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INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANNOUNCED - OCTOBER 18, 2023

Minneapolis, MN – October 18, 2023 – Cantus is pleased to announce that Bob Peskin will serve as the organization’s Interim Executive Director, beginning November 1, 2023, succeeding outgoing Executive Director Joseph Heitz. Peskin recently retired from the Minnesota Chorale, having served the Chorale as executive director for 17 years. He brings a wealth of experience in arts management and choral music to Cantus, as the internationally acclaimed ensemble initiates a rigorous search process to fill the Executive Director position.

“I’ve been a fan of Cantus since they arrived on the Twin Cities scene nearly 30 years ago, and I’m delighted to help with their transition to a permanent executive director,” said Peskin. “It’s an honor to work for an ensemble that has done so much to raise the profile of vocal music for low voices, and has advocated for the creation and performance of new music.”

“Bob’s record of Twin Cities nonprofit leadership led us quickly to seek his services as Cantus’s Interim Executive Director,” says board chair Brian Newhouse. “I’ve admired the accomplishments of the Minnesota Chorale in his tenure as their Executive Director, as well as his performances as a singer in superb choral ensembles. That combination of skills and talents makes him uniquely qualified to take this interim role with Cantus, and as an organization we couldn’t be more pleased.”

Prior to his work at the Minnesota Chorale, Peskin was the director of the regional chapter program at the American Composers Forum, and was the associate director of the Forum’s “Continental Harmony” project, a nationwide program that celebrated the year 2000 with commissions of new works in every American state.

A composer, choral music arranger, and conductor, Peskin has been engaged as a professional singer with many Twin Cities choral ensembles, including the Dale Warland Singers, Bach Society of Minnesota, Border CrosSing, Kantorei, the Rose Ensemble, the Singers, and VocalEssence. He continues to sing as a section leader in the Minnesota Chorale, and the a cappella doo-wop quartet The Fairlanes. He is also a member of the Unity Singers, the chamber choir of Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul, where he formerly served as director of music ministries.

Peskin earned his BA cum laude in music composition from Princeton University, and pursued graduate studies in choral conducting at the University of Minnesota, where his teachers included Dr. Thomas Lancaster, former artistic director of the Minnesota Chorale, and Kathy Saltzman Romey, the Chorale’s artistic director since 1994.

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Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832

2023-24 SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT - JUNE 2, 2023

Minneapolis, MN – June 2, 2023

Today, Cantus announces its 29th season of concerts in Minnesota and throughout the country, on tour. The “always entertaining Minneapolis-based men’s ensemble, whose eight voices are always impeccably tuned, scrupulously balanced, perfectly blended, and artfully expressive” (Classics Today),” will take to concert stages throughout the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and visit eight cities in the United States and Canada to present three programs in addition to their annual Christmas with Cantus and popular Covers series. Also slated for the season are a special collaboration with the Canadian Brass (February 25) and the annual Cantus Idol competition and fundraiser (May 6).    

To complement their live concerts, Cantus will continue to make performances available online to audiences worldwide. New this season is a digital subscription package for purchase that includes access to all livestreamed and on-demand content throughout the season.  Cantus also will expand their pay-what-you-can program, offering single tickets to online performances and single tickets to select subscription concerts in a pay-what-you-can format, starting at $5.  

Cantus opens the season October 13-22 with five performances of Brave in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Stillwater, Edina and Plymouth. With works by composers as varied as Fanny Mendelssohn to Sara Bareilles, Brave takes a nuanced look at evolving ideas of masculinity. Next, they perform Christmas with Cantus: Three Tales of Christmas in nine venues throughout the Twin Cities from December 8-22. A special family-friendly presentation of Christmas with Cantus – a shorter program with no intermission and flexible seating geared at accommodating little ones – will occur on Saturday, December 16th at Westminster Hall in Minneapolis.   

