Reviews

Concerts

Bookings and Press

Music

Education

Connect

Personnel

Store

Links

Next Year's Repertoire

	*Reviews*	*Click for archived reviews*

	*Concert Reviews* NEW! Washington Post, June 2, 2008, Cantus and Trio Mediaeval NEW! Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 30, 2008, Bravo to the ensembles... Houston Chronicle, February 13, 2008, Cantus debut with heartfelt interpretations Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 21, 2007, All is bright about 'All is Calm' Arkansas Democrat Gazette, November 27, 2007, Boston Pops' arrangments predictable; vocalists delight The Washington Post, April 2, 2007 Daytona Beach News Journal, December 11, 2006, Cantus: a holiday delight Journal-World, November 11, 2006, Cantus charms audience with diverse repertoire, harmonious sound Star Tribune, October 2, 2006, Rousing performance is tribute to American music Pioneer Press, May 12, 2006, Rare Mozart works shine in SPCO, Cantus concert The News-Times, Danbury, CT, April 6, 2006, Nine Men Sing Faultlessly Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 12, 2006, Cantus presents music of real depth as it entertains LaCrosse Tribune, February 18, 2006, Cantus is one supersonic harmonic voice Akron Beacon Journal, March 16, 2005, Singers are vocal about fun Star Tribune, May 3, 2004, Cantus concert: varied repertoire, joyful, rich sound *Recording Reviews* NPR.org - Cantus Sequenza21 - Cantus American Record Guide - There Lies the Home Classics Today - There Lies the Home New York Public Radio - There Lies The Home (audio review) American Public Media - Comfort and Joy: Volume Two Classics Today -Comfort and Joy: Volume Two ChristmasReviews.com - Comfort and Joy: Volume Two ChristmasReviews.com - Comfort and Joy: Volume One Minnesota Public Radio - Comfort and Joy: Volume One Classics Today - Comfort and Joy: Volume One OnHiFi.com - Comfort and Joy: Volume One Stereophile, March, 2004 - Deep River: the Cantus Spirituals Project American Record Guide - Deep River Classics Today -Deep River Primarily A Cappella - Deep River Mainely A Cappella - Deep River Classics Today - ...against the dying of the light International Record Review - ...against the dying of the light OnHiFi.com -...against the dying of the light American Record Guide - Let Your Voice Be Heard and …against the dying of the light Classics Today - Let Your Voice Be Heard OnHiFi.com - Let Your Voice Be Heard *Group Articles and Performances* Minnesota Public Radio, March 9, 2007 Mid-morning with Kerri Miller "Poetry and Song" Pioneer Press, March 6, 2007 Making music of abusers' words Star Tribune, March 8, 2007 The melody of abuse Stereophile Magazine, November, 2005 Comfort and Joy: the making of Cantus' Christmas CDs Star Tribune, April 30, 2004 Cantus singers band together to make name for themselves Wisconsin Public Radio Interview, February 8, 2004, University of the Air (You will need RealPlayer to listen to this clip. Get it here. ) *Press Quotes* "Cantus applied abundant warmth and seamless interaction to all of its fare, and hinted of a cheeky sense of humor. The results were mesmerizing." Donald Rosenburg, Cleveland Plain Dealer, May, 2008 "The all-male chamber choir Cantus sings with astonishing perfection of tone and diction. Means and ends join in genuinely glorious music-making. The complexity of the music is fully expressed, the diction is perfect, the emotions alive." John Story, Gramophone Magazine, January, 2005 “What they do is enchanting. The singers - solo quality all - produce a wonderfully warm, gutsy and masculine sound as well as a kind of smooth delivery, overt emotionality, and uncanny sense of ensemble. (They have) a certain gusto - a sense of boundless joy in music making. They achieve amazing precision, balance and interpretive unity. Male chorus fans are in for rare and enchanting treats here. Watch for this unique and charismatic group - it is just the sort of un-stuffy and engaging ensemble this nation needs more of, if we are to continue generating interest in serious music in an overwhelmingly pop-oriented culture. We are likely to be hearing much more from them.” Lindsay Koob, International Record Review, March/April 2003 "To all this varied and challenging repertoire the singers of Cantus brought richness of sound and well-practiced musicianship. Singing full-out, they sound like 20 or 30 voices -- and maybe just two or three at their softest. And they really communicate, not just with the audience but with each other -- a necessity, since they have no conductor." Star Tribune “An exuberant sincerity that informs everything, governed by an obvious love of