MINNEAPOLIMEDIA ARTS & COMMUNITY | VocalEssence SOTA to Present “Stories the Land Holds” Community Celebration in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (May 14, 2026) VocalEssence will present a community-centered arts and music event Thursday evening titled Stories the Land Holds: Changing, Growing, and Celebrating, bringing together youth performers, community members, artists, and local residents for an interactive program focused on themes of land, identity, belonging, stewardship, and civic connection.

The event is scheduled for Thursday, May 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in south Minneapolis.

According to organizers, the event serves as the culminating public gathering for the year-long Stories the Land Holds initiative, a collaborative community engagement and arts project designed to explore relationships between people, place, culture, memory, and community through music, storytelling, dialogue, and creative participation.

The evening will feature performances by the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (SOTA), a Twin Cities youth ensemble made up of teenagers from schools and communities across the metropolitan area. The ensemble performs music spanning multiple genres and artistic traditions, including classical, gospel, spoken word, contemporary music, and hip-hop-inspired works.

Organizers say the event is intentionally structured as an interactive community experience rather than a traditional concert presentation. In addition to musical performances, the evening will include community art-making activities, food, fellowship opportunities, and collaborative engagement designed to encourage reflection and conversation among participants.

Thursday’s program centers on the theme “Land, Home, and Community,” with performers sharing artistic reflections developed throughout the initiative’s year-long engagement process. Organizers say the work examines how neighborhoods, institutions, and shared public spaces can foster inclusion, compassion, civic responsibility, and stronger community relationships.

The SOTA program operates as part of VocalEssence’s broader youth and community engagement work. According to the organization, the ensemble emphasizes artistic collaboration, leadership development, creativity, and social engagement while encouraging young people to use the arts as a vehicle for dialogue and community impact.

The ensemble is led by G. Phillip Shoultz III, a conductor, educator, and community arts leader known for integrating music performance with civic engagement and youth leadership development initiatives.

Organizers describe the broader Stories the Land Holds initiative as an effort to strengthen connections among residents through shared artistic and narrative experiences tied to land, history, memory, and environmental awareness. The project has incorporated intergenerational learning, cultural exchange, and collaborative storytelling throughout its programming cycle.

Founded in 1969, VocalEssence has become one of Minnesota’s most prominent choral music organizations, known nationally for commissioning new choral works, supporting youth music education, and developing community-centered arts programming.

Over several decades, the organization has partnered with schools, faith communities, cultural institutions, and artists representing a broad range of musical traditions and cultural backgrounds throughout Minnesota and beyond.

The event is open to the public.

Additional information regarding the initiative and event programming is available through the official Stories the Land Holds project website.

MinneapoliMedia | Community. Culture. Civic Life.