From February 12 to February 16, 2026, the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age (SOTA)—the flagship youth choral ensemble of the Minneapolis-based VocalEssence organization—undertook a landmark five-day concert and cultural tour to Philadelphia and Allentown, Pennsylvania. Marking the first time in the ensemble’s history that its members boarded an aircraft to tour beyond the borders of the American Midwest, the delegation comprised 37 high-school-aged vocalists accompanied by four professional administrative and artistic staff members.
Led by Founding Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III, and managed by Operations Manager Rhiannon Fiskradatz, the tour represented a critical expansion of SOTA’s artistic mandate. Beyond conventional concertizing, the itinerary was engineered at the intersection of choral performance, public history, and contemporary civic engagement. Throughout the five-day journey, the Minnesota youth engaged in collaborative performances with university ensembles, urban youth choirs, and historic faith communities, while directly encountering the national debate surrounding historical memory and civil rights.
At a time of heighten political polarization, the ensemble’s presence as representatives of Minneapolis—a city elevated in global consciousness following the 2020 murder of George Floyd—elicited repeated, spontaneous expressions of solidarity from East Coast institutions. By linking historic national landmarks with contemporary compositions on racial justice, SOTA’s inaugural national tour established a template for youth-led artistic diplomacy, proving that choral music can serve as an active instrument of civic dialogue and cross-regional unity.
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| TOUR AT A GLANCE (FEB 12–16, 2026) |
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| Delegation | 37 Youth Vocalists | 4 Staff Chaperones & Artistic Directors |
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| Primary Locations | Philadelphia, PA | Allentown, PA |
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| Partner Entities | Temple University Choir & Wind Symphony, Singing City, |
| | Mosaic Youth Chorus, African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas |
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| Key Masterworks | "Weather" (Dr. Rollo Dilworth), "I Need You To Survive" |
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| Key Themes | Civic Diplomacy, Civil Rights History, Cross-Regional Unity |
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Detailed Chronology of the Tour
EAST COAST TOUR TIMELINE
Feb 12 Feb 13 Feb 14 Feb 15–16
[Arrival &] [Temple Univ.] [Allentown] [St. Thomas &]
[Historic District] [Residency ] [Collab. ] [Return Flight]
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v v v v
Historic Rehearsal/ Performance at Mardi Gras Mass,
Sightseeing & Performance of Historic "Liberty Absalom Jones Feast,
NPS Signage "Weather" w/ Dr. Bell Church" w/ Repertoire Shift,
Controversy Rollo Dilworth Mosaic Youth Homeward Flight
Day 1 (February 12, 2026): Arrival, Historical Immersion, and the President’s House Controversy
The delegation arrived in Philadelphia on the morning of February 12, proceeding directly to the city’s historic district following an initial introduction to local culinary traditions. The afternoon was dedicated to an intensive walking tour of foundational American heritage sites, including the Liberty Bell Center, Independence Hall, and the National Constitution Center.
The historical educational curriculum coincided with an ongoing national administrative debate. Upon visiting The President’s House—an open-air National Park Service (NPS) site adjacent to the Liberty Bell depicting the house where George Washington and John Adams resided, and where enslaved Africans were held—the ensemble discovered that all primary educational signage had been removed days prior. The removal was the result of a contentious federal executive order asserting that descriptions of enslaved peoples’ experiences "inappropriately disparaged" early American history.
Despite the physical absence of official interpretive panels, an NPS ranger identified as "W" conducted an impromptu, off-the-record educational briefing for the 37 students, detailing the documented histories of the nine enslaved individuals held on the grounds by George Washington. In a notable legal development, on February 16—the day SOTA concluded its tour—a federal district judge issued a preliminary injunction ordering the Immediate restoration of the interpretive displays.
Day 2 (February 13, 2026): Temple University Residency and the Performance of Weather
The second day focused on an academic and artistic residency at Temple University’s Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts. SOTA joined forces with the Temple University Choir, the Temple University Wind Symphony, and Singing City—a renowned Philadelphia-based community choral organization dedicated to social justice—under the leadership of composer, conductor, and professor Dr. Rollo Dilworth.