beautiful sound and warm expression.” David Vernier, Classics Today “An unqualified recommendation for a disc from an outstanding group from whom I hope to hear a great deal more.” Ivan Moody, International Record Review “If it is a night of wild eclecticism and first-rate musicianship you desire, … just take in an evening with Cantus. You won’t be disappointed.” St. Paul Pioneer Press “The Minnesotans come across as down-to-earth types who present their music with the eagerness of hometown guys singing for the pleasure of friends and neighbors.” Cleveland Plain Dealer “In its Los Angeles debut Saturday in UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall, Cantus sounded 50 voices strong. Wonderful.” Los Angeles Times Back to top April 2, 2007 Cantus Andrew Lindemann Malone, The Washington Post It takes audacity for a chorus to program a sequence of songs by Veljo Tormis (a modern Estonian composer), Gordon Lightfoot and Sting. It takes wide-ranging stylistic fluency and a boatload of talent to pull it off. The men's chorus Cantus proved it had all that and more on Friday night in the Library of Congress's Coolidge Auditorium, as its enthusiasm and exquisite singing unified a concert that also included 16th-century polyphony, spirituals and a Bill Withers song. The songs contributed by the composers named earlier, part of a set of sea-related tunes, showed Cantus at its best. In Tormis's "Incantatio maris aestuosi," small melodic cells lap at each other, building to shattering climaxes; the group navigated the close intervals and spare harmonies with ease, producing sounds both severe and beautiful, and nailing the eerie whistling that helps to conjure a gathering storm. The group scraped off the Lightfootian cheesiness from "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" to reveal a sturdy melody and heartfelt sentiment. And the gorgeous part-song harmonies in its rendition of Sting's "Valparaiso" never obscured the text, making the lyrics an equal partner to the music. Refreshingly, Cantus embraces the occasional bit of silliness, opening the second half of the program with a hilarious pantomime-and-percussion number that featured possibly the finest moonwalk ever executed on the Coolidge Auditorium's stage. Moments like that made the sequence of Lee Hoiby's "Private First Class Jesse Givens," a letter from a soldier killed in Iraq set in anguished, clear chords, and the Appalachian folk song "Bright Morning Star" all the more affecting, particularly in Cantus's committed performances. Back to top February 18, 2006 Cantus is one supersonic harmonic voice. TERRY RINDFLEISCH, La Crosse Tribune The nine-member, all-male vocal ensemble based in Minneapolis captured the hearts of a full house Friday night at First Lutheran Church in Onalaska in its first appearance in the La Crosse area. The group sailed around the world, singing music from all parts of the globe and all musical time periods. It’s easy to understand why Cantus is considered one of America’s best all-male vocal ensembles when you hear the group in person. Cantus sings with lush harmonies and a warm, rich and joyful sound. It’s a full vocal sound, with a varied tone quality and emotional power. The first half of the concert featured a cute Norwegian song about a cat going to Denmark and Stravinsky’s four peasant songs, sung in Russian. No matter what language, Cantus displays precise musicianship with good contrast and vocal effects. My favorite song was Franz Biebl’s “Ave Maria,” which Cantus sang with sweetness and beauty. Cantus can be quite different. The group sang a pseudo-yoik, poking fun at the Lappish yoik and then switched to Inuit layered rhythms. Crowd favorites were “Shenandoah” and a spiritual, “I Can’t Tarry,” which showed off Cantus’ full choir sound. You never know what to expect from Cantus, so the final pieces included the pop classic “How Can I Be Sure” by the Young Rascals and a classical Indian love song in an unusual Indian scale. Cantus provided a lot of different musical styles to show its versatility, but most of all the ensemble was extremely entertaining. Kudos to Tom Skogen and his family for bringing this fabulous ensemble to Onalaska. It was one concert worth braving subzero temperatures. If you still want to see Cantus, the ensemble has a concert April 20 at Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minn. Back to top March 16, 2005 Singers are vocal about fun Elaine Guregian, Akron Beacon Journal A cappella group Cantus provides a little thwack in delightful concert for Tuesday Musical series. This time of year, when it seems we'll never get to put away those ice