“Spine-tingling high notes” hit the spot.

You may have heard them.  This is The NorrSound Tenors story.

It all started as a question, “What if you put together a tenor trio?”  This was one that I was asking myself and to hear someone outside of me ask me THE SAME QUESTION and offer to give us a stage and commission some arrangements it was an easy “Heck, YES!”  The voice outside of me that asked this question was Dave Hoehl who, at the time, was the traditional worship leader at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie.  I’d sung in his choirs for holiday functions in the past as my parents attended Wooddale over the years I was in college and what collegiate-level music student isn’t looking for music holiday gigs?

Dave commissioned me to arrange three pieces for the concert.  I wanted them to be contrasting so one was accapella, one was with piano, and the last was to be fully-orchestrated, utilizing Lee Blaske.  Blaske is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer that has done orchestration for everyone from Cantus to Beyonce’.

Lee took my ideas on O Holy Night and transmuted them into something awe-inspiring, captivating and special.  It has become a staple of our performances every Christmas season since.  We MUST end Christmas concerts with it as, by the time we play it, it feels like there’s nothing left to say.

The tenor trio has had different 3rd tenors over the years.

For our debut performance in 2014, Aleks Knezevich was the man!  I specifically arranged his part for his slavic tenor voice.  A favorite at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, I have him to thank for bugging Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (then) vice president, Tamara Erickson about getting us on the concert series. (Tamara is now the Executive Director of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres!)

Unfortunately, he wasn’t available in 2015 because of a show conflict, but we brought on Dr. Aaron Humble, who David Walton and I had both sung with (separately) in Cantus.  Aaron stole the hearts of my daughters when, for his solo that first year at Chanhassen, he came out in an Olaf costume and sang “In Summer” as the Disney movie, FROZEN had just come out and my daughters were in LOVE with that movie and especially Olaf the snowman.

We’ve also had Brian Wallin, Sam Baker, and John deCausmeaker as the 3rd tenor.

2025 we celebrate being invited to perform on the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres concert series for 10 years!  (we had one year which was a Covid-cancellation)  Their Fireside Theatre, which houses all concert series performances, offers the perfect balance of intimacy and versatility.

Last year, we added our Monday matinee which sold out FIRST.  This year we added a SUNDAY matinee which is proving to be more popular than even the Saturday matinee show.

Audience members love coming back year after year for classics like Nessun Dorma, Sleigh Ride, and O Holy Night.  We can’t believe the outpouring of support from attendees: “You’re a part of our Christmas tradition”, and “You WILL be back, right?”