The primary objective of the residency was a joint rehearsal and public performance of Weather, Dr. Dilworth’s large-scale choral-instrumental setting of Claudia Rankine’s poem of the same name. Written as a musical meditation on the murder of George Floyd and the societal systemic fractures exposed during the summer of 2020, the piece holds particular historical resonance for SOTA, which had previously performed the work in 2025 as part of a festival chorus spearheaded by Minnesota’s One Voice Mixed Chorus.
MINNEAPOLIS (2020/2025) PHILADELPHIA (FEB 2026)
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• Murder of George Floyd • Joint Residency at Temple Univ.
• SOTA 2025 Performance • Collaboration with Dr. Dilworth
with One Voice Mixed Chorus • Performance of "Weather"
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Cross-Regional Solidarity
& Shared Civic Advocacy
During an inter-ensemble post-concert symposium, Dr. Dilworth formally introduced SOTA as visiting artists hailing specifically from Minneapolis. The announcement generated an immediate, sustained ovation from the Philadelphia student body and audience—a public manifestation of solidarity that set the emotional tone for the remainder of the tour. Following the concert, Dr. Dilworth conducted an intensive masterclass and choral clinic with SOTA, refining their execution of his compositions in anticipation of VocalEssence’s flagship WITNESS concert series in Minnesota the following week.
Day 3 (February 14, 2026): Regional Outreach in Allentown and Cross-Youth Collaboration
On February 14, the tour party traveled 65 miles northwest of Philadelphia to Allentown, Pennsylvania, to establish a partnership with the Mosaic Youth Chorus. Founded on the principle of employing vocal music to advance civic equity, Mosaic provided a structural counterpart to SOTA’s organizational model.
The venue selected for the collaborative residency was Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ, a structure constructed over 250 years ago that historically sheltered the Liberty Bell from British forces during the Revolutionary War in 1777. The two youth ensembles engaged in joint workshops culminating in a free public concert that filled the historic sanctuary to capacity.
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| ALLENTOWN PERFORMANCE COLLABORATION |
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| Venue | Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ (Est. 18th Cent.) |
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| Historical Context | Hidden location of the Liberty Bell during 1777 British |
| | occupation of Philadelphia. |
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| Partner Ensemble | Mosaic Youth Chorus (Allentown, PA) |
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| Key Programmatic Goal | Fostering cross-regional youth unity through music. |
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In an address delivered toward the conclusion of the program, the resident pastor contextualized the performance within contemporary social conditions, framing the youth collaboration as a vital testament to moral resilience and inter-state solidarity. Once again, the Minnesota origin of SOTA served as a focal point for audience support.
Day 4 & Day 5 (February 15–16, 2026): Sacred Traditions, Spontaneous Artistry, and Departure
The final full day of the tour commenced with visits to civic landmarks, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, before transitioning to a musical residency at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas. Established in 1792 by Absalom Jones, St. Thomas is the oldest Black Episcopal congregation in the United States.
SOTA was invited to serve as featured guest artists for a evening service celebrating both the Feast of Absalom Jones and a traditional Mardi Gras Jazz Mass. The service featured liturgical jazz compositions, historical reflections on the Black church’s role in American emancipation, and formal addresses emphasizing resistance against authoritarian social structures.
Recognizing the heightened socio-political temperature of the service, Founding Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III made an unprogrammed, real-time alteration to SOTA’s final piece. Upon being introduced to the congregation—an announcement that produced a standing ovation from the assembled community—Shoultz directed the choir to perform Hezekiah Walker’s gospel anthem, "I Need You To Survive." The performance transformed into a congregational sing-along, establishing a profound communal connection between the Minneapolis youth and the Philadelphia congregation.
On February 16, following final debriefing sessions, the 41-member delegation departed Philadelphia International Airport, returning to Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
Supporting Context & Metrics
Demographic and Logistics Analysis
The execution of SOTA’s inaugural flight-based tour required significant operational and financial coordination. SOTA operates under the umbrella of VocalEssence, an organization founded in 1969 that expanded its programmatic reach to capture the demographic and cultural shifts of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
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| TOUR DELEGATION DEMOGRAPHICS |
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| Total Student Singers | 37 |
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| Professional Staff & Chaperones | 4 |
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| Primary Geographic Origin | Minneapolis–Saint Paul Metro Area, MN |
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| High Schools Represented | Multiple Twin Cities Urban & Suburban |
| | Public Schools |
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Musical and Political Intersectionality
The tour operated within a complex socio-political environment. The choice of repertoire, specifically Dr. Rollo Dilworth’s Weather, positioned the young singers at the center of ongoing national discussions regarding civil rights, freedom of speech, and artistic expression.