scrapers, a little levity is more appreciated than ever. For its first appearance on the Tuesday Musical series, a youthful group of male singers called Cantus brought pinpoint musicianship and lighthearted charm to E.J. Thomas Hall on Tuesday night. Pronounced CON-toos, the group's name means melody, or song. That's what the nine members of this a cappella group delivered, though it was of delightfully varied stripes, from a setting of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky to Two Laments on Dylan Thomas and back to a nonsense song from Finland. Standing in a semicircle to sing, the formally dressed performers looked at ease, glancing back and forth at each other as they sang. Often they looked downright mischievous, as when they appeared carrying brightly colored tuned tubes that they proceeded to thwack rhythmically against their thighs. That piece, Flight, was written "for boomwhacker ensemble," one of the singers announced. Since its beginning as a group of friends at St. Olaf College in Minnesota in 1995, this group has become professional without sacrificing fun. The trick in an ensemble of all the same instrument, voice, is to vary the tonal quality. This Cantus did, not only with impressive dynamic control but also with a dazzling array of vocal effects from bullfrogs to birds to the otherworldly resonance of pulsating metallic overtones. With its terrific musicianship and friendly way of introducing the pieces on this well-balanced program, the group built a rapport with the audience. Those at E.J. Thomas weren't the only ones they touched in Akron. While here, Cantus gave workshops at Central-Hower High School and at Firestone High School, together attended by about 170 music students throughout Akron. Tuesday night, students from Firestone High School's Madrigal Singers, taught by Sally Schneider, joined Cantus onstage for a sleekly coordinated performance of the spiritual My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord. In its brief space of time here, Cantus made quite an impact. *Back to top* May 3, 2004 Cantus concert: varied repertoire, joyful, rich sound Michael Anthony, Star Tribune Cantus, the busy, professional male chorus that got its start as a student group at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., gives most of its concerts on tour around the country. The group -- 10 singers, though currently nine -- does have a local series, however, and is wrapping that up for the season with four concerts, the first of which was Saturday at First Lutheran Church of Columbia Heights. The space is unusual for a church, wide rather than long, and its reverberant acoustics -- more like a concert hall than a church -- offered consistently bright, clear sound in what was a well-chosen and substantial program of choral rarities, for which the able accompanist was pianist Charles Kemper. Interesting works in both French and German were on the program. The rich-toned violinist Cara Wilson served as the soloist in Faure's "Cantique de Jean Racine." But the chief focus Saturday night turned on English music, especially that vital thread that starts with the Dublin-born C. Villiers Stanford and his two students at the Royal Academy of Music, Holst and Vaughan Williams, and ends up decades later with Benjamin Britten and his wry "Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Bernard." Baritone Kelvin Chan captured just the right tone of intrepid patriotism in Stanford's cantata from 1904, "Songs of the Sea." Imagine Russell Crowe's ship's captain in the recent movie "Master and Commander" singing of the glories of the British empire and you get the picture. Colonialism is not so heartily endorsed these days, but there was no denying the rich sentiment of the earnest fourth song, "Homeward Bound." Between Stanford and Holst's engaging "Choral Rig Veda," tenor Michael Hanawalt brought out the yearning in a lovely version of "Ständchen" one of Schubert's several Serenades. Michael Head's pungently lyrical setting of Shakespeare's "How Sweet the Moonlight Sleeps" was another highlight of the evening. To all this varied and challenging repertoire the singers of Cantus brought richness of sound and well-practiced musicianship. Singing full-out, they sound like 20 or 30 voices -- and maybe just two or three at their softest. And they really communicate, not just with the audience but with each other -- a necessity, since they have no conductor. They also seem to really enjoy singing, even the most intricate music, and that enjoyment proved contagious Saturday night. *Back to top* April, 2007 CD Review - Cantus: There Lies the Home Philip