VocalEssence and Melanie DeMore Release New Album
How to Hold On: Songs of Comfort and Solace
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — September 26, 2025 — VocalEssence, the renowned Twin Cities choral organization, has joined forces with three-time Grammy-nominated singer, composer, and vocal activist Melanie DeMore to release a new album, How to Hold On: Songs of Comfort and Solace.
Available today across streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Prime, as well as for digital download and physical CD through vocalessence.org, the album presents a deeply moving collection of a cappella choral works designed to provide peace, reflection, and emotional healing.
Recorded over four days in January 2025 at Maud Moon Weyerhauser Studios at Minnesota Public Radio in Saint Paul, the album features 14 tracks—12 original compositions by DeMore alongside two spiritual arrangements—performed by DeMore and the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers. Drawing on the traditions of spirituals, lullabies, and folk music, the recordings highlight the power of choral music to nurture, comfort, and connect listeners.
“When VocalEssence commits to nurturing new music and brings it into the studio, it’s always thrilling,” said Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence founder and artistic director. “How to Hold On is exceptional. The Ensemble Singers create moments of pure communion with one another. Melanie has consistently helped us expand what choral music can do, from teaching Gullah stick-pounding in schools to leading workshops that bring youth and police together. Her original music will now be licensed through VocalEssence Music Press, and we can’t wait to share this work with our community.”
DeMore described the album as “medicine for the soul.” “A longing for connection and an ache for community drove the process of composing How to Hold On,” she said. “When the Ensemble Singers and I recorded, we created music that listeners can wrap around themselves, a musical space where it’s safe to take a deep breath and sit with their feelings.”
The release was celebrated with an intimate launch event featuring live discussion and demonstrations with DeMore and the Ensemble Singers. Attendees described the experience as both spiritually uplifting and emotionally resonant. Ensemble singer Patty Kramer reflected, “Recording this music with Melanie was one of the most cherished experiences of my time with the Ensemble. These songs are tools to meditate on and carry us through difficult times.”
DeMore explained the deeply intentional nature of the album’s creation. Each performance was an act of communal support, with singers dedicating songs to loved ones and those in need of solace. “We were holding people in song,” she said. “Every note was a conscious offering of comfort and care.”
Several tracks exemplify the album’s ethos. Bright Blue Sky explores grief and communal support, while As Much as Air emphasizes the fundamental human need for tenderness. In the title track, How to Hold On, DeMore creates a musical meditation on resilience and hope amid life’s storms. The album balances dissonance and harmony to reflect the complex emotions of human experience, a hallmark of DeMore’s African-American musical roots.
VocalEssence, founded in 1969, has debuted more than 300 commissions and world premieres through its performance series. Its Learning & Engagement programs connect people of all ages with choral experts to foster creativity, community, and cross-cultural understanding. Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones has praised the group for its “magnificent” singing.
How to Hold On: Songs of Comfort and Solace is available now on streaming platforms, for digital download, and on CD at vocalessence.org. Media can access a digital download, cover artwork, and liner notes here
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