Dear friends of Choral Arts Ensemble,

I am pleased to welcome you to our 23rd season of bringing first-rate choral music to the Rochester community!

Our 2007-08 concert season promises to surprise, delight, and entertain you. Let us take you all over the musical map, from the majestic sounds of Handel’s Messiah to the cool, romantic sounds of Brahms; from Renaissance madrigals to modern day works by must-hear composers such as Paulus and Lauridsen; and from the old masterpieces to newly commissioned works by David Dickau, Stephen Chatman, and Eric Barnum. Our season even includes a musical tribute to the great choral heritage of Minnesota in a program titled Hail, Minnesota!, a concert celebrating the sesquicentennial of our great state.

In March, CAE will be performing in Fargo at a convention for the American Choral Directors’ Association. This is a great honor and will be our first ever performance at an ACDA event. CAE is also participating with the Minnesota Chorale, the American Composers’ Forum, and several other choirs from around the state in a program titled Minnesota Voices, which culminates with a performance at the Minnesota State Fair on August 23, 2008. These are two great honors for CAE that will keep us busier than ever preparing excellent repertoire!

We always welcome your feedback and consider it a valuable tool in assessing our direction as an organization. Many of you have spoken, and we have heard you loud and clear! I am glad to share the news that you will now have the opportunity to hear Christmas with the Choral Arts Ensemble in either (or both!) Lourdes Chapel or The Church of St. John the Evangelist. Additionally, we are returning to preferred seating (instead of reserved seating), allowing you to bring a guest or two on short notice and to sit by whomever you’d like.

Thanks again for your continued support of CAE – I look forward to seeing you at the concerts!

Michael Culloton