Mission Statement

The Summer Singers is committed to providing our community with a variety of excellent
a cappella music at the highest level of artistry. We aim to make our music accessible to
all by providing concerts on a free-will donation basis.

We strive to inspire, uplift and educate the community in the history and art of choral music.
Through our passion for music, we hope to bring to the greater community a similar passion
and appreciation for choral music and the arts in general.

2008 Roster

To Audition

If you are interested in singing with The Summer Singers, please contact our conductor, Vicki Peters. Please provide her with a brief vocal/choral resume.

History

In 1986, Grant Norum founded The Summer Singers, providing choir members an informal opportunity to continue singing after the end of their regular seasons. The original choir had only 12 singers, but they readily performed pieces with multiple parts and for double choirs. In 1989, The Summer Singers gathered again with 16 singers, and from this time continued to meet every other summer. By 2006, the choir had grown to 24 singers and established the schedule of performing every summer.

Each season, The Summer Singers is dedicated to further enriching the Twin Cities’ community with its passion for performing a cappella choral music from all musical eras. The choir strives to sing with the highest level of artistry and to remain true to the style of the music. In addition, each program is an opportunity to educate people in the breadth and depth of a cappella choral music. To reach the widest possible audience, The Summer Singers’ policy is to perform every single concert free of charge.

Grant led The Summer Singers until his untimely death in 2002. Since he had already prepared the 2003 concert, choir members at that time decided to proceed as planned, and local musician Paul McKenzie stepped in as Guest Conductor. After the final performance of 2003, a core group of singers agreed that The Summer Singers should continue to a new future. A Board of Directors was formed to prepare for the 2005 season. After a national search, Vicki Peters was welcomed as the new Artistic Director and Conductor of The Summer Singers. From the start, Vicki has raised the choir’s standards for rehearsal and performance, resulting in a significant rise in the choir’s reputation. The Summer Singers has had one song dedicated to them and was also asked to premiere two songs from a larger series. In addition, numerous songs from the choir’s 2005, 2006, and 2007 CD’s have been featured on both Minnesota Public Radio and National Public Radio, and listeners across the nation have been deeply moved by the beautiful tone and passionate expression of the music.