Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie Zaepfel.
Hi Laurie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been a singer with Caritas Vocal Ensemble since the 2012-13 concert season. I also currently serve on the board as vice chair, and act as volunteer manager of the group. I am passionate about participating in a vocal chamber ensemble, and in promoting the group to the wider community, both for our performances and for our partnerships with other local non-profits. The group becomes like a close-knit family as we sing and work together. Below is a description of the group.
Caritas Vocal Ensemble, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a non-profit group of choral singers with a mission.
Caritas was created in 2001 as the founder’s response to the events of 9-11, spurred by the desire to present beauty and benefit the community. The ensemble has worked with a number of local non-profits through the years, raising money and awareness through concerts. As Caritas enters its third decade, it continues to be a vocal ensemble that performs unique and surprising concerts to benefit the community in collaboration with partners that share our values.
In return for their donation or admission price, Caritas’ audiences are treated to a concert of delightful a cappella choral music performed by a mixed group of experienced singers. Sacred and secular, traditional, contemporary and culturally diverse, we have something for everyone! The musical selections are performed by singers with a passion for music coupled with a desire to make a difference in the world. We seek to have an impact in the world: for our musicians, with our community, and for our non-profit partner organizations.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like any arts organization, Caritas has had its share of challenges, including attracting audiences, maintaining enough income to cover necessary expenses, and making decisions about leadership. When the founder of the group left the organization, the group decided to proceed without a director, which had both benefits and drawbacks. The model worked for some years, until members decided that artistic leadership would help us achieve both artistic and administrative goals.
Several choral leaders have been associated with Caritas; our current artistic director, Paolo Debuque, made great strides in the group’s artistic quality and spurred Caritas to examine its administrative model as well. In the current season, Paolo has had to step back from daily operations due to other commitments, and our interim director, Monte Mason (who also directs the Gregorian Singers) has offered us steady leadership. Changes in leaders can be challenging, as singers learn a new style, but ultimately, we learn new things from each director. Of course, hiring talented leaders is also a financial challenge, and we work hard to find sources of funding to keep our organization afloat.
Attracting audiences can also be a challenge. The group has varied between 7 and 14 singers through its history, and a small roster can mean a struggle to get the word out about our delightful, eclectic programs. Once people do attend a concert, they are often loyal fans, but reaching interested concert attendees continues to be a challenge, especially because the Twin Cities is so rich in opportunities to hear choral music, and also because there are now fewer print publications that feature event calendars.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Caritas Vocal Ensemble seeks to fill a unique niche in the Twin Cities choral scene. We are a volunteer vocal ensemble–a group that sings an eclectic mix of music, from Renaissance music to classic choral works, to jazz and pop arrangements. Our concerts offer something for every listener! As an ensemble, we seek to connect with each other as singers and with the audience, and we take seriously our goal of introducing our audiences to our benefit partners–organizations that provide valuable human services. In 2024-25, we are working with Cherish All Children, which works to prevent child trafficking, and with Avenues for Youth, which helps young people moving out of homelessness.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
When Paolo Debuque became our artistic director, he challenged the group to provide ever more creative presentations to engage audiences. Our recent concerts have included readings woven into the music, and this season is focused on storytelling. The holiday program draws on the classic ” ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” and the spring program, still in development, will feature stories of childhood. Other creative programs have been proposed for the future, and collaborations to reach more diverse audiences are in the works as well.
One new event Caritas has tried in the last two years is a season preview we call “Cozy with Caritas,” an event featuring an open rehearsal, short performance, and refreshments. Our audiences have enjoyed seeing “behind the scenes” and visiting with and learning more about our singers and our organization. We have included humorous novelty songs in these events.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.caritasvocalensemble.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caritassingers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaritasVocalEnsemble
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@caritasvocalensemble8122
