Tomorrow’s Voices Today
What started in 2013 as a partnership with the Sarasota Public Schools, “Tomorrow’s Voices Today” is an intergenerational choral experience involving more than 200 students. Each year the High School Choral Festival showcases three Sarasota County high school choirs. Each school’s choir performs independently, then joins the 110+ trained voices of Key Chorale in a festival chorus that is led by Maestro Joseph Caulkins.
This festival is made possible in part by The Exchange – Elizabeth Lindsay Arts in Education Grant.
Every year Joseph works with my students in preparation for MPA or Tomorrow’s Voices Today, bringing a sensitivity to the music that is truly inspiring. He bridges the gap between the technical aspects of music and the heart of each piece. My students and I appreciate him giving freely of his time and always learn so much.
– Seth Gardner, Director of Choral Activities at Pine View School
In the weeks leading up to the performance, Artistic Director Joseph Caulkins visits each high school to work with each choir individually on the festival repertoire. On the day of the concert, the three schools rehearse together with Key Chorale for several hours. “Tomorrow’s Voices Today” is a wholly unique choral festival experience, as it incorporates singers of all ages, from students to octogenarians. This choral festival has inspired countless high school students by encouraging music-making at the highest level.
“Key Chorale’s support of our high schools’ choral programs and their students and teachers is wonderful and goes far beyond this one event. Once a school’s chorus has made a connection to Key Chorale through the Tomorrow’s Voices Today concert, they continue to be supported by Maestro Caulkins’ visits to their classroom and, in some cases, additional performance opportunities within the community. We are so appreciative of this partnership!”
– Angela Hartvigsen, Fine Arts Program Specialist, K-12, Manager, EdExploreSRQ.com, Sarasota County Schools
Tomorrow’s Voices Today High School Choral Festival
Jake Runestad’s “Please Stay” was inspired by the 2016 campaign for World Suicide Prevention Day by the nonprofit organization To Write Love on Her Arms, a campaign which encouraged individuals battling depression to share their stories on Twitter using the hashtag #IKeptLiving. Runestad collected hundreds of these messages, which then inspired the text for “Please Stay,” a piece that he describes as “an anthem for hope – an attempt to destigmatize mental illness and challenge all of us to support those who are battling depression and thoughts of suicide.
Daniel Espinal, Sarasota High School – Soloist
Joseph Caulkins – Conductor
Nancy Yost Olson – Accompanist
Winner of Chorus America’s 2020 Award for Education and Community Engagement