The temporary removal of interpretive panels at The President’s House served as an real-time case study for the ensemble. The table below outlines the timeline surrounding the historical site during SOTA’s visit:
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| PRESIDENT'S HOUSE EXHIBIT CONTROVERSY (FEB 2026) |
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| Early Feb 2026 | Executive order prompts removal of NPS interpretive signage |
| | detailing the history of enslaved individuals. |
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| Feb 12, 2026 | SOTA visits site; NPS Ranger "W" delivers off-the-record |
| | oral history to the ensemble. |
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| Feb 16, 2026 | Federal judge issues injunction ordering immediate restoration |
| | of historical signage as SOTA returns to Minnesota. |
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Official Statements
Reflecting on the tour’s artistic and social outcomes, key leadership figures, collaborative partners, and organizational managers offered formal perspectives on the significance of the travel residency.
G. Phillip Shoultz, III, Founding Conductor of SOTA and Associate Conductor of VocalEssence, emphasized the transformative nature of real-time programmatic adaptation:
"When we stand in historical spaces like the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, we are not merely performing music; we are participating in a living lineage of advocacy and hope. Changing our final piece to Hezekiah Walker’s ‘I Need You To Survive’ was an artistic imperative dictated by the energy of the room. Our young people from Minneapolis demonstrated that music is a fluid, responsive tool for human connection, capable of offering solace and solidarity across regional lines."
Rhiannon Fiskradatz, Operations Manager for SOTA, documented the educational impact of the historical encounters:
"This tour was structured to ensure our singers interacted directly with the complex histories of the places we visited. Standing at the site of The President’s House and experiencing the stark absence of signage—followed by the profound generosity of Park Ranger ‘W’—provided our students with a real-time lesson in civic courage. They returned to Minnesota understanding that history is actively contested, and that their voices matter in shaping that narrative."
Dr. Rollo Dilworth, Professor of Choral Music Education at Temple University and composer of Weather, remarked on the artistic maturity of the ensemble:
"Having SOTA join our students at Temple University brought a uniquely authentic energy to our performance of Weather. These young musicians carry the lived experience of Minneapolis within their artistry. Their presence inspired our university ensembles and proved that youth choirs are vital contributors to the national cultural discourse on justice and human dignity."
Future Outlook and Organizational Legacy
Strategic Implications for VocalEssence
The success of the 2026 Philadelphia tour marks a structural evolution for VocalEssence Singers Of This Age. Long recognized as a localized force for youth development and urban music education in the Twin Cities, SOTA’s expansion into national touring establishes the ensemble as a prominent youth choral ambassador on the national stage.
SOTA ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Phase 1: Local Impact Phase 2: Regional Expansion Phase 3: National Presence
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• Twin Cities Performances • Midwest Regional Tours • First Flight-Based Tour
• High School Outreach • Collaborations with • Inter-State Advocacy
• Local Civic Events Midwestern Orchestras • National Masterclasses
Upcoming Initiatives and Institutional Trajectory
The WITNESS Concert Series: Building directly upon the masterclasses conducted with Dr. Rollo Dilworth during the tour, SOTA returned to Minnesota to headline the annual VocalEssence WITNESS program, performing Dilworth’s works before thousands of Twin Cities public school students.
National Youth Network Expansion: SOTA’s collaboration with Allentown’s Mosaic Youth Chorus has initiated plans for a recurring national network of youth choirs dedicated to social advocacy, potentially leading to a multi-city youth choral summit in future seasons.
Institutional Philosophy: The tour reinforced SOTA’s commitment to core organizational principles, combining the VocalEssence motto, "Together We Sing," with the humanistic framework articulated by artist Melanie DeMore: "Lead With Love."
By navigating historical controversies, engaging in academic artistic exchanges, and performing in sacred civil rights spaces, the 37 young singers of VocalEssence Singers Of This Age returned to Minnesota having proved that vocal music remains one of the most potent instruments for cross-cultural understanding, historical truth-telling, and civic cohesion in contemporary America.