Greenfield, American Record Guide To music lovers who feel like they must go down to the seas again, this will be one of the most irresistible releases in recent memory. Nautical themes monopolize this anthology of sea chanteys and choral songs from the likes of Amy Beach, Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, Peter Schickele, the Estonian master Veljo Tormis, Sting and Gordon Lightfoot. A diverse enough roster for you? Also of interest are two songs by Edie Hill, a Minnesota-based composer whose writing has begun to attract a great deal of attention. What holds it all together is the remarkable artistry of Cantus, a professional choir of 11 fellows from Minnesota’s Twin Cities who sound spectacular singing this spirited repertoire that draws from so many different choral styles. You also get great sound and a clever booklet that catalogs the information in the form of a ship’s log, complete with delicate script and parchment-like paper. If your eyes are good enough to read it (mine aren’t anymore), it should add to the fun. Enjoy! *Back to top* December 15, 2004 CD Review - Cantus: Comfort and Joy, Volume One Julie Amacher, Minnesota Public Radio The dictionary definition for "comfort" is: a condition or feeling of pleasurable ease, well-being and contentment. That is precisely how you'll feel after you've listened to "Comfort and Joy," Volume 1, featuring the Minnesota-based a cappella group, Cantus. With unique arrangements of many familiar carols, and meditative works by composers like Morten Lauridsen and Franz Biebl, you can't help but feel hopeful. This ensemble sounds so much bigger than its ten voices, even when they're offering quiet contemplative phrases. Cantus is all about rich textures and gorgeous harmonies. While you're absorbing the rich textures and gorgeous harmonies of "Comfort and Joy, Vol. 1," make note Volume 2 is due out in 2005. *Back to top* American Record Guide Review - January/February 2004 Review for Deep River Lindsay Koob I was transfixed by the two previous releases from Cantus, Minnesota's terrific men's ensemble-check out my recent double review (see Let Your Voice be Heard, M/A 2003, p 216). They're among my top choral picks for 2003 (this issue). Imagine the big smile on my face when I found these wonderful a cappella arrangements of American Negro spirituals and work songs from this lovable group among my current to-do pile! If you read my recent review of the spiritual-based choral works of Nathaniel Dett (previous issue-also a top pick), you know of my general preference for black singers in this corner of the repertoire, as they offer unbeatable idiomatic authenticity. But any competent and emotive choir can give beautiful voice to spirituals in their own fashion. Turn them over to a master ensemble like Cantus, and the result is pure, heart-stirring choral magic. These - all by black composers - are among THE classic arrangements of their kind, beginning with those of Harry T. Burleigh (1866-1949): the first great (perhaps the greatest) chronicler and preserver of his people's musical heritage. The contributions of William Levi Dawson (1899-1990), Jester Hairston (1902-2000) and John W. Work III (1901-1967) are no less lovely or important. Cantus member Erick Lichte's excellent program notes will tell you of their timeless contributions to the American choral tradition. He also provides a concise history and typology of the spirituals genre. Most of your favorites (and mine) are here: "Ezekiel saw de wheel", "Were you there", "Balm in Gilead", "Deep river", "Swing low, sweet chariot", "Steal away", "My Lord, what a mornin' ", and "Ev'ry time I feel the spirit". Lesser-known gems include Hairston's "Poor man Laz'rus" and Dawson's "In his care-o". Brief contrasts from the spirituals come with the convict songs: Work's "This ol' hammer" and Hairston's "Great God a'mighty". There's not a number here that won't beguile, thrill or choke up most choral buffs. The twelve amazing men of Cantus weave their usual spell, with singing of unimaginable (unless you've heard them) precision, sensitivity and deep emotional power. Their way with this music's unique brand of aching sorrow keeps recurring lumps in your throat; their sense of jubilant celebration makes you want to get up and dance and sing along. They are true chamber musicians, as they rehearse and perform without a conductor or other leader. Their levels of interpretive teamwork and emotional unity would be impossible were not every one of them a consummate vocal virtuoso, with the kind of deep and instinctive musicianship that allows each to attune his work perfectly to that of