Dona nobis pickin'

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This week the Twin Cities choral group VocalEssence is introducing what is likely the first mass written for classical chorus and bluegrass band. "The World Beloved" by composer Carol Barnett and librettist Marisha Chamberlain receives its premiere in performances Friday and Saturday by the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and the bluegrass-gospel group Monroe Crossing.

Carol Barnett
Twin Cities composer Carol Barnett says her challenge in writing a mass for bluegrass band and chorus was creating a cohesive work blending two very different musical genres.
MPR Photo/Karl Gehrke

In a conversation with Minnesota Public Radio's Steve Staruch, Barnett discusses the challenges of blending the liturgy of Roman Catholic mass with bluegrass music to create a single, cohesive work.

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