In the Bleak Midwinter
hosted by Garrison Keillor
Show #1530December 26, 2015
From Fitzgerald Theater | Saint Paul, MN
0:00 | 01:59:00
VocalEssence Ensemble Singers
Ellis
Lynn Peterson
This week: one final live broadcast for 2015, from the cozy confines of the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. We'll have the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers on hand for majestic choral arrangements to ease you gently out of the holiday rush, singer Ellis with a few of her joyful and uplifting compositions, and sensational seasonal songs of foreign lands from Lynn Peterson. Plus: our Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Sue Scott, Tim Russell, and Fred Newman, will show off their drama and comedy chops in scripts sure to make it onto plenty of year-end "best of" lists; and pianist and music director Rich Dworsky and The December Boys (bassist Larry Kohut, Richard Kriehn on mandolin and fiddle, and Chris Siebold on guitar) resolve to have everyone at the Fitz boogieing right out of their seats. We'll also get an update on the latest News from Lake Wobegon, where it's finally cold enough to turn on the heat without shame. Join us over the airwaves or watch live (5pm Central Time) at prairiehome.org this Saturday!
- Script: Boxing Day - December 26, 2015
- Script: Bertha's Kitty Boutique - December 26, 2015
- Script: Fight - December 26, 2015
- Script: Catchup - December 26, 2015
- Script: Fritz - December 26, 2015
- Script: Duct Tape - December 26, 2015
- Script: Buddy - December 26, 2015
- Script: Coffee - December 26, 2015
- Script: A Christmas Carol - December 26, 2015
- Music Information: In the Bleak Midwinter
Philip Brunelle
Since 1991, the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers - the 32-voice core of the full VocalEssence Chorus - have toured widely and garnered acclaim at every stop. The Oxford Times (UK) wrote, "VocalEssence have a blend that could - and should - be the envy of every choir in the business." Under the direction of founder and artistic director Philip Brunelle, the Minneapolis-based group has released a number of recordings, including From the Land of Sky Blue Waters (Clarion), a CD in honor of Minnesota's choral heritage.Ellis
Described by one reviewer as a "smart writer with a unique folk/rock style," Ellis is a Texas native who moved to Minneapolis at the age of 16 and quickly built a strong local following singing at open mics. She also quickly dropped her often-mispronounced last name (Bergeron). Now, with a catalog of seven albums since the mid-1990s, word of this talented folk musician has spread nationwide. Her 2010 recording is called Right On Time(Rubberneck). A new three-CD set, Wherever You Are, was released this spring on the Singing Crow label.Lynn Peterson
Singer-songwriter-science geek Lynn Peterson is a native Minnesotan whose career took her to New York City, where she spent eight years as a performer, composer, and studio vocalist, before returning to the Twin Cities. And the science geek part? She studied chemistry as an undergrad and now continues graduate work focused on chemistry and sustainability. Her Norwegian roots and love of Norway are inspiration for an upcoming recording project: Songs of the Sognefjord.