his fellows. Their stunning sonorities are captured in warm, rich, and clear sound; notes and texts are nicely laid out. Having performed nearly half of these pieces over the years - many in other arrangements - I couldn't help singing along (no dancing) here and there. LET the neighbors think I'm crazy! I fear that choral nuts in general - but especially spirituals fans - just can't go on living without this one. *Back to top* Primarily A Cappella - Deep River Deep River is sixth strong recording from the 11 men of Cantus, a professional, vocal chamber ensemble dedicated to exalting the human spirit through the performance of innovative and engaging musical programs. There are 16 Spirituals and Gospel tunes here, as powerful and spirited as we have ever heard them sung. From the first cut, "Ezekiel Saw de Wheel," to "King Jesus Is A-Listening," "This Ol' Hammer" and the title tune to "My Lord, What a Mornin'," "In His Care-O" and "In Dat Great Gittin' Up Mornin'," this is marvelous, deep-bassed revival meeting stuff. And the softer tunes, like "There Is A Balm in Gilead," remind us how much we'd rather hear this than "There is a bomb in." Cantus keeps getting better with every CD, and we like what they're doing! Nice liner notes with complete lyrics. *Back to top* Mainely A Cappella - Deep River Familiar spirituals by top arrangers (Dawson, Hairston, Burleigh and Work) are performed with an impressive combination of passion and perfection by men's ensemble Cantus. A powerful solo marks lesser-known "King Jesus Is A-Listening," and a relentless rhythm sets "This Ol' Hammer" as a work song. Cantus just keeps getting better! *Back to top* International Record Review, June 2003 Review for…against the dying of the light Ivan Moody Cantus, a young American ensemble (comprising of five tenors, three baritones and three basses) is already well known in its native country and has a very busy schedule. This recording should certainly serve to give their career an international perspective. It is a highly original - idiosyncratic, even - programme whose underlying idea is the movement from darkness to light. If I say that they spend more time in the former than the latter, let that not put anybody off investigating such unusual repertoire of high quality. Finnish and Estonian music plays a large part in Cantus’ repertoire, and here they give excellent renditions of Sibelius’ Hymnus and Sydämeni Laulu (‘My Heart’s Song’, setting of a poem by Alexis Kivi), Tormis’ Varjele, Jumala Soasta (better know in English speaking countries as God Protect us From War) and Leevi Madetoja’s very fine De Profundis. These latter two represent from me the highlights of the disc. Tormis’ piece is a visceral tour-de-force setting verses from the Kanteletar (the Estonian equivalent of the Kalevala), and I have rarely heard it rendered this well. Madetoja’s ample choral output included a substantial number of works of striking originality, and this brief, incisive setting of psalm verses is indubitably one of them. Other rarities include Casal’s rather odd O Vos Omnes and, once a much more regular element in the choral repertoire, Orff’s Sunt Lacrimae Rerum, to whose frequently Burana-like echos Cantus does splendid justice, maintaining the tension right to the end and making particularly effective use of those sudden Orffian outbursts of high tenor writing á la roasted swan. The most recent piece on the disc, Kenneth Jennings’ Two Laments on Dylan Thomas (hence the title of the disc) did not do much for me, well written and splendidly sung though it is, and I confess that I found the presence of the ubiquitous Randall Thomson’s Alleluia to be more of a distraction than a transition (which I take is the reason for including it at this point in the disc), again, not withstanding the magnificent performance. The Debussy Invocation is similarly odd, but really these are minor quibbles and obviously fall into the subjective category of what makes good programming. A genuine black mark, however, for the booklet’s complete absence of original texts and any information whatsoever about this remarkable sequence of music - beautiful graphic design alone does not make up for these things. That said, an unqualified recommendation for a disc from an outstanding group from whom I hope to hear a great deal more. Back to top American Record Guide March/April 2003 Review for Let Your Voice Be Heard and …against the dying of the light Lindsay Koob Cantus is a superb and innovative 11-voice professional male choir that works sans conductor. Formed in 1995 at St. Olaf College, Minnesota’s legendary choir school, all its remarkable