Back by popular demand, Monroe Crossing performs an electrifying blend of traditional and original bluegrass music, as well as some surprising songs outside the genre. Named in honor of Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music, Monroe Crossing’s superb musicianship and on-stage rapport have entertained audiences throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Members of the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, Monroe Crossing has been entertaining audiences for over 25 years, performing over 2,600 shows. Whether appearing in an intimate room, community theater, major venue or outdoor festival, Monroe Crossing always presents a highly entertaining show making them favorites among bluegrass connoisseurs and non-bluegrass audiences alike!

This year’s performance will feature St. Philip the Deacon’s Sanctuary Choir in a performance of Carol Barnett’s The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass.

About The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass

In 2006, Mike and Kay McCarthy, fans of diverse musical genres, decided to commission a piece which combined the folk sounds of bluegrass with the majesty of classical choral music. Composer Carol Barnett and librettist Marisha Chamberlain combined efforts to create, The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass. The result is a brilliant and exhilarating blend of the classical mass, modern choral sophistication, insightful poetry and traditional bluegrass instrumentation.

The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass was premiered in 2007 by Monroe Crossing and award winning choral group Vocal Essence under the direction of Philip Brunelle. Since then, Monroe Crossing has performed the piece over 80 times with choirs from California to Washington D.C. and many points in between.