The Greater Minnesota Rose Ensemble Tour will soon be upon us and I could use your help to make this tour a success.  Since these concerts are self-produced, we do not have the luxury of a presenter to market and publicize these concerts on our behalf.

If you have family members, friends, or other contacts in or around those cities that the concerts will be performed in, please encourage them to come and hear this exquisite concert.  Ticket prices are extremely reasonable: only $12 for adults and $9 for students/seniors, with free admission for children under 10 years.  Plus, you’ll get the chance to hear my foot-stompin’ Pretty Home live and in person!

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UPDATE:  Latest review of this live concert by St. Paul Pioneer Press

This Rose Ensemble program is a true holiday gift

The self-describing motto of the Rose Ensemble is “reawakening the ancient.” But for some of us, not all of the ensemble’s enveloping Christmas program of early American music is ancient.

This transplanted Kentucky boy, reared in a preacher’s family, had no trouble singing the old camp song “Jesus the Light of the World” without consulting the lyrics printed in the program. It was the only sing-along number in the concert, but a rousing one.

And Shaker songs like “Harps of Welcome,” “Give Good Gifts” and “Pretty Home” were familiar to these ears from visits to the Pleasant Hill colony near Lexington, which is now a Kentucky historic site. Indeed, “Pretty Home,” which was sung by the ensemble’s engagingly robust alto, Lisa Drew, included the rhythmic Read more

It’s always nice to have an upcoming concert sighted as being a Spotlight for the weekend.  Here’s what the Minneapolis Star Tribune has to say about The Rose Ensemble’s upcoming concerts this weekend:

Click to listen to some mp3 song samples from this upcoming show.

Spotlight:
Rose Ensemble season opener

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A big week is about to happen in Minneapolis.  The American Guild of Organists is holding their National Convention in our fair city with lots of events that will be open to the public (click here for the schedule).

The opening celebration will the the church service at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis. Musical highlights of the evening will include works by Minnesota composers Stephen Paulus (AGO Composer of the Year), Dominick Argento, and Libby Larsen, as well as anthems by Steven Stucky and Stephen Fraser. Both the Larsen and Stucky pieces were commissioned for the 2008 National Convention. The Fraser anthem is the winning entry of the AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition.

All of the downtown church choirs will be participating as well as brass choir and organ and  47-bell carillon and takes place Sunday evening, June 22nd beginning at 6:30pm.

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