training and Community Partnerships. “From the start, it was clear that the Chorale is committed to developing a high-quality, sustainable mentoring component for their youth music program. They have used tools and resources provided by MPM to build a model that will ensure safe, positive relationships between youth and caring adults. MPM looks forward to supporting the program in the future with participant training and ongoing technical assistance.”

Tickets for “Sing with Me” are $18 for adults, $10 for students and seniors; Minnesota Public Radio members receive a $4 discount. Tickets are available in advance through Ticketworks (952-930-5100) or at the door. All seating is general admission; doors open at 6:30 p.m. Free parking is available on the upper levels of the Energy Center Ramp, 324 South 9th Street. Tickets are available in advance through Ticketworks (952-930-5100) or at the door.

Founded in 1972, the Minnesota Chorale is Principal Chorus of the Minnesota Orchestra and ranks among the foremost professional choruses in the United States. Led by Kathy Romey since 1995, the Chorale is best known for its work with the Twin Cities' two major orchestras but is equally dedicated to fostering and deepening community through its award-winning Bridges community-engagement initiatives and other educational activities. The Chorale vigorously explores new artistic directions and collaborative opportunities while earning the highest critical acclaim for its work on the concert stage.

Since 1994-95, the Chorale’s Bridges series has used choral singing as a tool to build durable relationships with diverse communities, in keeping with the organization’s mission to “educate, enrich, unite, and inspire.” Bridges partners have included the Twin Cities’ Russian, Jewish, African-American and Latino communities; the program has embraced such themes as affordable housing and the rebirth of hope after the destruction of Nagasaki. Informing all these initiatives is the belief that the power of the singing voice and the potent social symbolism of the chorus can draw attention to neglected issues and help mend a divided world. The program is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Target Foundation, the General Mills Foundation, the 3M Foundation, the Kopp Family Foundation, and many other institutional and individual contributors.

The Minneapolis Youth Chorus, established in 2007 by the Chorale in partnership with the Minneapolis Public Schools, provides some 60 students in grades 4 through 8 with opportunities to develop their musical gifts in a setting dedicated to the celebration of diversity and the pursuit of artistic excellence. Participants pay no fees; the Chorale provides free transportation as necessary. MYC has won standing ovations at the Minnesota State Fair, the Minneapolis Convention Center, and elsewhere; it appears later this season in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Chorale and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.

The mission of the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota is to lead the state in building and sustaining high-quality mentoring for every child. MPM’s work has demonstrated that young people who have mentors have a better chance of succeeding and are more likely to make positive choices; it has also shown that mentoring benefits mentors no less than mentees.  

Contacts: 
MEDIA: For further information on “Sing with Me,” the Minnesota Chorale, and the Minneapolis Youth Chorus, call the Chorale at 612-455-2100 or visit www.mnchorale.org. For high-resolution photographs, or to schedule an interview with Kathy Saltzman Romey, call 612-455-2100. For further information on the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota and its programs, call 612-370-9180.

Tickets:
Please call Ticketworks (952-930-5100) or visit http://www.ticketworks.com/.

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For more information, please contact:
Mai-Anh Kapanke
Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota
651-357-2823
Mai-anhk@mentoringworks.org