Trinity University

Voix d'Esprit

Voix d'Esprit ("Voices of the Spirit") is Trinity's premiere all-female vocal ensemble. These women explore the vast breadth of music written to display the beauty and power of the female voice. They believe that the vocal art requires going beyond the singing of notes in order to create experiences that positively shape our world. Following this mission, a unique aspect to this ensemble is the element of service learning - providing a voice to help support a variety of women's issues throughout the San Antonio community. This is best embodied in the annual Celebration of Women's Voices, a multi-disciplinary event involving music, art, poetry, drama, and featuring performances by Voix d'Esprit. All proceeds are given to a local organization that supports women's issues.

The history of women's choirs at Trinity University is far-reaching. The earliest female ensemble dates back the 1910's with the women's glee club and few years later with the addition of a larger women's choral group. Today, this ensemble continues to perform at all of the main musical events on campus, including the fall and spring choral concerts, the highly popular Christmas concert and Vespers Service, and a major choral-orchestral masterwork with the Choral Union.

In 2009, the ensemble presented a powerful musical collage featuring excerpts from Charles Davidson's setting of "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," based on a collection of poems written by the 15,000 children transported through the ghetto town of Terezin during the Holocaust. Other recent repertoire includes early chant by Hildegard von Bingen, works by Antonio Lotti, Handel, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Fauré, Casals, Vaughan Williams, Randall Thompson, Copland, Rupert Lang, and various gospel and multicultural pieces.

Highlights for the 2012-2013 season include a world-premiere performance of a composition by Dale Trumbore, winner of numerous awards including Chanticleer's Composer Competition. The ensemble will also be featured in an April 2013 program of SSAA choral-orchestral masterworks and Trinity's Celebration of Women's Voices.