Cantus’ new program Mountain Nights – presenting works by Zoltán Kodály, Chen Yi, and Gabriela Lena Frank that explore far-ranging music of expansive skies and breathtaking summits – runs March 15-24. Cantus’ annual Covers series: Covers Like It’s 1999 (June 1-9) takes audiences back to the cusp of the new millennium, with re-imagined pop hits from artists like Britney Spears, Ricky Martin, and the Backstreet Boys; they close out the season July 16-19 with the debut of their program, The Queen’s Songbook, featuring works by Queen Lili’uokalani and other artists from the Pacific Rim.  

Continuing their tradition of collaborative concerts, Cantus will partner with the acclaimed Canadian Brass for a special performance of low-voice and brass repertoire on Sunday, February 25 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. They will also hold their popular annual competition, Cantus Idol, at the Metropolitan Ballroom and Clubroom in Golden Valley, MN on May 6, 2024, which raises funds for the ensemble’s robust educational outreach efforts.  

Cantus on Tour 

Cantus will present programs on tour from August – April in eight North American cities this season, including stops in Ottowa, ON; Yellow Springs, OH; Pittsburg, Kansas; Barrington, Illinois; Grand Rapids, MI; Phoenix, AZ; Morrow, GA; and Birmingham, AL.   

Educational Programs 

Building on the success of its High School Residency program, Cantus also launches its new High School Mentorship Program, which offers sustained, in-depth, and highly tailored support throughout the season to students at the FAIR School in Minneapolis. The ensemble will also work with the Minnesota chapter of ACDA to create a low-voice festival for high school students from across the state in spring of 2024.  

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Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832

CANTUS WINS ALICE PARKER FUND AWARD - MAY 24, 2023

Minneapolis, MN – June 2, 2023 – Low voice ensemble Cantus received The Alice Parker Fund Award which ‘recognises the exemplary work of a Black or Latinx composer or an ensemble that respectfully and authentically presents works incorporating these traditions and experiences’.

Cantus tenor Paul Schlotz said, ‘We at Cantus are honoured to receive Chorus America’s Alice Parker Fund Award. It is a point of emphasis for us to proactively program and present a diversity of music in our work and certainly to feature Black and Latinx compositions.

‘For us, the award serves as further reinforcement of the essential importance of diversity in effectively executing our mission to give voice to shared human experience by inspiring audiences through song and word, sparking new depths of understanding and empathy.’

Chorus America president Catherine Dehoney said, ‘Chorus America is delighted to recognise the accomplishments of these incredible award winners. Their artistry, their dedication, and the joy they bring to their work move the choral field forward and inspire us all.’

To view the full list of awards visit the Chorus America website.

 

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Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832

2022-23 Season Announcement - August 10, 2022

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – August 10, 2022 – Today, tickets go on sale for acclaimed vocal ensemble Cantus 28th season. The eight low-voiced harmonizers will bring their “warm, burnished and supple singing” and “energized dynamic contrasts” (Dallas News) to concert stages in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and around the country, as well as continue their popular pandemic-borne tradition of making concerts available online to audiences worldwide. From October through July, Cantus will present five new programs in twelve venues statewide and will be seen on tour in twenty cities throughout the United States.

This season, Cantus also welcomes Australian-born tenor and composer Matthew Shorten to the roster, replacing outgoing tenor Alberto de la Paz.

“There’s a lot of positive momentum heading into our 28th season and we are beyond excited to share these programs with audiences across the country as well as here at home in Minnesota,” says Cantus tenor Paul Scholtz. “It’s never possible to replace an outgoing artist, but each new member brings their own artistry and personality to our work and we can’t wait to introduce everyone to Matthew.”

Shorten, most recently based in Singapore as a Luce Scholar, is thrilled to be Cantus’ newest recruit. “Cantus has always excelled at such a wide variety of repertoire, and the opportunity to spend my time sharing such diverse musical selections with global audiences is remarkable,” he says. “In addition to performing, I am looking forward to engaging with the ensemble’s ongoing commitment to education, outreach, and the mentorship of young artists.”