singers are apparently still in their 20's. The group has made a minor splash in recent years, with a delightfully refreshing and adventurous approach to choral singing. Thier offerings include masterpieces from the past as well as new music, either written for them or arranged from a multitude of other sources. The only other well-known groups I can think of that are even remotely like them are San Francisco’s Chanticleer and England’s King’s Singers - all of them serve similar musical missions and unconventional repertoire. But Cantus has no countertenors, sticking mostly to the usual TTBB configuration. Ah, but what they DO with that configuration is enchanting. The singers - solo quality all - produce a wonderfully warm, gutsy and masculine sound (their bass end is stunning) as well as the kind of smooth delivery, overt emotionality, and uncanny sense of ensemble we have come to expect from St. Olaf choirs. But a certain gusto - a sense of boundless joy in music making - keeps this group from lapsing into the occasional blandness of the “St. Olaf Sound”. They achieve amazing precision, balance and interpretive unity - all without a conductor or apparent leader (none is credited). The bulk of their work is a cappella, though some pieces - usually the folk or exotic foreign ones - employ a variety of percussion instruments (drums, xylophone, hammers, chains and a gong!) One piece gets piano support. We also hear an impressive array of choral effects, such as rhythmic chanting and grunting, droning basses, nasally thin vocal keening, and animal sounds - among others - according to whatever culture’s sound-world they seek to evoke. Arrangements, done exclusively by their own members are invariably imaginative and engaging. These two collections are actually quite different. Let Your Voice Be Heard is the more laid-back and informal one, offering sheer exuberant choral fun, interspersed with more reflective fare. It celebrates a rich variety of mostly national folk idioms, encompassing domestic, Native American, African, Indian, Chinese and pan-European traditions. Cultural styles explored include Latin, Jewish and Celtic. Most works - and of course all the arrangements - are new to me, though such familiar pieces as ‘Loch Lomond’, ‘Shenandoah’, and ‘What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor’, and the spiritual ‘Were You There’ keep us anchored in the familiar and beloved territory. ...against the dying of the light is a much more serious collection, with works from such masters as Josquin, Schubert, Sibelius, Debussy and Barber keeping it rooted in the classics. Its predominant themes are rather somber, having mostly to do with death and suffering. One of the choirs avowed goals with this release is to prove they can stand toe-to-toe with the big name ensembles - and they succeed most admirably. Schubert’s original arrangement of ‘Grab und Mond’ is realized with particular depth and sensitivity. Other choral favorites heard here are Pablo Casals’ searing motet, ‘O Vos Omnes’ and Randall Thompson’s ever-popular ‘Alleluia’. Discoveries include the fearful prayer, ‘God Protect us from War’, by Estonian composer Veljo Tormis (b. 1930). The discs title is an excerpt from the text of ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight’, one of Two Laments on Dylan Thomas by Kenneth Jennings (b. 1925), who is new to me. It is a masterpiece of outraged resignation. The only piece I don’t much care for is Carl Orff’s ‘Sunt Lacrimae Rerum’, which sound like a simplistic rehash of Carmina Burana, only without its excitement and moments of beauty. This pair of releases brings the group’s total discography to five, all distributed by Cantus, their own label. Sound quality is sate-of-the art. Texts are beautifully laid out, but are given in translation only - and rightly so, given the Babel of original languages here. There are some empty pages in the second disc’s booklet but nothing seems to have been left out. Notes are otherwise sparse, especially in the second collection, with no information about the composers or their works and very limited information about the choir. I had to go to their website to learn of their origins and history. Each of these releases brings tremendous pleasure; male chorus fans are in for rare and enchanting treats here. Watch for this unique and charismatic group - it is just the sort of un-stuffy and engaging ensemble this nation needs more of, if we are to continue generating interest in serious music in an overwhelmingly pop-oriented culture. We are likely to be hearing much more from them. *Back to top* April 30, 2004 Cantus singers band