VocalEssence: Welcome Christmas

The VocalEssence teen choir, The Singers of This Age, released a collection of videos in 2021 titled “A Call to Action” after the Black Lives Matter protests in Minneapolis. This is just one example of how choir can inspire community engagement. According to a 2019 Chorus Impact Study, people who are singers are more likely “to give, volunteer, vote, and run for public office.” 

• Why do you think choir makes people more active in their communities?
• Can you think of ways musicians have given back to their communities?
• What makes you feel connected to your community?

Last year, all of the VocalEssence choral ensembles—from high schoolers to elders—were on stage at once for the first time as part of Welcome Christmas at Northrop. 

• Can you think of other situations where so many generations have come together to create something?
• How might this intergenerational experience benefit both younger and older people?
• Where in your life do you interact with people at a different stage of life than you? How does it contribute to your experience?

During their last Welcome Christmas concert at Northrop, VocalEssence performed many well-known Christmas carols, and sometimes asked the audience to sing along.

• Why might VocalEssence ask for audience participation?
• Do you have experience singing in a group? How did creating something with a group make you feel? 
• Do you have any favorite holiday songs? Can you identify what you like about them?
• Can you name winter artistic traditions associated with holidays other than Christmas, and/or related to cultural practices other than Christianity?