Cantus opens the season October 21-30 with Song of the Universal, a program that explores how people across time and geography experience the divine. The program – which draws its title from a poem by Walt Whitman –touches on faith traditions across cultures, from chant by Hildegard von Bingen to A.R. Rahman’s pulsating “Zikr.” American composer Joan Szymko’s energetic “Ffe Mwe, Mwe Ffe” celebrates how some may encounter the divine through building community, while Paul John Rudoi’s “Song of Sky and Sea” reflects how others do so by retreating into nature. Song of the Universal features a newly commissioned multi-movement work by three exceptional emerging composers: Mari Esabel Valverde, Yosvany Estepe Diaz and Mariana Sadovska that reflect on universal themes of humanity’s relationship to the great mystery: Creation, Life, and Afterlife. A preview of Song of the Universal can be viewed here.

On December 9-20, Cantus performs their latest edition of Christmas with Cantus: Into the Light in ten Twin Cities venues. Into the Light offers a contemporary take on the traditional Nine Lessons and Carols to center on nine themes both intimate and universal, using poetry that speaks to a modern audience and repertoire that reflects a range of context and cultures. Drawing on time-honored carols such as “Still, Still, Still” and “I Wonder As I Wander” the program also incorporates newer favorites like Joni Mitchell’s “River,” Joe and Eddie’s “Children Go,” and “O Magnum Mysterium” by B.E. Boykin. Into the Light will also be released this fall on Signum Classics, marking their third release for the label and their first new Christmas album in over a decade. Signed copies of the new album will be available to Cantus audiences after each performance.

In I Hear America Singing, running February 24 to March 21, Cantus examines the role that labor and work have played in different societies and eras across the world. From servant and slavery systems of old, to the industrial revolution, to labor unions and the gig economy, music has been a part of work every step of the way. I Hear America Singing is anchored by an arrangement of Walt Whitman’s celebrated poem of the same name set to music by Cantus bass Chris Foss, and includes works by Stacey Gibbs, Stevie Wonder, Franz Schubert and Sydney Guillaume. The program offers a joyful examination of the role work has played in our lives in years past, and how work will evolve into the future.

Cantus continues its popular annual tradition of presenting a concert of pop COVERS June 2-10. This year’s theme – Just my Imagination: A Motown Covers – celebrates the iconic songs that defined an era, and features hits from the Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Jackson 5, and Stevie Wonder.  Cantus makes its venue debut with COVERS at the Luminary Arts Center in Minneapolis.

Cantus closes its 2022-23 season July 11-14 with And All the Days Were Purple. The program encompasses works by Jewish and Jewish-American composers including Pulitzer Prize nominee Alex Weiser, whose stunning work “and all the days were purple” highlights the expressiveness of the Yiddish language in concert with a string trio, piano, vibraphone, and glockenspiel.

Cantus on Tour

Cantus will present their programs Song of the Universal, Alone Together, Christmas with Cantus, and My Journey Yours on tour in seventeen cities throughout the United States this season, including stops in New York, Indiana, Wisconsin, California, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, and Massachusetts. The ensemble begins its touring season on August 15, 2022 with a return to the Chautauqua Institution in New York to perform the program My Journey Yours.

Cantus also continues their signature High School Residency program, working with students from Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis, Minnetonka High School, and White Bear Lake High School.

Cantus 2022-23 Season Ticket information

Three-, four-, and five-concert subscription packages go on sale to the public on Wednesday, August 10 at cantussings.org. Tickets may also be purchased by calling the Cantus box office at 612-435-0055.

  • Five-concert package: $155 each
  • Four-concert package: $130 each
  • Three-concert package: $102 each

Covid-19 Safety Guidelines: Cantus asks that all audience members wear face coverings regardless of vaccination status to comply with requirements across all performance venues until further notice.   Visit www.cantussings.org for more details and for pandemic-related updates.