together to make name for themselves Michael Anthony, Star Tribune There's impatience in Erick Lichte's voice when he says, "In terms of live performance, we're probably Minnesota's No. 1 cultural export to the rest of the country -- that is, the most concerts for the most people. It'd be nice if people here knew that." There's no denying that Cantus' reach is national, perhaps international. Since 2000, when the group turned professional, most of its energy has gone into touring. It does 40 to 60 dates a year, performing in such far reaches as Canada and France. If one excludes the bigger opera choruses, such as that of the Metropolitan Opera, there are only two full-time professional choruses in the United States: Cantus and the group it was modeled on, the San Francisco-based male ensemble Chanticleer. It may have a busy touring schedule, but Cantus isn't forgetting its home base. The 10-voice male chorus, of which Lichte is a founder and artistic coordinator, has a four-concert Twin Cities stand in the next week. Cantus, formed by four students at St. Olaf College in Northfield, has worked hard to stand out in a difficult musical niche. Consider these issues: • Budget. In less than five years, the group's annual budget has grown to nearly $400,000. Cantus receives almost no grant money, and about 95 percent of its income is earned through ticket sales or concert fees. This is unheard of in the not-for-profit world, where most organizations must get as much as 60 percent of their budget from donations. Singers receive salaries of about $20,000 this year ($30,000 last year), which some supplement with other part-time gigs. Singers in part-time professional choruses, by comparison, are paid per-service, and might earn $3,000 to $4,000 in an average year. "Basically," as Lichte (pronounced "light") says, "we've made this work as a small business. We're like the James Brown of choruses: the hardest-working men in the choral music business." • Repertoire. As reflected in concerts and six self-produced CDs, Cantus tackles a dizzyingly broad range of musical styles. Perhaps only the King's Singers can match the ensemble's span of periods and genres, from Gregorian chant to art songs, folk music, spirituals and pop. The singers favor thematic programming, and they love the odd juxtaposition. A recent set devoted to the sea pairs classical songs by Amy Beach and C. Villiers Stanford with Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" and an avant-garde piece by Estonian composer Veljo Tormis. Many of the singers' arrangements are being published by Neil A. Kjos Music of San Diego under the title "Cantus: Music for Men's Voices." • Structure. The group's founding premise was "chamber music for voices." That meant there was no conductor and that every musical decision was open for discussion. "That turned out to be crazy," said tenor Brian Arreola. "It could take an hour to discuss four bars." As a remedy, the singers developed what they call the "producer system": Each member is in charge of one piece on an upcoming program, coming up with a concept for the piece and conducting its rehearsal. Collegial beginnings Lichte, Arreola, Al Jordan and Kjell Stenberg, all freshmen, found themselves at the same table in the St. Olaf dining hall one night in the spring of 1995. All had been members of the school's Viking male chorus, which is limited to freshmen, and had loved it. They talked about continuing that kind of singing on their own in their sophomore year, which they did, gradually gaining a following on campus and adding a few members as needed for such difficult classical pieces as Britten's "Little Musgrave" (which they will be singing this weekend). The summer after graduation they hit the road for the East Coast -- 11 singers, a tour manager and a cello, all in a 15-passenger bus -- to sing about two dozen dates that they had lined up on the phone, including a performance at the prestigious Newport Music Festival. Rob Robbins, a vice president at the Herbert Barrett Management office in New York City, had been tipped off that a male chorus from Minnesota was creating a buzz in choral circles and would be worth checking out. Robbins and a colleague caught up with them at a workshop for choral directors that Cantus was leading north of Boston, after which there was a concert. "What struck us right off the bat was not only the confidence with which they conducted themselves before these seasoned choral directors, but they really seemed to know what they were talking about," said Robbins, speaking by phone from New York. "Then, when we heard them sing, we were really impressed with