2020-2021 Season Announced

Dear MPLS (imPulse) Superfans,
Fall greetings to all of you! I promise to spare you from the monotonous "unprecedented times" emails that have clogged your inboxes since March, because we have exciting news to share with you about our 2020-2021 season. At MPLS (imPulse), we believe choral music can thrive anywhere: a parking garage, a swimming pool, an office atrium, a cooking school, and even a planetarium. As some schools and choirs around the world have re-entered the world of in-person rehearsing and performing, some of the spaces that audiences never would have considered have suddenly become a viable option. We celebrate this innovation with our colleagues around the world as we announce our plans for this year.

This year's season will occupy our most adventurous venue to date: your home. It is our belief as an organization that no in-person activity can be held without some level of risk, and we are therefore not willing to put others' lives in danger. We are proud to present the following events:

MPLS (imPulse) 2020 Songbook
Since traditional public performances aren't happening, there has been a renaissance in performing music at home. Families and living communities are learning and performing music for each other (or perhaps for neighbors walking by the front porch). We are piloting a project to commission composer/songwriters to write a new song inspired by the time we are living in (2-4 minutes). All songs will be designed to be easily taught, shared, and adapted. The songs will be compiled as digital scores in an electronic songbook that will be premiered by MPLS (imPulse) artists and our audience members (that includes you!) in a series of 2-3 online watch parties and interviews with the commissioned artists. This project is currently piloting now. Three commissioned artists are working on or have finished songs which we plan to premiere in mid-November, though we are planning on a series of watch parties through the spring.

Musical Games with ComMUSICation and composer Danny Clay
MPLS (imPulse) is pleased to partner again with St. Paul-based ComMUSICation, an after-school children's chorus based on the El Sistema model. MPLS (imPulse) artists will work with CMC students and California-based composer Danny Clay in a series of composition and performance workshops. Danny uses musical games that will inspire each choir to compose their own music that they will eventually notate and teach to the other choir. The final performances will be premiered virtually in December.

As painful as this year has been, I am more hopeful about the world of choral music than I ever have been. Even more so, the world needs you to sing. Yes, you! Will you lend us your voice this year?

Samuel Grace
MPLS (imPulse) Artistic Director