 

Cantus 2022-23 Twin Cities Concert Season

Song of the Universal

Friday, October 21, 2022 at 7:30 pm – Westminster Hall, Minneapolis

Sunday, October 23, 2022 at 3 pm – Westonka Performing Arts Center, Minnetrista (NEW VENUE)

Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 11 am – Meetinghouse Church, Edina (formerly Colonial Church of Edina)

Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 7:30 pm – Ordway Concert Hall, Saint Paul

Sunday, October 30, 2022 at 3 pm – Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater

Saint Hildegard the mystic claimed that her visions of God came to her through all five senses. Joan of Arc and Blaise Pascal both received holy instructions from other-worldly visitors. Indian visionary Kabir believed that God is not external, but rather located inside oneself. Experiencing God, however, is not exclusive to the historic or religious. Music, nature, and community can evoke holiness in our homes, spirituality in our surroundings, and the universal in our souls. Join Cantus on a journey to explore the connections to the divine through oneself and the ineffable alike.

Program Repertoire*

Edie Hill: (A Sound Like This) III. Clay Jug
Paul Rudoi: (Song of Sky and Sea) II. Two Falling Stars
Mari Ésabel Valverde: Before Spring
Yosvany Estepe: Vida, Tú
Mariana Sadovska: The Gates
Anon (arr. Arlety Valdés / Yudelkis Lafuente): Canto a Eleggua
Byron Adams: Eventide
Joan Szymko: Ffe Mwe, Mwe Ffe
Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson, Kolbeinn Tumason: Heyr himna smy∂ur
John Lennon and Yoko Ono (arr. CF/SG): Imagine
Makiko Kinoshita: Shukufuku
Traditional Spiritual (arr. Stacey Gibbs): Steal Away
Hildegard (arr. Chris Foss): Tu Flos Es
Kurt Elling (arr. Blake Morgan): Those Clouds Are Heavy, You Dig?
Toru Takemitsu: Wind Horse
A.R. Rahman (arr. Ethan Sperry): Zikr

 

Christmas with Cantus: Into the Light

Friday, December 9, 2022 at 11 am – Westminster Hall, Minneapolis

Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 7:30 pm – Capri Theater, Minneapolis

Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 3 pm – Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater

Monday, December 12, 2022 at 7:30 pm – Fridley High School Auditorium, Fridley

Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 11 am – Meetinghouse Church, Edina

Friday, December 16, 2022 at 7:30 pm – Ordway Concert Hall, Saint Paul

Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 7:30 pm – Zumbro Lutheran Church, Rochester

Sunday, December 18, 2022 at 3 pm – Hamline United Methodist Church, Saint Paul

Monday, December 19, 2022 at 7:30 pm – Westonka Performing Arts Center, Minnetrista

Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at 7:30 pm – Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, Saint Paul

Christmas with Cantus: Into the Light offers a contemporary take on the format of the Nine Lessons and Carols to center on nine themes both intimate and universal, using poetry that speaks to a modern audience and repertoire that reflects a range of context and cultures. Cantus offers a thoughtful, intricately crafted holiday program that honors tradition and speaks to the moment.

Program Repertoire*

Saunder Choi: Aguinaldo Carols
Cheryl Camm: Alleluia! Into the Light (a miner’s carol)
Saunder Choi: Angels We Have Heard on High
Traditional (arr. Joe & Eddie): Children, Go
Rosephanye Powell (arr. W. Powell): Glory Hallelujah to duh Newbo’n King
Traditional (arr. Reggie Bowens): I Saw Three Ships
John Jacob Niles (arr. Paul Rudoi): I Wonder as I Wander
Chris Foss: Love, the God Eternal
Francisco Grau Vegara: Mensaje de Paz
Sofia Soderberg: Noel Nouvelet
Kenneth Jennings: O Little Town of Bethlehem
B.E. Boykin: O Magnum Mysterium
Joni Mitchell: River
Gruber (arr. Christopher Harris): Silent Night
Traditional (arr. Aaron Humble): Still, Still, Still
Chris Foss: Twas the Night before Christmas
Linda Kachelmeier: We Toast the Days