their sound, their exuberance and the joy with which they presented themselves." Normally, Robbins said, given the youth of the singers -- early 20s -- his office would have waited a few years before signing them to a contract. But an agreement was reached that evening -- partly because Chanticleer, which Barrett had been managing for more than a decade, was leaving the agency, leaving room for another male chorus. The singers spent the next two years in the Twin Cities, getting their act -- and their organization -- together, securing nonprofit status, creating a board of directors and, in Lichte's words, "figuring out who we are and what we want to accomplish." Their mission statement dedicates them "to exalting the human spirit through performances of innovative and engaging musical programs." In the years since, the singers have performed about 300 concerts around the country, many tied to educational programs, which they prefer. Reviews have been excellent. "Cantus' sonic blend was so beaming and elastic that it seemed to originate as a single, gorgeously variegated voice . . . years of intense preparation are everywhere apparent in their sound," said a Washington Post critic. The group's recordings have been equally well received, especially the past three: an album of surprisingly varied world folk music ("Let Your Voice Be Heard"), a collection of spirituals ("Deep River') and a somber but intriguing essay on death and resurrection ("Against the Dying of the Light"). The singers' sound, though mercurial, is recognizable for its clarity but especially for the resonance of basses Lichte, Alan Dunbar and Tim Takach, which distinguishes them musically from the more treble-oriented Chanticleer. The Cantus members talk seriously, almost idealistically, about their musical goals. However, to sit with three of them over lunch -- Lichte, Arreola and Takach -- is to realize something else about them: their deep bond. Years together on the road can produce deep friendship or corrosive irritation. These three actually listen to each other's opinions, and seem able to make the others laugh with just a word or two. Lichte, for instance, takes credit for coming up with the group's name, (pronounced CON-toose) which means "song" or "melody" in Latin. "In retrospect, it wasn't the best name ever," he said. "We have been called 'Conscience,' 'Cantrus' and 'Cactus' in public, usually when we are being introduced. We would rather be called Thundercats if we could do it again." They talked about the rigors of the road, about the entire group suffering food poisoning in a small town in Illinois but going onstage anyway. They started the concert with 10 singers; by intermission they were down to 8. Lichte: "That's the worst thing I've ever heard on tour, one of our guys, Alan Dunbar, saying to the rest of the guys who were sick, 'Hey, Dude, if you make yourself throw up, you'll feel better.' " The members of Cantus are a good-looking bunch (at least when they're not throwing up backstage). This might have had a bearing, however slight, on their success. Asked whether they encounter groupies, Takach, who designs the group's record jackets and other graphics, said no, adding, with some regret, "I think we come off as way too wholesome. People don't think of the groupies thing as an option." Arreola: "We do have a couple more tattoos in the group. Maybe that'll help." Takach: "You don't really see them, though." The group had just returned from a series of concerts in California. At one of them, in Torrance, near Los Angeles, they sang to 1,300 mostly Latino students as part of a community-college series. Said Arreola, "They came up afterwards and said 'Man, we're required to go to these. This is the first time I wasn't bored.' " Such experiences are the upside of the Cantus experience. The downside is the sheer amount of work that four students at St. Olaf couldn't possibly have predicted Lichte, who's in charge of repertoire, calls it a 24-hour-a-day job. "I'm always thinking about it," he said. "I'll wake up in the middle of the night, go to the computer and start typing up lists of what I think would be a cool program." He let out a long sigh. "None of this would exist if it weren't for every member of the group being willing to make enormous sacrifices -- monetarily, time-wise. Right now, next year is pretty much set. But we want this to be not just a livable wage or just scraping by. When we get grant money and private donors, this will be more sustainable, and we won't have to sit on pins and needles every year, worrying about whether there are going to be concerts next year." *Back to top*