Meet the Ensemble
World Voices was formed in 1996 by Dr. Karle Erickson, Artistic Director & Conductor. An experience in New York City one summer in the late 1950’s was the influence that steered him into beginning a musical ensemble that exclusively performs global music. He spent 6 weeks in the Bronx with young people of all races, colors and creeds. He wanted to use music as a means to bring people together, to help get rid of the stereotypes and prejudices, to think outside our own comfortable boxes, and to further open our minds and souls to the fascinating differences and similarities that arise from varying cultural backgrounds. Thus began the choral ensemble identified as “Karle Erickson’s Metropolitan Chorale. ”
Membership included 25 singers between the ages of 21 and 41, most of them auditioning because they had sung previously with Karle Erickson or were aware of his reputation as a choral conductor. Today the ensemble of voices and instruments includes 40 singers, ranging in age from 21-75, most of whom audition because they believe in the mission of World Voices. Some come to sing because of the educational opportunity to learn about and perform global music that will assist them in their teaching careers in the schools.
The instrumentalists for each performance are chosen because their instruments are those characteristically associated with the music from a specific culture that is the focus of that concert. The Chorale has worked with such collaborators and renowned musicians as Sowah Mensah, Master Drummer from Ghana; Gao Hong, Chinese pipa artist; Brent Michael Davids, composer and crystal flute player from the Mohican Nation; the Reverend Tony Machado from Puerto Rico; and Neil Newman, Cantor at Beth El Synagogue in Minneapolis. Also Latino percussionists Shai Hayo, Jose Reyes, Angel Diaz; guitarist and charango player Mauricio Sanchez; Celtic harpist, Andrea Stern; pipe and flute player, Lisa McKenzie; Hua Chen, erhu player; Lakota George Estes, flute player/maker from the Lakota Sioux Tribe; Nicolas Carter, Paraguayan harpist; Zeljko Pavlovic, violinist from Sarajevo and the University of MN Steel Drum Ensemble.
An important part of the World Voices programming is commissioning new works, the first of which was entitled “Wo Ayi Me A Ma” by Sowah Mensah in March 2001. Composer Brent Michael Davids of the Mohican Nation wrote “Of This Turtle Isle” in 2002 and “ Si Ji” was written by Chinese composer Zhou Long in March of 2005. In response to its interest in educational outreach, World Voices is sending to selected high school, college and university music directors a recorded copy of “Si Ji” along with an explanation about the things to be considered in preparing such a work for performance so that the barrier of being intimidated by a new work of global music with different stylistic demands can be largely removed.
World Voices presents four concert themes each season with one performance each in Minneapolis and St. Paul and surrounding areas. In 2000 the Chorale altered its format of Christmas music in December and changed the focus to the broader concept of peace. Included are 320 children in a concert that begins with a ceremonial trumpet fanfare and Grand Processional of the children’s choirs presenting flags from many different countries.
World Voices has performed music from 62 countries in 35 different languages. Five CD’s of global music have been released: “Latino Groove”, “A Cultural Odyssey”, “A Global Palette”, “ Celebrating Global Cultures” and “Mosaic.”