I Hear America Singing

Friday, February 24, 2023 at 7:30 pm – Westminster Hall, Minneapolis

Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 3 pm – Ordway Concert Hall, Saint Paul

Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 7:30 pm – Westonka Performing Arts Center, Minnetrista

Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 3 pm – Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 11 am – Meetinghouse Church, Edina

The view of one’s labor has taken on different meanings in societies and eras across the world. From servant and slavery systems of old, to the industrial revolution, to labor unions and the gig economy, our idea of ‘work’ is ever-changing. As in all aspects of our culture, music has been a part of work every step of the way. Join Cantus for a joyful examination of the role work has played in our lives in years past, and how work will evolve into the future.

Program Repertoire*

Stacey Gibbs: Ain’t Got Time to Die
Saunder Choi: Brothers of the Sea
Franz Schubert: Die Nacht
Atahualpa Yupanqui: Duerme Negrito
Michael McGlynn: Dulaman
Chris Foss: I Hear America Singing
Sydney Guillaume: Kanpe La
Stevie Wonder: Living for the City
Yamagata Ken Miuyo: Mogami gala funa uta
Arr. Robert de Cormier: Rainbow Round My Shoulder
Remel Derrick: Rest
Arr. Carraciolo: Simple Gifts
John Work: This Ol’ Hammer
Tom Breiding: Union Miner
Arr. Chris Foss: We Shall Not Be Moved
Melissa Dunphy: Work

*All program repertoire subject to change

 

Just My Imagination: A Motown Covers

Friday, June 2 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, June 3 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, June 4 at 3 pm

Friday, June 9 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, June 10 at 7:30 pm

All performances will be at the Luminary Arts Center, Minneapolis

Cantus takes you to Motown with Just My Imagination, performing covers of iconic songs that defined an era from The Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Jackson 5, and Stevie Wonder. A feel-good jukebox journey through Motown’s greatest hits!

 

And All the Days Were Purple

Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 7:30 pm – Antonello Hall, Minneapolis

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 at 7:30 pm – American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis

Thursday, July 13, 2023 at 11 am – Westminster Hall, Minneapolis

Friday, July 14, 2023 at 7:30 pm – Westminster Hall, Minneapolis

In And All the Days Were Purple, Cantus explores a kaleidoscope of breathtaking art song in Yiddish, English, and Hebrew. The program encompasses works by Jewish and Jewish-American composers including Pulitzer Prize nominee Alex Weiser, whose stunning work “and all the days were purple” highlights the expressiveness of the Yiddish language. Cantus is complemented in this program by an ensemble comprised of string trio, piano, vibraphone, and glockenspiel.

 

CANTUS National Touring Dates 2022-23

August 15, 2022 – Chautauqua Institution – Chautauqua, New York

September 16, 2022 – Goshen College Performing Arts Series – Goshen, Indiana

September 30, 2022 – Chippewa Valley Cultural Association – Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

October 2, 2022 – Buena Vista University – Storm Lake, Iowa

October 14, 2022 – Sonoma State University – Rohnert Park, California

October 16, 2022 – InConcert Sierra – Nevada City, California

November 11-12, 2022 – Juniata College – Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

November 29, 2022 – Okoboji Performing Arts – Okoboji, Iowa

December 1, 2022 – Hancher Auditorium/University of Iowa – Iowa City, Iowa

December 2, 2022 – Civic Music Association – Des Moines, Iowa

December 4, 2022 – Gateway Arts Council – Sidney, Ohio

December 7, 2022 – St. Mary’s Catholic Church – Richmond, Virginia

February 3, 2023 – Harker Concert Series – San Jose, California

February 4, 2023 – San Jose State University – San Jose, California

February 10, 2023 – Duke Performances – Durham, North Carolina

March 4, 2023 – Huntsville Chamber Music Guild – Huntsville, Alabama

March 11, 2023 – Miami University of Ohio – Oxford, Ohio

March 17, 2023 – Albion College – Albion, Michigan

April 21, 2023 – Pawling Concert Series – Pawling, New York

April 23, 2023 – First United Methodist – Shreveport, Louisiana

April 30, 2023 – Shalin Liu Performance Center – Rockport, Massachusetts

About Cantus

Now in its 28th season, the “engaging” (New Yorker) low-voice ensemble Cantus is widely known for its trademark warmth and blend, innovative programming and riveting performances of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. The Washington Post has hailed the Cantus sound as having both “exalting finesse” and “expressive power” and refers to the “spontaneous grace” of its music making. The Philadelphia Inquirer called the group nothing short of “exquisite.”

As one of the nation’s few full-time vocal ensembles, Cantus has come to prominence with its distinctive approach to creating music. Working without a conductor, the members of Cantus rehearse and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing to the entirety of the artistic process, creating programs that give voice to shared human experiences. As the Star Tribune has written, “The main hallmark of the Cantus sound has always been sheer quality and an unbroken belief in the special way that vocal music has of warming and invigorating the human spirit.”

Cantus enjoys a vigorous schedule of national and international touring, in addition to home concerts in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Cantus has performed at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, UCLA, San Francisco Performances, Tanglewood and Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. Cantus also makes all of its home concerts available online. This pandemic-prompted innovation has brought the ensemble’s programs to audiences spanning 50 states and ten countries.

Cantus records for the UK-based Signum Classics label which has released the popular COVID-19 Sessions and Manifesto, an album of world premiere recordings of works by Ysaÿe Barnwell, David Lang, Sydney Guillaume, Libby Larsen, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and others. In the fall of 2022, Signum releases Into the Light, the first new Holiday album from Cantus in over a decade.  Cantus also has a deep catalog of recordings released on the group’s eponymous label.

Committed to the expansion of the vocal music repertoire, Cantus actively commissions new music and seeks to unearth rarely performed repertoire for low voices. Cantus has received commissioning grants from New Music USA, the National Endowment for the Arts, Chorus America, American Composers Forum and Chamber Music America. In line with Cantus’ ongoing commitment to fostering new works for tenors, baritones, and basses, the ensemble has partnered with composer and former Cantus bass Timothy C. Takach and Graphite Publishing on the Cantus Choral Series, distributing Cantus’ signature arrangements and compositions for ensembles everywhere to perform and enjoy.

Cantus has a rich history of collaborations with other performing arts organizations, including the Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Pops, Chanticleer, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Lorelei Ensemble, Theater Latté Da and the James Sewell Ballet. The ensemble is heard frequently on both classical public radio nationwide and on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Integral to the Cantus mission is its commitment to preserve and deepen music education in the schools. Cantus works with more than 5,000 students each year in masterclass and workshop settings across the country and has visited 31 Minnesota high schools throughout the 15-year history of its award-winning High School Residency program. Cantus also presents a Young and Emerging Composers’ Competition, to encourage the creation of new repertoire through cash prizes, a performance, recording and potential publication of winning compositions.

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Contact:

Rebecca Davis

Rebecca Davis Public Relations

Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com

347-432-8832

COVERS LIVE! Album Release - April 28, 2022

★★★★ “Cantus are a class act, performing everything with both immaculate balance and plenty of character” – BBC Music Magazine

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – April 28, 2022 – Following their critically acclaimed COVID-19 Sessions release on Signum Classics, low voice ensemble Cantus will self-release COVERS LIVE! on May 1. This marks the twenty-first album in the ensemble’s twenty-seven-year history and the first time their popular COVERS concerts have been heard outside the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. Cantus’ COVERS concert series has become an annual tradition. “We have always loved performing our COVERS show each year,” says tenor Paul Scholtz, “in part because it’s so much fun to sing with a band, but more so because of the chance to reenvision some of these incredible songs we all know and love for the eight voices of Cantus. We are so excited to be able to finally share this music beyond our Twin Cities’ home.”

Recorded in June 2021 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, the album presents the fourteenth program in Cantus’ COVERS series, and offers a fresh take on the music of Sir Elton John, like “Rocket Man,” “Circle of Life,” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” along with classics from Joni Mitchell, Earth, Wind, & Fire, The Friends of Distinction, Laura Mvula, Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton and Feist.

Cantus’ next program of COVERS: CHANGE IS GONNA COME can be heard live in Minneapolis at the Music Box Theatre on June 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11, 2022. Inspired by Sam Cooke’s timeless anthem of the same name, Cantus’ fifteenth COVERS program is a high-energy homage to those who spark change, blending the ensemble’s smooth vocal harmonies with the music of Marvin Gaye, Lady Gaga, Gloria Gaynor, and more.

“One of the hallmarks of the Cantus identity is our stylistic versatility,” says Scholtz. “Our vision is to give voice to shared human experiences, to place storytelling at the forefront. If we feel a story or song is worth sharing, we won’t let its genre prevent us from reimagining it in our voices.”

COVERS LIVE! 

Click here to purchase and download the album.

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Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832

Manifesto Album Release - June 2, 2021

Minneapolis, MN – June 2, 2021Manifesto, the Signum Classics full-length album debut from the “exquisite” (Philadelphia Inquirer) vocal chamber ensemble Cantus will be released digitally on June 25 and on CD exclusively to Cantus audiences in advance of the August 6 worldwide release. In keeping with Cantus’ commitment to the creation of new music for tenors, baritones and basses, the preponderance of the works on Manifesto were written specifically for Cantus, and all are world premiere recordings. 

In Manifesto, Cantus takes a nuanced look at identity and relationships — with friends, lovers, family and the divine. The album takes its name from “Manifesto”, a minimalistic piece from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang set to text from Google’s auto-complete list of the query “I want to be with someone who…” The text aims to paint an honest portrait of society’s shared-yet-secret longings in this age of technology.  

Originally commissioned by Cantus for the ensemble’s program entitled The Four Loves – which explored the four Greek ideals of love – Lang’s “Manifesto” represented romantic love. Also commissioned for the program and recorded on the album are Roger Treece’s “Philia” (friendly love), Ysaÿe M. Barnwell’s “Tango with God” (divine love), and Joseph Gregorio’s “To My Brother” (familial love). 

Composer and Cantus alumnus Timothy C. Takach exemplifies that friendly love with “Luceat Eis.” Written for the commemoration of service members who died during the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the piece embraces the sentiment, “No man hath greater love than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.”  

Sydney Guillaume’s “Gagòt” is a Haitian Creole song about finding peace within life’s messes, and  Sarah Kirkland Snider’s “Psalm of the Soil” – also commissioned by Cantus – is about the ongoing inward journey of self-discovery. GRAMMY® award-winning composer Libby Larsen’sIf I profane with my unworthiest hand…” is a take on the famous “love sonnet” from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. 

The album is anchored by song cycles: Song of Sky and Sea by Paul John Rudoi set to ecstatic poetry from ancient mystic poets Hafiz, Rumi and Kabir; and Evening Stars, a trilogy by Dale Warland with poetry of Sara Teasdale that traces the arc of recovery after loss. 

Manifesto follows Cantus’ COVID-19 Sessions.  Recorded in March of 2020, these 19 tracks were recorded as society began to shut down at the start of the pandemic and were released as singles throughout the fall of 2020 on Signum.  

Click here to purchase the album directly through Cantus.

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Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832

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CONTACT: Rebecca Davis
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